4 Taiwan Businessmen Charged With Treason

TAIPEI, Taiwan —  Four Taiwanese businessmen were jailed on treason charges Friday for trading directly with China, the Taiwan garrison command said.

It said Chen Kuo-hsun, 34, a company manager, was jailed for 12 years for negotiating a $20-million machinery deal with Chinese officials. The other three were sentenced to between 30 months and six years in jail.

Taiwan, still technically at war with China, bans direct trade with China.

A spokesman for the Board of Foreign Trade said the government would not interfere with indirect trade between Taiwan and the mainland through third countries such as Hong Kong and Japan.