A Taiwan university professor was detained Friday on suspicion of having passed confidential information to China, officials said.

Wu Chang-yu, who taught Chinese political history at the Central Police University, was placed in custody as media said he was suspected of having leaked sensitive intelligence on Chinese citizens' trips to the island.

"He was detained this morning at his home," said an official at the Taipei District Public Prosecutors Office, declining to provide details about what type of information Wu was suspected of having provided to China.

The United Daily News, in a report published Friday just before Wu's detention, said the intelligence he allegedly passed on included data about Chinese officials' and academics' visits to Taiwan.

The paper reported Wu had received two free plane tickets to Beijing from the Chinese side and quoted him as acknowledging he had indeed handed information to China, but insisting it included no secrets.

A series of espionage cases have rattled Taiwan in recent years, and as late as August a Taiwanese businessman was sentenced to 18 months in jail for trying to buy confidential information on missile technology on behalf of China.

Taiwan and China have a history of spying on each other since they split in 1949 at the end of a civil war.

Beijing still regards the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.

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