Yang Jianli, a Chinese national serving as a research fellow of the US-based Harvard University, was sentenced to five years in prison and deprived of political rights for one year after being convicted of espionage and illegal border crossing, the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court ruled Thursday.

The court determined through investigations and inquiries that Yang, born in Shandong Province, was directed by a Taiwan spy organization in 1991 in San Francisco to collect confidential papers of the Chinese Government and he later established his own spy agency with funds from Taiwan to expand his undertakings in China's mainland.

The court also found that Yang entered China with a false passport on April 19, 2002, and conducted illegal activities in Beijing, Liaoning, Helongjiang and Yunnan with a fake ID card till he was arrested.

For national security reasons, Yang was tried behind closed doors in accordance with Chinese laws. The verdict of the trial of first instance was made public upon conclusion of the court hearing.

Yang's defense attorney made full representations with prosecutors during court debate and meet his client 17 times since Yang was arrested.

Source: Xinhua