Man sentenced to 8 months for illegally crossing from China to Taiwan

Taoyuan, Aug. 26 (CNA) 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 (宋元坤), 41, "severely undermined Taiwan's national security and border integrity," the Taoyuan District Court said in its ruling, citing Taiwan's Immigration Act.

He was arrested in Taiwan on May 16, one day after he and his 17-year-old son landed at beach in Taoyuan on an inflatable boat they had bought online on a Chinese shopping site, according to the indictment.

The father and son entered Taiwan at about 5:30 p.m. on May 15 near the Guantang LNG Terminal in the city's Guanyin District, the indictment said.

After they landed, they went to an ATM and used a UnionPay card to withdraw cash, which they used to buy dinner, but they soon ran out of money and turned themselves in to authorities at around 8 a.m. the following day, the indictment said.

Song had been working as laborer in China's Yunnan Province, while his son was a hairdresser, according to the indictment.

After his arrest, Song told the authorities that he saw Taiwan as a "prosperous" place, and wanted his son to study here.

Song was sentenced to eight months in prison, while his 17-year-old son is being held in the Taipei Detention Center, pending deportation, according to the court ruling on Tuesday, which can still be appealed.