Taiwan has charged a retired National Security Bureau officer with gathering information for China, a sign that Beijing's recruitment of former Taiwanese spies is still an active problem.

• Prosecutors in Hsinchu charged a former intelligence officer, surnamed Shih, under Taiwan's intelligence law.
• He is accused of working with staff from a body tied to China's foreign ministry and passing along what he collected.
• The material was not classified — it covered Palau's backing for Taiwan at the World Health Assembly and details about a Taiwanese delegation at an ocean conference.
• Prosecutors argue that even unclassified scraps, once pieced together, can reveal how Taiwan runs its foreign policy.
• Retired intelligence staff are held to a higher legal bar and are barred from any spy work for a foreign or hostile power.

Outlook: The case heads to court and adds to a growing string of Taiwanese prosecutions of ex-military and intelligence figures accused of helping China.