A specialist in the Taiwanese president's office and a legislator's former aide were arrested Thursday on suspicion of leaking state secrets to China, officials and reports said.

Wang Ren-bing, who has been on the presidential staff eight years, and Chen Ping-ren, adviser to a ruling Kuomintang lawmaker, were taken into custody early Thursday for allegedly violating national security laws, said a spokesman at Taipei district court.

The spokesman declined to comment on reports that Chen allegedly passed information on the May 20, 2008 inauguration of President Ma Ying-jeou he obtained from Wang to Chinese intelligence.

Presidential spokesman Wang Yu-chi on Thursday attempted to downplay the impact of the case.

"He was not in charge of any special tasks and his access to confidential information was extremely little," he said, adding that security would be reviewed if necessary.

The pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) warned that the case highlighted China's lingering threat to the island despite improving ties.

"China has not and would never give up spying on Taiwan. We are concerned that the Ma government's pro-China policies …. would jeopardise national security," a DPP statement said.

The United Daily News, citing unnamed sources, reported Thursday that Wang photocopied documents pertaining to the handover of power to Ma from his predecessor Chen Shui-bian as well as the presidential office organisational charts and division phone numbers.

Other reports said Chen Ping-ren, who has since quit, handed over the documents he obtained between March and April to Chinese intelligence both by faxing and in person at Macau airport.

The arrests came after prosecutors searched Wang's office and residence on Wednesday and confiscated a box of documents, prosecutors said.

The paper said Wang joined the presidential staff in 2001 while Chen was in office under the recommendation of his then right-hand man Chen Che-nan.

Chen Shui-bian, who frequently irked China with his pro-independence rhetoric, left office in May after serving the maximum two four-year terms.

Tensions have eased since the Beijing-friendly Ma swept to power last year on a platform to boost trade and tourism links with China.

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