Taiwan jails spies 'seduced by money' to work for China

A court in Taipei, Taiwan, has sentenced eight soldiers to prison for spying on behalf of China in exchange for money. The court found that retired military officers had bribed active-duty soldiers with amounts reaching up to 700,000 Taiwan dollars, which is approximately 21,900 US dollars. Among those sentenced, one soldier, who played a significant role in recruiting others into the spy network, received the longest sentence of 13 years. Another soldier, a lieutenant-colonel, was sentenced to nine years for planning to defect to China by flying a helicopter. Additionally, one soldier created a video that instructed how to surrender to China in case of a war. China views Taiwan as a breakaway province that it intends to control, and it has not ruled out the possibility of using force to achieve this. The two sides have been engaged in espionage against each other since the conclusion of the Chinese civil war in 1949. Last year, a total of ten individuals were indicted for spying, and on Thursday, eight of them were sentenced. The court acquitted one individual, while another retired officer remains at large. The court stated, 'They were seduced by money,' emphasizing that their actions violated their responsibilities to be loyal to their country and to protect the people of Taiwan. This situation has raised concerns about national security and the safety of the Taiwanese people. Recently, Taiwan has highlighted the increasing espionage efforts from Beijing, with this sentencing being the latest in a series of similar cases. Just last month, a sergeant who worked at a navy training center was indicted for allegedly photographing and leaking confidential defense information to China. Furthermore, Taiwan has expressed worries about the rising number of Chinese fighter jet flights around the island. On Friday, President William Lai of Taiwan urged the people to unite and defend their national sovereignty and democracy. He made these remarks during an event commemorating the 66th anniversary of China's assault on Taiwan's Kinmen islands.