Taipei [Taiwan], April 13 (ANI): Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Sunday expelled Ho Jen-chieh, a former assistant to Joseph Wu, the current national security chief and former foreign minister, following allegations of his involvement in a Chinese espionage case, Focus Taiwan reported.

The decision came after an emergency meeting at the DPP's Yilan County headquarters today, where officials discussed the serious charges against Ho Jen-chieh. Ho worked under Joseph Wu from 2018 to 2024 as Taiwan's foreign minister.

Chiu Chia-chin, the head of the DPP's Yilan office, stated that the decision of expulsion was unanimous, emphasising that Ho's actions were destroying the party's reputation and 'running counter to the DPP's core values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.'

Earlier, opposition parties intensified pressure on the DPP, and urged prosecutors to identify any of its members allegedly colluding with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) amid a growing national security scandal involving espionage.

The call came as Ho Je-chieh was detained on Saturday in connection with an espionage case.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu had responded to the developments by demanding that the DPP take responsibility for rooting out any spies within its ranks, regardless of political affiliation.

'Colluding with the CCP and betraying Taiwan is a severe matter. The KMT undoubtedly loves Taiwan and would strive for the Republic of China's benefits,' Chu said.

The Taiwan People's Party (TPP) caucus echoed the criticism in a Facebook post, claiming the DPP frequently accuses others of aiding the CCP while itself acting as a 'national team of Chinese spies,' as reported by Taipei Times.

The post accused the CCP of infiltrating the government at the highest levels, including the Presidential Office and national security and foreign affairs agencies. It alleged that the DPP, despite calling for the public to recall opposition lawmakers, has itself been infiltrated by numerous spies and is steering Taiwan toward a 'single-party regime like China.'

The TPP further urged President William Lai, who also serves as DPP chairman, to investigate how long the infiltration has persisted and how many party members may be secretly working for Beijing.

In February, Presidential Office consultant Wu Shang-yu, former DPP staffer Chiu Shih-yuan, and councillor assistant Huang Chu-jing were also detained over similar allegations, Taiwan Focus reported. (ANI)