• Retired Taiwanese air force colonel Liu Sheng-shu sentenced to 20 years for Chinese espionage.
• Five other officers jailed (6 months to 20 years) for involvement.
• Liu recruited spies during a 2013 trip to China.

A retired Taiwanese air force colonel has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for orchestrating a military espionage network on behalf of China.

Liu Sheng-shu was found guilty of recruiting active-duty officers to relay confidential military information to Beijing.

Five other officers, hailing from the navy and air force, received prison sentences ranging from six months to 20 years for their participation in the espionage ring.

Reports from local media suggest that Liu’s recruitment into the network occurred during a business trip to China in 2013.

He allegedly operated a web of informants, compensating them through front companies. Prosecutors revealed that he was financially rewarded for passing on classified military data, including details about aircraft and warships.

In addition to the prison term, authorities confiscated NT$16.7 million (£425,000; $514,000), which they determined to be ill-gotten gains.

In January, Liu and six other officers faced charges filed by the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office’s Kaohsiung branch, with one individual acquitted.

Recent years have seen several high-ranking Taiwanese military officials accused of assisting Chinese intelligence efforts.

In a separate case, a retired air force major general was found guilty in January of accepting favors, such as meals and trips, from a Hong Kong businessman acting on behalf of Beijing.

However, his sentence was suspended due to his expression of remorse and a clean criminal record.

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