Taiwan Court Upholds Jail Term For Student Spy

Taiwan's high court on Thursday upheld the conviction of a former mainland student on charges of recruiting spies for Beijing, saying his actions had posed serious threats to the island.

Zhou Hongxu, 31, who graduated from a top Taiwanese university in 2016, will serve out the 14-month jail term handed down by a lower court after his appeal was rejected.

"The defendant's actions posed serious threats to our territory and national security, given the disharmony and even hostile situation between the two sides," said high court spokesman Chiou Jong-yi.

The court had shown leniency in sentencing, since Zhou had confessed and his attempt to recruit spies had been unsuccessful, he added.

Zhou was instructed by officials in Shanghai in late 2015 to recruit "Taiwanese government personnel and other people of influence" while he was studying and working in Taiwan, according to Thursday's ruling.

Zhou had attempted to recruit a man working in the Taiwanese government from August 2016, promising payment of at least US$10,000 per quarter before the man turned him in to local authorities.

Taiwan's National Security Bureau chief Peng Sheng-chu has said that mainland espionage is "more serious than before". Local media report up to 5,000 people may be spying for Beijing on the island. (AFP)