Eight Chinese soldiers were imprisoned in Taipei for allegedly spying on China’s representative in exchange for money.
Retired military officers bribed active duty soldiers with as much as 700, 000 Taiwan dollars ($ 21, 900, £16, 700 ) to join a spy network, the court found.
One of the guys, who was believed to be essential to recruiting troops, got a 13-year word, the longest in the team.
One of the volunteers, a lieutenant-colonel, was handed nine times for planning to defect to China by flying a plane, while another chance an instructional videos about surrendering to China in the event of battle.
Taiwan, which is self-ruled by China as a separatist state that will eventually fall under its purview, has no ruled out the use of force to overthrow it.
Since the close of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the two parties have been eavesdropping on one another.
Eight people received sentences on Thursday after being convicted for spying on the same day as ten people were indicted for spying next month. The jury acquitted one while another, a retired official, remains at large.
” They were seduced by money”, the prosecutor said.
Their behavior seriously impeded Taiwan’s national surveillance and the well-being of the people of Taiwan by abusing their official duties of being loyal to the country, defending the country, and defending the nation and the people.
The sentencing on Thursday is the most recent in a long line of cases, with Taiwan late highlighting Beijing’s growing spying efforts.
A commander who worked at a navy training facility was charged last month with supposedly leaking to China private defense information.
Taipei’s growing speed of Chinese fighter jets flying around the area has also sparked issue.
On Friday, Taiwan’s President William Lai said the region’s individuals “must unite as one” and “defend national independence and prevent democracy”.
He was speaking at an event to celebrate the 66th celebration of China’s abuse on Taiwan’s Kinmen territories.