A Taiwanese army sergeant has been charged with passing classified military records to a Chinese spy network in exchange for cash, a bad sign for Taiwan's military security as Beijing steps up recruitment inside its ranks.

• A 34-year-old military police sergeant took money from a Chinese contact after looking for loans online to cover his debts.
• He filmed loyalty videos backing unification with China, opposing Taiwanese independence, and promising not to fight if war broke out.
• He joined a Chinese group set up to recruit serving Taiwanese soldiers and pull secrets out of them, then handed over classified official records.
• After leaving the army he agreed to re-enlist so he could keep collecting secrets, and returned to a reserve unit in Yilan.
• Prosecutors in Kaohsiung say he made close to NT$600,000 and have charged him under national security and anti-corruption laws.

Outlook: Expect more cases like this as China keeps targeting cash-strapped Taiwanese troops, and pressure on Taipei to tighten vetting and debt screening in the military.