Taiwan jails spies ‘lured by money’ to work for China

A Taipei court has jailed eight Taiwanese soldiers for spying for China in exchange for money.

Retired military officers bribed active-duty soldiers with as much as NT$700,000 ($21,900; £16,700) to join a spy ring, a court has found.

One of the men, considered a key player in recruiting the soldiers, was sentenced to 13 years in prison, the longest sentence of the group.

One of the recruits, a lieutenant colonel, was sentenced to nine years in prison for planning a defection to China by piloting a helicopter, while another made an instructional video on surrendering to China in the event of war.

China considers Taiwan a breakaway province that will eventually come under its control and has not ruled out using force to take the island.

The two sides have been spying on each other since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949.

Ten people were charged with espionage last year, and eight were convicted on Thursday. The court acquitted one of them, while another, a retired officer, remains at large.

“They were lured by money,” the court said.

“Their actions violated their official duties of loyalty to the country, defense of the country and the people… seriously endangering national security and the well-being of the people of Taiwan.”

Taiwan has recently highlighted Beijing’s growing espionage efforts, with Thursday’s conviction the latest in a series of cases.

Last month, a sergeant who worked at a Navy training center was indicted for allegedly photographing and leaking classified defense data to China.

Taipei has also expressed concern over the increasing frequency of Chinese fighter jet flights around the island.

Taiwanese President William Lai said on Friday that the island’s people “must unite” and “defend national sovereignty and safeguard democracy.”

He was speaking at an event commemorating the 66th anniversary of China’s assault on Taiwan’s Kinmen Islands.