As tensions between China and the West grow, Chinese companies are resorting to increasingly underhanded tactics to gain an advantage, including using front companies to recruit Taiwan’s top talent. Taiwan is currently investigating over a dozen Chinese firms accused of covertly poaching its skilled workforce. Among the companies under scrutiny is Victory Giant Tech (Huizhou Co. 
Ltd.), which supplies PCBs to NVIDIA, as well as Goertek, a supplier of acoustic components to major tech giants like Google and Meta, and Chipone, a leader in display chip design in China.
The investigation, led by Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice Bureau, has uncovered alarming methods employed by these companies, such as disguising their origins by pretending to be Taiwanese or overseas Chinese firms, and routing the talent to China via bogus human resource management companies. In response, Taiwan has mobilized 300 personnel, conducted 70 searches, and questioned 120 individuals as part of this ongoing probe.
Taiwan has a long history of dealing with corporate espionage linked to China. A report from Taiwan’s National Security Bureau revealed a staggering 300% rise in corporate espionage cases involving Chinese entities between 2021 and 2024, from 16 to 64 instances. Recent cyber-attacks on Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, particularly on individuals working in Taiwanese semiconductor investment analysis, also highlight the sophistication of these espionage efforts. In 2025 alone, three separate hacker groups targeting the semiconductor industry were identified, showcasing a coordinated effort to undermine Taiwan’s technological supremacy.