Taoyuan: A Chinese man who entered Taiwan illegally with his son on an inflatable boat in May was sentenced on Tuesday to eight months in prison. Song Yuankun, 41, "severely undermined Taiwan's national security and border integrity," the Taoyuan District Court said in its ruling, citing Taiwan's Immigration Act.

According to Focus Taiwan, Song and his 17-year-old son were arrested in Taiwan on May 16, one day after they landed on a beach in Taoyuan. They crossed the border using an inflatable boat purchased online from a Chinese shopping site. The pair entered Taiwan at about 5:30 p.m. on May 15 near the Guantang LNG Terminal in the city's Guanyin District.

After landing, they used a UnionPay card to withdraw cash from an ATM to buy dinner. However, they soon ran out of money and turned themselves in to authorities at around 8 a.m. the following day. Song had been working as a laborer in China's Yunnan Province, while his son was a hairdresser.

Following his arrest, Song expressed to authorities his view of Taiwan as a "prosperous" place and his desire for his son to study there. The court ruling on Tuesday sentenced Song to eight months in prison, while his son is currently held in the Taipei Detention Center, pending deportation. The ruling can still be appealed.