Following a press conference yesterday by former Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) deputy minister Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) responding to allegations that he leaked national secrets to China, most politicians and political parties have responded by either being critical of the government’s handling of the case or showing sympathy to the former deputy minister.
“If the government suspects that Chang is involved in leaking classified information [to China], it should first launch a probe, then make a formal announcement after getting some concrete evidence, instead of releasing information now when nothing is clear yet,” Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) said yesterday. “Upset about the accusation, Chang repeatedly strikes back, and the government counterstrikes with more accusations — this is only causing harm to the government itself.”
“After all, Chang was appointed by the president — shouldn’t the president also share some responsibility as well?” he added.
The People First Party (PFP), with which Chang was affiliated from 2000 to 2012, also lashed out at the government with a press statement, asking the government to stop making groundless accusations without concrete evidence.
“[Government officials] accuse Chang of leaking classified information and spying, which is the same as accusing the Chinese government of buying off a negotiator from our side and spying, and this is a serious humiliation to the other side in a negotiation,” the statement said. “It causes severe harm to cross-strait relations, as well as mutual trust and mutual respect.”
The statement then called on the government to stop making accusations, and panned it for making such accusations before starting an official investigation.
PFP Deputy Secretary-General Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄) panned the government for “acting like the mafia.”
“Some people in the MAC may not like Chang because of his performance and try to get rid of him,” Liu said. “However, this is not the way that you should treat a government official appointed by the president — only the mafia would wipe someone out like this.”
Liu warned that the way the government handles the issue could break the mutual trust between Taiwan and China, and could make the public doubtful about cross-strait agreements signed in the past.
While saying that he would trust the judiciary to take care of the dispute, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chi Kuo-tung (紀國棟) said he is also worried that the problem may increase public distrust of past cross-strait agreements.
However, another KMT Legislator, Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾), said it was inappropriate for MAC Minister Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) to ask Chang to resign before speaking to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), “because Chang was appointed by the president.”
“Moreover, how could Wang try to arrange another job for Chang if he is really a spy?” Lo asked.
DPP Legislator Yu Mei-nu (尤美女), on the other hand, called on the government to suspend all ongoing cross-strait negotiations immediately.
“The government promised us that cross-strait talks could be halted if there are national security concerns,” Yu said. “Well, it’s time for the ‘brake’ mechanism to come in as one of the top negotiators now is suspected of being a spy for China.”
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
RSS