A Ministry of National Defense official yesterday denied knowledge of an alleged Taiwanese spy who had reportedly hacked into sensitive government computer systems in China.
China's state-run Global Times reported on Tuesday that Chinese officials were looking for Lee Fang-jung (李芳榮), said to be an agent of Taiwan's military intelligence who planted "Trojan" horse programs in computer systems belonging to unnamed economic, military and diplomatic institutions to steal classified information.
A "Trojan" horse program gives a user remote access to the contents of his target's computer.
The Global Times attributed its information to an unidentified official in a "related" Chinese department. It did not identify the department, but the implication was that it was part of the Chinese intelligence apparatus.
The newspaper said Lee was in Taiwan, but that he had previously been in Moscow, where he might have carried out the hacking.
In response, Vice Minister of National Defense Lin Chen-yi (
"I have no information about the issue so I would not like to comment on it," Lin said.
"Even if it were true, we are not worried because the Military Intelligence Bureau has its own mechanisms to protect its agents," Lin said.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office said yesterday it had taken note of the news report and was collating additional details on the affair.
"We have noticed related reports," office spokesman Yang Yi (楊毅) said. "For years, Taiwanese intelligence agencies have stolen secret network information on a broad scale from the mainland and caused vile consequences."
In Taipei, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Sandy Yen (
"The Chinese government actually has a `hacking department,' and it is the most well-organized hacking organization in the world. While they are stealing all kinds of intelligence and high-tech secrets from other countries, how can they complain when their own secrets are stolen?" Yen said.
Yen said that many countries had complained about the activities of Chinese hackers. Her research showed that one-third of the world's computer viruses were created by Chinese hackers.
China recently came under fire from Germany, Britain and the US for alleged hacking activities of its own. Unidentified officials in the three countries say government and military networks there have been broken into by hackers backed by the Chinese army.
"Under the circumstances, how can they blame other people for stealing their secrets or damaging their databases by using the same methods?" Yen said.
Additional reporting by Jimmy Chuang
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest foundry service provider, yesterday said that global semiconductor revenue is projected to hit US$1.5 trillion in 2030, after the figure exceeds US$1 trillion this year, as artificial intelligence (AI) demand boosts consumption of token and compute power. “We are still at the beginning of the AI revolution, but we already see a significant impact across the whole semiconductor ecosystem,” TSMC deputy cochief operating officer Kevin Zhang (張曉強) said at the company’s annual technology symposium in Hsinchu City. “It is fair to say that in the past decade, smartphones and other mobile devices were
US-CHINA SUMMIT: MOFA welcomed US reassurance of no change in its Taiwan policy; Trump said he did not comment when Xi talked of opposing independence US President Donald Trump yesterday said he has not made a decision on whether to move forward with a major arms package for Taiwan after hearing concerns about it from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Trump’s comments on Taiwan came as he flew back to Washington after wrapping up critical talks in which both leaders said important progress was made in stabilizing US-China relations even as deep differences persist between the world’s two biggest powers on Iran and Taiwan. “I will make a determination,” Trump said, adding: “I’ll be making decisions. But, you know, I think the last thing we need right
TAIWAN ISSUE: US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said on the first day of meetings that ‘it wouldn’t be a US-China summit without the Taiwan issue coming up’ There were no surprises on the first day of the summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday, as the government reiterated that cross-strait stability is crucial to the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the world. As the two presidents met for a highly anticipated summit yesterday, Chinese state media reported that Xi warned Trump that missteps regarding Taiwan could push their two countries into “conflict.” Trump arrived in China with accolades for his host, calling Xi a “great leader” and “friend,” and extending an invitation to visit the White House
SECURITY: Taipei presses the US for arms supplies, saying the arms sales are not only a reflection of the US security commitment to Taiwan but also serve as a mutual deterrent against regional threats Taiwan is committed to preserving the cross-strait “status quo” and contributing to regional peace and stability, the Presidential Office said yesterday. “It is an undeniable fact that the Republic of China is a sovereign and independent democratic nation,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) reiterated, adding that Beijing has no right to claim sovereignty over Taiwan. The statements came after US President Donald Trump warned against Taiwanese independence. Trump wrapped up a state visit to Beijing on Friday, during which Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had pressed him not to support Taiwan. Taiwan depends heavily on US security backing to deter China from carrying
RSS