First of four accused Taiwanese spies sentenced to prison in China
- Retired professor Shih Cheng-ping given four-year term after ‘TV confession’ in October
- No news of three others who featured in state broadcaster CCTV special on espionage involving self-ruled island
A retired professor from Taiwan has been sentenced by a mainland court to four years in prison on spying-related charges.
The ruling against Shih Cheng-ping, a retired National Taiwan Normal University professor, was confirmed by Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian at the regular press conference on Tuesday.
Zhu said Shih was deprived of his political rights for two years as part of the sentence, which was passed by the Maanshan Intermediate People’s Court in Anhui province, southeastern China, on Monday. Properties worth 20,000 yuan (US$3,000) were also confiscated, but she refused to say if Shih had requested an appeal.
Shih is one of four Taiwanese scholars and businessmen who made “TV confessions” in a three-part special broadcast last month by state-run CCTV. Taiwanese Spies included claims that mainland authorities had uncovered hundreds of cases of espionage involving the self-ruled island since 2018.
But she confirmed that Beijing was compiling a global watch list of Taiwanese independence backers, a move she described as part of the mainland’s measures to “precisely hit independence diehards, supporters”, as well as those who helped fund such activities.
“The very small numbers of Taiwan independence diehards’ move to blatantly challenge national sovereignty and territorial integrity shouldn’t be tolerated,” Zhu told reporters. “We will continue to take precise strike measures to severely punish the diehards … [and] main supporters such as their funders.”
Last week, Hong Kong’s Beijing-backed Ta Kung Pao newspaper reported that Beijing was collecting a list of prominent advocates for Taiwan independence, or “stubborn separatists”, which might include Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang.
