China said yesterday it had caught two more spies acting for Taiwan, publicizing the arrests in another apparent attempt to discredit President Chen Shui-bian (
The Global Times, a tabloid owned by the People's Daily, mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, splashed front-page pictures of Lee Yun-pu (
Lee, 42, who the newspaper said was a colonel with the Military Intelligence Bureau, was detained in December in Nanjing, the capital of the eastern coastal province of Jiangsu.
Gao Guoning (高國寧), a Chinese national and Lee's nephew, was arrested in the central province of Jiangxi, the tabloid added. It said Lee's spy ring had been broken after Chen made public, with pinpoint accuracy, the number of missiles in Jiangxi province aimed at Taiwan.
"This is the biggest Taiwan spying network busted by the mainland since the Liu Liankun (
Lee's arrest came on the heels of China detaining 24 Taiwan "spies" in December. Seven of them were paraded in front of reporters last month in an unprecedented move.
Taiwan's government had no immediate comment on the Global Times report. Chen's spokesman has said the missiles' location was public information.
Beijing's revelation appeared aimed at embarrassing Chen, who has riled China and alarmed the US with plans to push ahead with the nation's first-ever referendum alongside the March 20 presidential election.
China and the US have embarked on a flurry of diplomatic activity in an apparent bid to avoid any military conflict in the Taiwan Strait over the planned referendum, which Beijing sees as a provocative move towards independence.
"Both sides thirst to know the other side's bottom line," said Shi Yinhong (石印紅), professor of international relations at the People's University in Beijing.
"The Chinese government is likely worried the United States will not resolutely oppose the referendum after Chen Shui-bian toned down the wording," Shi said.
"The US government is likely worried we will resort to very strong moves," he said.
US Defense Undersecretary Douglas Feith is expected in Bei-jing this week, where he is likely to attend bilateral strategic defense consultations.
Chen Yunlin (
US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage visited Beijing last month and told reporters the wording of the referendum raised questions about the motives of Taiwan's government.
General Richard Myers, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, also visited Beijing last month and told reporters the US and China understood each other on the prickly issue of Taiwan.
But he also said that he had been firm with the Chinese authorities on US military support for Taiwan.
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