Taiwan’s retired Air Force colonel sentenced to 20 years for espionage on behalf of China
A former Taiwan Air Force colonel, Liu Sheng-shu, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for orchestrating a military espionage operation in collaboration with China.
This case entailed the recruitment of active-duty officers to transmit classified military information to Beijing. Five additional officers, hailing from both the navy and air force, received prison sentences ranging from six months to 20 years for their involvement in this espionage network.
According to local media reports, Liu Sheng-shu was initially recruited during a business trip to China in 2013. Subsequently, he managed a network of informants, compensating them through the use of shell companies. Prosecutors revealed that Liu received payments in exchange for providing military intelligence, including detailed information on aircraft and warship capabilities.
In addition to the custodial sentence, authorities seized NT$16.7 million (approximately £425,000 or $514,000) as ill-gotten gains attributed to Liu’s espionage activities. This confiscation serves as a deterrent against the illicit gains resulting from espionage.
The legal proceedings against Liu and the six other implicated officers commenced in January, under the jurisdiction of the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office’s Kaohsiung branch. Of the accused, one was acquitted. Notably, this case is not isolated, as several former high-ranking Taiwan military officials have faced allegations of cooperating with Chinese intelligence agencies in recent years.
In January, a retired Air Force major general was found guilty of accepting meals and trips from a Hong Kong businessman who acted on behalf of Beijing. However, his sentence was suspended due to his expression of remorse and the absence of a previous criminal record.
This case underscores the ongoing challenges posed by espionage activities in the region and the measures taken by Taiwan’s legal authorities to counter such threats to national security.
