Taipei: The Supreme Court has upheld a 26-month prison sentence for former Air Force Major Shih Chun-cheng, who was convicted of spying for Chinese intelligence. The court, however, has remanded an additional 10-month sentence back to a lower court for further review.

According to Focus Taiwan, Shih was convicted on two counts of breaching the National Security Act. The charges stemmed from his recruitment of then-Air Force Air Intercept Controller Hsu Chan-cheng, whom he persuaded to leak classified military files in exchange for payment. The Taiwan High Court's Taichung Branch Court initially sentenced Shih to 26 months and 10 months for these offenses, ultimately deciding on a 30-month total sentence and the confiscation of his illicit gains.

Both Shih and the prosecutors appealed the ruling, leading to the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the 26-month jail term while sending the 10-month sentence back to the lower court for a retrial. Travel restrictions have been placed on Shih, who has been granted bail set at NT$100,000.

According to the indictment, Shih was discharged from the military in 2008 and later recruited by Chinese intelligence officers to establish an espionage network in Taiwan. His operations included persuading Hsu in 2021 to provide military intelligence under the false pretense of having connections with the United States Armed Forces.

Between 2021 and August 2024, Hsu leaked sensitive information, including details about the Air Force's use of air-launched Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles and military responses to Chinese incursions into Taiwan's air defense identification zone. Shih relayed this intelligence to his contacts in China, receiving NT$2.1 million (US$68,923) in return, of which NT$200,000 was shared with Hsu.

Following media reports in March, Defense Minister Wellington Koo stated that the leaked information concerning the Hsiung Feng III missiles predated the missiles' development and was "not combat-related."