A firm in which Chinese capital is invested is in charge of conducting maintenance work on Taiwanese military aircraft, Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) lawmakers said yesterday, warning that as a result, sensitive national defense information could be obtained by Beijing.
The AirAsia group won maintenance bids worth NT$230 million (US$7.85 million) for the air force’s fleet of B-1900 and FK-50 aircraft as well as the army’s CH47, OH-58 and TH67 helicopters last year, TSU Legislator Lin Shih-chia (林世嘉) told a press conference.
Hong Kong-based Yangtse Development Co, owned by arms broker Yang Dong (楊棟), has purchased 2.5 million shares in Taiwan-listed Chuan Ting Co, which in turn invested in Taiwan Aerospace Corp (TAC), TSU Legislator Huang Wen-ling (黃文玲) said, adding that TAC controls 82 percent of the shares of AirAsia.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
“Chuan Ting therefore owns 25 percent of the shares in AirAsia,” TSU Legislator Hsu Chung-hsin (許忠信) said.
Yangtse could possibly able to take control of AirAsia via a series of reinvestments, Hsu said, adding that the Ministry of National Defense (MND) should revoke the company’s bidding rights and the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ (MOEA) Investment Commission should launch an investigation into the matter.
Information related to crucial technology and maintenance manuals for fighter jets could be leaked to the Chinese and that is why the US has been reluctant to sell advanced weapons to Taiwan, Hsu said.
Hsiao Tien-liu (蕭天流), an official at the MND’s Armaments Bureau, said maintenance of core elements related to navigation, fire-control radars and electronic warfare was maintained exclusively by the military.
There has been no evidence that proves AirAsia had a military background or made investments with a military purpose, Hsiao said, adding that the company would be barred from bidding according to the Government Procurement Act (政府採購法) if wrongful motivation is confirmed.
Investment Commission Executive Director Chang Ming-ping (張銘彬) said the commission would launch an investigation within one month and submit its complete reports to the legislature.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) put Taiwan in danger, Ma Ying-jeou Foundation director Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) said yesterday, hours after the de facto US embassy said that Beijing had misinterpreted World War II-era documents to isolate Taiwan. The AIT’s comments harmed the Republic of China’s (ROC) national interests and contradicted a part of the “six assurances” stipulating that the US would not change its official position on Taiwan’s sovereignty, Hsiao said. The “six assurances,” which were given by then-US president Ronald Reagan to Taiwan in 1982, say that Washington would not set a date for ending arm sales to Taiwan, consult
A Taiwanese academic yesterday said that Chinese Ambassador to Denmark Wang Xuefeng (王雪峰) disrespected Denmark and Japan when he earlier this year allegedly asked Japan’s embassy to make Taiwan’s representatives leave an event in Copenhagen. The Danish-language Berlingske on Sunday reported the incident in an article with the headline “The emperor’s birthday ended in drama in Copenhagen: More conflict may be on the way between Denmark and China.” It said that on Feb. 26, the Japanese embassy in Denmark held an event for Japanese Emperor Naruhito’s birthday, with about 200 guests in attendance, including representatives from Taiwan. After addressing the Japanese hosts, Wang
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