Ching Fu Minehunter Scandal: The Largest Defense Procurement Fraud Unveiling Systemic Corruption

The Ching Fu scandal broke out in late 2017, involving a private company using the NT$35 billion "Minehunter" project to obtain nearly NT$20 billion in fraudulent loans from domestic banks. The investigation revealed deep political-business entanglements, with the Ching Fu Vice President allegedly visiting the Presidential Office to lobby for funding, and government agencies subsequently putting pressure on banks to provide loans. This case exposed the serious loopholes in Taiwan''s national defense procurement and the systemic corruption within the financial and administrative systems under the DPP''s "National Defense Autonomy" slogan. Not only was the NT$35 billion defense project ruined, but the government''s credibility in major procurement also hit a record low.