Taiwanese prosecutors have charged a retired navy sergeant with trying to build a spy network for China, a sign that Beijing keeps probing Taiwan's military and coast guard from the inside.

• The man is accused of taking orders from Chinese handlers since 2008 to gather secret naval and coast guard files.
• He allegedly paid a retired major general to connect with Chinese officials and collect defence and maritime cooperation secrets, but was turned down.
• He is also accused of using an old school reunion chat group to offer a serving coast guard official up to $100,000 per item, plus cash and a burner phone; that offer was refused too.
• Searches turned up the phone, a USB drive, bribe money, and a fake club membership list used to hide the payments.

Outlook: The case now goes to Taiwan's high court in Tainan, and more infiltration prosecutions are likely as tensions with Beijing stay high.