By Huang Chieh, Chien Li-chung and Dennis Xie / Staff reporters, with staff writerTwo executives of a Chinese company based in Hong Kong who have allegedly tried to influence Taiwanese elections were yesterday barred from leaving the nation following their detention at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Sunday. The office yesterday confirmed that the Xiang and Kung had been released, but have been barred from leaving the nation pending further investigation. Wang had said that Xiang is really an intelligence officer with direct communication channels to the office of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Xiang has helped Beijing establish top intelligence assets and conduct espionage operations in Taiwan and Hong Kong, he said. Wang said that he in 2014 started working at China Innovation Investment as Kung’s painting instructor and later became a “middleman” for intelligence operations.
