Who is the biggest espionage threat to the US? It is no longer Russia, the Cold War archenemy, nor the recently fashionable "axis of evil" countries -- Iran, Iraq and North Korea. The rapidly rising China has replaced the Soviet Union as the biggest espionage threat to the US in the past decade.
Among the spies who have emerged in recent years are Larry Chin (
According to an FBI estimate, Beijing has set up more than 3,000 front companies in the US to cover espionage activities. In addition, many of the Chinese students, businessmen and visitors entering the US every year are believed to be on intelligence-gathering missions. For the US, China poses a multi-faceted, all-round threat of infiltration. Chinese spies are not only increasing in number but also gradually expanding the scope of their work to reach the core of the US national security establishment.
On Tuesday, Taiwan's law enforcement authorities exposed a Chinese spy ring. Yeh Chen-yu (
Along with the increase in cross-strait exchanges, Chinese citizens coming to Taiwan as immigrants, businessmen or tourists -- as well as Taiwanese citizens doing the same in China -- can be recruited by Chinese intelligence agencies and become Beijing's spies.
From the recent increase in Chinese spy cases, and from the expanding scope of infiltration into the military and defense research institutions, one can easily see the alarming loopholes in Taiwan's national security. These cases tell us that China is not just Taiwan's top enemy in intelligence security work. Chinese espionage activities have also become the biggest potential threat to American security.
Taiwan has many years of experience in dealing with Chinese spies and has a deep understanding of Beijing's intelligence-gathering strategies and operations. The US has advanced intelligence and counter-intelligence technologies and facilities. Taiwan and the US need to increase their intelligence cooperation to ensure the security of both sides and to stop the harm done by the Chinese spy network to the security of Taiwan, the US, Asia and the world.
Both Taiwan and the US are victims in this most recent case of Chinese espionage. It is not appropriate for the US to restrict the transfer of military technologies or curb weapons sales to Taiwan on account of this case. No side stands to benefit from such an act.
By restricting weapons sales and the transfer of defense technologies, the US will be falling into China's trap -- Beijing has always been trying to sow discord between Taiwan and the US. Taiwan's security will then be seriously harmed, and the US will lose one layer of protection for its defense security. The only beneficiary will be China.
Both Taiwan and the US should take this opportunity to review their intelligence and security systems, find the loopholes and jointly formulate strategies to resolve the threat. This will be the only win-win strategy.
In the past month, two important developments are poised to equip Taiwan with expanded capabilities to play foreign policy offense in an age where Taiwan’s diplomatic space is seriously constricted by a hegemonic Beijing. Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) led a delegation of Taiwan and US companies to the Philippines to promote trilateral economic cooperation between the three countries. Additionally, in the past two weeks, Taiwan has placed chip export controls on South Africa in an escalating standoff over the placing of its diplomatic mission in Pretoria, causing the South Africans to pause and ask for consultations to resolve
An altercation involving a 73-year-old woman and a younger person broke out on a Taipei MRT train last week, with videos of the incident going viral online, sparking wide discussions about the controversial priority seats and social norms. In the video, the elderly woman, surnamed Tseng (曾), approached a passenger in a priority seat and demanded that she get up, and after she refused, she swung her bag, hitting her on the knees and calves several times. In return, the commuter asked a nearby passenger to hold her bag, stood up and kicked Tseng, causing her to fall backward and
In South Korea, the medical cosmetic industry is fiercely competitive and prices are low, attracting beauty enthusiasts from Taiwan. However, basic medical risks are often overlooked. While sharing a meal with friends recently, I heard one mention that his daughter would be going to South Korea for a cosmetic skincare procedure. I felt a twinge of unease at the time, but seeing as it was just a casual conversation among friends, I simply reminded him to prioritize safety. I never thought that, not long after, I would actually encounter a patient in my clinic with a similar situation. She had
A recent trio of opinion articles in this newspaper reflects the growing anxiety surrounding Washington’s reported request for Taiwan to shift up to 50 percent of its semiconductor production abroad — a process likely to take 10 years, even under the most serious and coordinated effort. Simon H. Tang (湯先鈍) issued a sharp warning (“US trade threatens silicon shield,” Oct. 4, page 8), calling the move a threat to Taiwan’s “silicon shield,” which he argues deters aggression by making Taiwan indispensable. On the same day, Hsiao Hsi-huei (蕭錫惠) (“Responding to US semiconductor policy shift,” Oct. 4, page 8) focused on
RSS