Chang Hsien-yi’s (張憲義) defection to the US in 1988 resulted in a lack of significant weapons available to the national defense force as a deterrent, and betrayal of one’s nation should be seen for what it is, former president Lee Teng-hui’s (李登輝) national security team member Chang Jung-feng (張榮豐) said.
Former Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) nuclear division deputy director Chang Hsien-yi on Monday spoke to reporters on the telephone about the launch of his book, Nuclear bomb! Spy? CIA: Record of an Interview with Chang Hsien-yi, saying he was motivated by fears that his research into nuclear weapons would be used by “politically ambitious” people who would harm Taiwan.
Chang Hsien-yi said that his actions were in line with former president Chiang Ching-kuo’s (蔣經國) policy of “retaining nuclear capability, but not actively manufacturing” nuclear weapons and he could, at most, be accused of betraying then-minister of national defense Hau Pei-tsun (郝柏村).
Chang Jung-feng was dismissive of Chang Hsien-yi’s comments, saying that Chang Hsien-yi, as a colonel, had betrayed his nation and as a result of his defection directly contributed to Taiwan’s lack of national defense options.
In regards to Chang Hsien-yi’s claims that his defection was a “win-win” scenario for Taiwan and the US, Chang Jung-feng said the excuse was flimsy at best, as such decisions were not Chang Hsien-yi’s responsibility.
Chang Jung-feng also dismissed claims made in the book that Taiwan’s goal of creating a “nuclear-free homeland” was in part due to Chang Hsien-yi’s defection.
The former security adviser also criticized those who wrote the foreword for Chang Hsien-yi’s book, which he said were primarily supporters of Taiwanese independence.
“If these people think that Chang Hsien-yi has not betrayed his country, then they are not right in the head,” Chang Jung-feng said, adding that if these same people think that Chang Hsien-yi is a traitor, then they should not have written a foreword for him.
“It’s a matter of right and wrong,” Chang Jung-feng said.
DPP Legislator Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) said that he had written the foreword for the book as it offered a chance for others to piece together parts of history, adding that from the vantage point of Taiwanese, Chang Hsien-yi “has indeed been a traitor.”
The insight of high-end technology researchers is the equivalent of a blueprint for national development, and too many are seeking to rationalize their actions for going to China, Lo said, adding that he has taken a more severe view on the matter due to his feelings that loyalty to the nation is the most basic of requirements.
The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Wanda-Zhonghe Line is 81.7 percent complete, with public opening targeted for the end of 2027, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said today. Surrounding roads are to be open to the public by the end of next year, Hou said during an inspection of construction progress. The 9.5km line, featuring nine underground stations and one depot, is expected to connect Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station to Chukuang Station in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和). All 18 tunnels for the line are complete, while the main structures of the stations and depot are mostly finished, he
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) yesterday said that private-sector refiners are willing to stop buying Russian naphtha should the EU ask them to, after a group of non-governmental organizations, including the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), criticized the nation’s continued business with the country. While Taiwan joined the US and its Western allies in putting broad sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, it did not explicitly ban imports of naphtha, a major hard-currency earner for Russia. While state-owned firms stopped importing Russian oil in 2023, there is no restriction on private companies to
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and