Taiwan court jails businessman for 10 years over CCP United Front recruitment efforts

The High Court handed down the sentences yesterday, with the ruling subject to appeal, the report said.

The businessman, Cheng Ming-chia, was accused of helping Chinese united front officials approach and attempt to recruit individuals in Taiwan between 2021 and last year. According to the Taipei Times report, Cheng provided contact information and arranged meetings in China to assist the recruitment efforts.

The court said Cheng recruited retired Executive Yuan official Hu Peng-nien as a potential operative. His attempt to recruit another individual, surnamed Huang, was unsuccessful after Huang did not respond.

The court treated Chengs activities as a continuous offence and sentenced him to 10 years and six months in prison, the report said.

Hu, meanwhile, used similar methods between 2021 and 2024 to attempt to recruit three people, prosecutors said. None of the three responded, but the court convicted Hu of attempting to develop an organisation and sentenced him to five years in prison.

According to the Taipei Times report, Hu admitted to the offences, while Cheng denied wrongdoing throughout the investigation and trial. The court said the evidence against Cheng was clear and rejected his defence.

The court also found that both defendants had followed instructions from CCP personnel to facilitate the recruitment of new targets.

Hu additionally transported a communications device supplied by Chinese authorities into Taiwan and handed it to another person. The court said the act significantly assisted Beijings united front efforts, according to the report.

The January indictment issued by the High Prosecutors Office provided further details about Chengs alleged role. According to the Taipei Times report, Cheng became involved with CCP-affiliated united front organisations in Guangzhou before recruiting Hu, who was then teaching in China.

Cheng allegedly arranged for Hu to receive directions from CCP Taiwan affairs personnel on identifying potential contacts and recruits in Taiwan.

Hu subsequently targeted a range of individuals, including current and retired military personnel, political workers, wardens, retired civil servants and defence contractors, prosecutors said. The recruitment efforts sought military-related information as well as insights into the operations of Taiwans government and legislature. However, most of the recruitment attempts failed, according to the report.

Cheng and Hu had remained in detention since their arrests following raids in September last year. Both men were absent from yesterdays sentencing, the Taipei Times report said. (ANI)