The Taiwan High Court has handed down heavy sentences to two defendants who helped the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department recruit people in Taiwan, delivering a clear warning about the grey areas of cross-strait exchange.

• Taiwanese businessman Cheng Ming-chia was sentenced to 10 years and 6 months in prison, and retired Executive Yuan official Hu Peng-nien to 5 years; the ruling can be appealed.

• The two were found to have acted on instructions from the CCP's United Front Work Department, providing contact information and arranging meetings in China in order to approach and recruit new targets on its behalf.

• Hu Peng-nien's targets included military veterans, political workers, borough chiefs, retired civil servants and defence contractors, though most recruitment attempts were unsuccessful.

• Hu Peng-nien also brought specific communications equipment supplied by China into Taiwan and handed it to others; the court held that this bolstered United Front forces and warranted severe punishment.

• The court stressed that normal cross-strait interaction is not prohibited, but that "exchange is not without limits" and cannot be used to circumvent national security laws.

Outlook: Both men remain in custody and may appeal, and Taiwan's investigation and sentencing of Chinese infiltration cases is expected to keep growing tougher.