Wang Hsi-ling

Who is Wang Hsi-ling?

Vice-Admiral Wang Hsi-ling, also spelled Wang Shi-ling or Wong Hsi-ling, was the head of Republic of China Ministry of National Defense's intelligence bureau and the highest-ranking officer in the military of the Republic of China ever court-martialed.

Wang was implicated during the murder trial of the United Bamboo Gang leader Chen Chi-li, when evidence arose that Chen claimed that Wang had ordered him to go to Daly City, California to kill the dissident journalist Henry Liu in 1984. American officials travelled to Taiwan to interview him and administer a polygraph examination in February 1985; then-President Chiang Ching-kuo was at first reluctant, but on 8 February acceded to their demand. Wang denied that he had ordered Chen to kill Liu, stating he only wanted Chen to "teach Liu a lesson", and further denied that his superiors had approved the killing. His three interviewers agreed that the polygraph results showed that both of his statements were false. On 19 April 1985, he was sentenced to life in prison by a Taipei military tribunal; He could have faced the death penalty. Less than a month later, Chen retracted all of his testimony implicating Wang.