Written By Lisa Murimi
A Taipei court has sentenced eight Taiwanese soldiers to prison for spying on behalf of China, in exchange for monetary rewards.
The court revealed that retired military officers bribed active-duty soldiers with amounts reaching up to 700,000 Taiwan dollars ($21,900; £16,700) to join a Chinese spy network.
Among those convicted, one man believed to be a key recruiter received a 13-year prison sentence, the longest in the group.
A lieutenant-colonel was handed a nine-year sentence for planning to defect to China by flying a helicopter.
Another soldier was convicted for creating an instructional video on surrendering to China in the event of war.
China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has not ruled out using force to bring it under its control. The two sides have been involved in espionage since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.
The court condemned the soldiers’ actions, stating they had “seriously endangered national security and the well-being of the people of Taiwan.”
Taiwan has recently raised alarms over Beijing’s escalating espionage activities, with Thursday’s sentencing of eight soldiers being the latest in a series of high-profile cases.
Last month, a sergeant from a navy training center was indicted for allegedly leaking confidential defense data to China, further highlighting the growing threat.
In addition to espionage, Taiwan has expressed concerns over the increasing frequency of Chinese fighter jet flights near the island.
These developments are seen as part of China’s broader strategy to exert pressure on Taiwan, which it views as a breakaway province.In response to these challenges, Taiwan’s President William Lai emphasized the need for national unity.
Speaking on Friday during an event marking the 66th anniversary of China’s assault on Taiwan’s Kinmen islands, President Lai urged the people of Taiwan to “unite as one” in order to “defend national sovereignty and safeguard democracy.”
