Wed, Feb 13, 2008 - Page 1 News List

FBI charges trio with spying for China

TAIWANESE CITIZEN Kuo Tai-shen is accused of helping Beijing secure top secret information about past and planned US arms and military services sales to Taiwan

By Charles Snyder  /  STAFF REPORTER IN WASHINGTON

On a ride to Dulles International Airport outside Washington later, Kuo placed a "half-inch folded stack of cash" into Bergersen's front shirt pocket.

"The outer bill was a US$100 note," the indictment said.

The next day, Kuo sent an e-mail message on his laptop to the Chinese military official referred to as "PRC Official A" to say: "Just got back from DC and have good talk with G ... [who] gave me two paper is very very sensitive. One is about T's future Sale and he couldn't give it to me but let me hand write down most of information. Another is the complete update of PS program, govt everything in there about the program."

"PS" is believed to refer to Po Sheng. "T" refers to Taiwan.

The FBI says the PRC official is based in Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

It quotes Kuo as saying that the official sees Kuo on all his trips to Beijing because "the Central Committee has assigned him to take care of me."

Kuo was identified as the owner of a New Orleans furniture business.

At one point, he allegedly also tried to establish two companies to obtain subcontracts for items sold for Po Sheng.

During a dinner at a Washington area restaurant, Kuo and Bergersen discussed communication security.

"Bergersen revealed information about United States and Taiwan communications security, requested that Kuo share the information with Taiwanese officials, and asked Guo to arrange a meeting with Taiwan Ministry of Defense officials," the FBI said.

It was not clear whether any such meeting took place, or what the purpose of such a meeting might have been.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday it had set up a task force to assess security leaks.

"The defense ministry considers the espionage case recently cracked in the United States of great importance," the ministry said in a statement.

"The defense ministry has organized a contingency group to assess, and control damage, if any, that may arise from the case," it said, without elaborating.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AFP

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