According to the verdict, Ching Cheong is also deprived of political rights for one year and his personal property worth 300,000 yuan (about 37,500 U.S. dollars) has been confiscated.

According to a court document, when he worked in Taiwan as a journalist for Singapore's Straits Times newspaper, Ching Cheong became acquainted with two people from a Taiwan foundation, one surnamed Xue and another Dai.

The court learned through investigation the foundation was actually an espionage organization, and Xue and Dai were deputies, of which Ching had full knowledge. The court heard he supplied information involving state secrets and intelligence he received from others in Beijing to Xue and Dai via fax and email. Using an alias, he accepted 300,000 HK dollars in payment from the organisation.