3 ex-DPP staffers' China spying sentences reduced, 1 acquitted

Taipei, June 25 (CNA) The Taiwan High Court on Thursday reduced the prison sentences of three former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) staffers convicted of passing classified information to Chinese intelligence agents and acquitted a fourth, overturning a lower court ruling issued last year.

The High Court sentenced Huang Chu-jung (黃取榮) to six years in prison for violating the Classified National Security Information Protection Act and money laundering, reducing the Taipei District Court's sentence of 10 years.

Ho Jen-chieh (何仁傑), a former adviser to then-Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) sentenced to eight years and two months in prison, was acquitted, according to the ruling.

The court also reduced former DPP staffer Chiu Shih-yuan's (邱世元) sentence from six years and two months to five years, and Wu Shang-yu's (吳尚雨) sentence from four years to three years.

The High Court did not immediately explain the factual findings or sentencing rationale behind its decision.

All four defendants were expelled from their local DPP chapters in May 2025, before the Taipei District Court handed down its ruling in September of that year.

According to the district court's original judgment, Ho used his access to information, including Wu's schedule, to provide Huang with two confidential government documents and one classified document.

Huang, a former assistant to DPP New Taipei City Councilor Lee Yu-dien (李余典), allegedly compiled the information into analytical reports and transmitted them to Chinese intelligence operatives using encrypted software, the district court said.

The lower court also found that Huang directed Chiu, a DPP staffer, to obtain information from Wu, who served as an adviser to now President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), then Taiwan's vice president.

The information included details of an overseas trip by Lai and four documents related to his domestic election campaign schedule, according to the ruling.

The district court found that Huang and Chiu received NT$4.98 million (US$156,419) and NT$2.22 million, respectively, from Chinese intelligence operatives in exchange for their activities.

In its September 2025 ruling, the Taipei District Court sentenced Huang to 10 years in prison and fined him NT$1 million, while Ho received eight years and two months. Chiu was sentenced to six years and two months and fined NT$50,000, while Wu received four years.

The lower court said the four men had breached their duty of loyalty to the state by leaking sensitive government information. It also noted that Chiu and Wu admitted wrongdoing, while Huang and Ho denied the allegations.

The case can still be appealed.