6 Retired and Active Military Personnel Sentenced for Espionage, Delivering Military Secrets to China
Six active and retired military personnel in Taiwan, including Yang Chien-hui, have been sentenced by the High Court for allegedly being recruited by China to spy, collect, and deliver military secrets. One method involved Yang Po-chih secretly operating a comrade's military computer, uploading classified information to the cloud, and delivering it to his sister, Yang Chien-hui, who then passed it to Chinese agents. The court found them guilty of developing organizations for hostile foreign forces and leaking classified information, with sentences ranging from 4 years and 6 months to 8 years and 6 months. Criminal proceeds from NT$80,000 to NT$500,000 will be confiscated.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 15:08
- 🔍 Collected: April 15, 2026 at 15:31 (23 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 17:30 (1h 58m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Liu Shih-yi, Taipei, 15th) Six active and retired military personnel, including Yang Chien-hui, were involved in an espionage case where they were allegedly recruited by China to spy, collect, and deliver military secrets. The High Court today sentenced all six to guilty. One of the criminal methods involved Yang Po-chih secretly operating a comrade's military computer and uploading military secrets to the cloud, which was then delivered by his sister Yang Chien-hui when she traveled south. The verdict can be appealed.
According to news released by the Taiwan High Court, Wang Wen-hao, Tan Chun-ming, Chiu Han-lin, Yang Chien-hui (Chiu Han-lin's spouse) are all retired military officers; Lu Fang-chi and Yang Po-chih were active military personnel at the time of the incident.
Wang Wen-hao and the other five, knowing that Hong Kong national Ding Hsiao-hu (deceased, public prosecution dismissed for other reasons) and others were 'organizations, agencies, groups, or dispatched personnel established or substantially controlled by mainland China or hostile foreign forces,' jointly or separately developed organizations for Ding Hsiao-hu and others, spied, collected, leaked, delivered, or transmitted military, national defense, and official classified information. They also recruited and absorbed Taiwanese citizens and active/retired military personnel with access to classified information for Ding Hsiao-hu and others, and spied, collected, leaked, delivered, or transmitted classified information.
Separately, Yang Chien-hui's younger brother, Yang Po-chih, took advantage of a comrade briefly leaving his seat before the computer entered protection mode, secretly operated his personal military computer, and uploaded classified information via cloud drive, spying and collecting non-business related classified military sensitive information. Furthermore, when Yang Chien-hui traveled south to attend a relative's public memorial service, he leaked information about his personal projects and sensitive unit information to Yang Chien-hui.
The High Court's first-instance collegiate panel stated that Wang Wen-hao, Tan Chun-ming, Lu Fang-chi, Chiu Han-lin, Yang Chien-hui, and Yang Po-chih confessed to the aforementioned criminal facts during the investigation and trial. Five of them, excluding Chiu Han-lin, paid their criminal proceeds during the prosecutor's investigation; Lu Fang-chi was an attempted offender.
The High Court considered that the six individuals, as active and retired military personnel, had a higher duty of loyalty to the state. They were well aware of the significant harm that developing organizations for hostile foreign forces and leaking or delivering classified official (Republic of China military) documents and information could cause to national security. Yet, they still developed organizations for Ding Hsiao-hu and others, who were dispatched by mainland China, and systematically recruited and absorbed active and retired military personnel, spying and collecting classified information, or spying and collecting sensitive information for relatives without the consent of their comrades.
The High Court considered the six individuals' post-offense attitude of confessing their crimes during the trial, their lack of prior criminal records, and their motives for the crimes. Based on Article 7, Paragraph 1, first part of the National Security Act, Chiu Han-lin was sentenced to 8 years and 6 months, Yang Chien-hui to 8 years, Tan Chun-ming to 7 years and 2 months, Wang Wen-hao to 7 years, and Lu Fang-chi (attempted) to 6 years in prison for developing organizations for mainland China. Yang Po-chih was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison for leaking classified information in his official capacity under Article 21 of the陆海空軍刑法 (Army, Navy, and Air Force Criminal Code). The criminal proceeds of NT$80,000 to NT$500,000 for each of the six individuals will be confiscated. The entire case can be appealed. (Editor: Chen Ching-fang) 1150415
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(Central News Agency reporter Liu Shih-yi, Taipei, 15th) Six active and retired military personnel, including Yang Chien-hui, were involved in an espionage case where they were allegedly recruited by China to spy, collect, and deliver military secrets. The High Court today sentenced all six to guilty. One of the criminal methods involved Yang Po-chih secretly operating a comrade's military computer and uploading military secrets to the cloud, which was then delivered by his sister Yang Chien-hui when she traveled south. The verdict can be appealed.
