Image Credit: Taiwan News
A former Chinese navy officer who arrived in Taiwan by motorboat in June has been sentenced to eight months in prison, according to a ruling by the Shilin District Court on Wednesday (Sept. 18). The 60-year-old man, identified only by his surname Ruan, was charged with illegal entry into the country.
Ruan, who did not attend the court hearing, allegedly made the journey from Fujian Province, China, on June 9, taking around 12 hours to reach Tamsui ferry pier in New Taipei. He reportedly fled China in a bid to escape the country’s communist regime and seek political asylum in Taiwan.
Court documents indicated that Ruan’s decision to leave China came after authorities had discovered content on his phone critical of the government. He was ordered to delete the items and faced restrictions on his movement, preventing him from leaving the country. His testimony in court included a hand-drawn map detailing Chinese naval positions along the Fujian coast.
Ruan’s military background as a former captain in the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) added a layer of complexity to the case. Although he was sentenced to prison, he retains the right to appeal the court’s decision, as noted by the Liberty Times.
This case followed a similar incident where another Chinese man arrived in Taiwan’s Linkou by inflatable boat after departing from Ningbo. The authorities described the difficulty in detecting such vessels due to their small size and slow speed, raising concerns about Taiwan’s coastal security.