Two Taiwanese military sergeants and a civilian handler were given heavy prison terms for taking Chinese money to film "surrender videos" and hand over military secrets — a warning sign for Taiwan's military security.

• An army sergeant got 10 years and 4 months plus a separate 2-year term; an air force sergeant got 7 years, both stripped of civil rights for five years.
• Both were recruited because they owed money to loan sharks, and a middleman helped renegotiate their debts in exchange for cooperation.
• The recruiting outfit is a Chinese united front group that had them record videos pledging loyalty to Beijing and pass on military documents.
• The case broke when defense ministry staff spotted a pro-unification account on TikTok and traced its Telegram contact to the middleman, who was sentenced to years in prison on multiple counts.
• The army sergeant also tried to recruit a fellow soldier, who refused, and was convicted of forging license plates on the side.

Outlook: The rulings can still be appealed, and Taiwan is likely to keep tightening screening of debt-burdened soldiers as Chinese recruitment efforts continue.