Taiwanese prosecutors charged seven people, including a Chinese national, on Tuesday with violating national security after they allegedly collected military secrets for China.
China claims democratic Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to take it, while Taipei accuses Beijing of using espionage and infiltration to weaken its defences.
The Chinese national surnamed Ding used business or tourism as pretexts to visit Taiwan multiple times, the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office said in a statement.
It said Ding allegedly recruited active and retired Taiwanese service members to “collect sensitive information” on Taiwan’s military, defence and government affairs for the Chinese Communist Party.
The seven defendants have been charged with offences under the National Security Act, Classified National Security Information Protection Act, Criminal Code, and Criminal Code of the Armed Forces, prosecutors said.