Taiwan has jailed two people accused of taking Chinese money to build a political network on the island, a sign prosecutors are tightening their grip on suspected Beijing influence operations.

• Two suspects tied to an aide of lawmaker Kao Chin Su-mei were detained and barred from contact with the outside world.
• Prosecutors say they took funding from China to set up an organization in Taiwan, breaking the national security law.
• The aide at the center of the case, Chang Chun-chieh, is now on the run and wanted by police.
• He was already facing charges of pocketing millions in fake assistant salaries and public grants alongside Kao Chin Su-mei.
• He was out on bail with an electronic monitor, then destroyed the device and vanished.

Outlook: Prosecutors say they will keep pushing the case, and the manhunt for the missing aide will likely dominate the next stage.