According to news released by the Taiwan High Court, Wang Wen-hao, Tan Chun-ming, Chiu Han-lin, Yang Chien-hui (Chiu Han-lin's spouse) are all retired military officers; Lu Fang-chi and Yang Po-chih were active military personnel at the time of the incident.
Wang Wen-hao and the other five, knowing that Hong Kong national Ding Hsiao-hu (deceased, public prosecution dismissed for other reasons) and others were 'organizations, agencies, groups, or dispatched personnel established or substantially controlled by mainland China or hostile foreign forces,' jointly or separately developed organizations for Ding Hsiao-hu and others, spied, collected, leaked, delivered, or transmitted military, national defense, and official classified information. They also recruited and absorbed Taiwanese citizens and active/retired military personnel with access to classified information for Ding Hsiao-hu and others, and spied, collected, leaked, delivered, or transmitted classified information.
Separately, Yang Chien-hui's younger brother, Yang Po-chih, took advantage of a comrade briefly leaving his seat before the computer entered protection mode, secretly operated his personal military computer, and uploaded classified information via cloud drive, spying and collecting non-business related classified military sensitive information. Furthermore, when Yang Chien-hui traveled south to attend a relative's public memorial service, he leaked information about his personal projects and sensitive unit information to Yang Chien-hui.
The High Court's first-instance collegiate panel stated that Wang Wen-hao, Tan Chun-ming, Lu Fang-chi, Chiu Han-lin, Yang Chien-hui, and Yang Po-chih confessed to the aforementioned criminal facts during the investigation and trial. Five of them, excluding Chiu Han-lin, paid their criminal proceeds during the prosecutor's investigation; Lu Fang-chi was an attempted offender.
The High Court considered that the six individuals, as active and retired military personnel, had a higher duty of loyalty to the state. They were well aware of the significant harm that developing organizations for hostile foreign forces and leaking or delivering classified official (Republic of China military) documents and information could cause to national security. Yet, they still developed organizations for Ding Hsiao-hu and others, who were dispatched by mainland China, and systematically recruited and absorbed active and retired military personnel, spying and collecting classified information, or spying and collecting sensitive information for relatives without the consent of their comrades.
The High Court considered the six individuals' post-offense attitude of confessing their crimes during the trial, their lack of prior criminal records, and their motives for the crimes. Based on Article 7, Paragraph 1, first part of the National Security Act, Chiu Han-lin was sentenced to 8 years and 6 months, Yang Chien-hui to 8 years, Tan Chun-ming to 7 years and 2 months, Wang Wen-hao to 7 years, and Lu Fang-chi (attempted) to 6 years in prison for developing organizations for mainland China. Yang Po-chih was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison for leaking classified information in his official capacity under Article 21 of the陆海空軍刑法 (Army, Navy, and Air Force Criminal Code). The criminal proceeds of NT$80,000 to NT$500,000 for each of the six individuals will be confiscated. The entire case can be appealed. (Editor: Chen Ching-fang) 1150415
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is the power to protect press freedom.
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FAQ
Who were sentenced in this case?
Six individuals: Yang Chien-hui, Yang Po-chih, Wang Wen-hao, Tan Chun-ming, Chiu Han-lin, and Lu Fang-chi.
What crimes were they convicted of?
They were convicted of spying, collecting, and delivering military secrets for China, and developing organizations for mainland China. Yang Po-chih was also convicted of leaking classified information in his official capacity.