A retired Taiwanese government official and a Taiwanese businessman have been sentenced for building a spy network for Beijing, a sign of how deep China's recruitment efforts reach into Taiwan's civil service.

• Taiwan's High Court gave businessman Cheng Ming-chia over ten years and former Executive Yuan official Hu Peng-nien five years for developing an organization for China.
• Cheng held posts in Chinese United Front groups in Guangzhou and sat on a city political advisory body.
• Hu was recruited after he retired and took a teaching job in southern China — his job there was used as leverage.
• A Chinese United Front official told Hu to recruit serving and retired soldiers plus party and government figures, and to dig for classified information.
• Young politicians just entering party politics were singled out as prime targets, though everyone approached refused.

Outlook: Both men can appeal, and Taiwan is likely to keep tightening scrutiny of officials and business figures with jobs or ties in China.