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.
NEW AGREEMENT: Malaysia approved imports last year after nearly two years of negotiations and inspections to meet quarantine requirements, officials said Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia. Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added. The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
One of two tropical depressions that formed offshore this morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. It is expected to move in a northwesterly direction as it continues building momentum, possibly intensifying into Typhoon Mitag this weekend, she added. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is expected to approach southeast of Taiwan on Monday and pass through the Bashi Channel between Tuesday and Wednesday,
Tigerair Taiwan and China Airlines (CAL) today announced that several international flights were canceled or rescheduled due to Typhoon Ragasa. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has maintained sea and land warnings for the typhoon. Its storm circle reached the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) on Taiwan's southern tip at 11am today. Tigerair Taiwan said it canceled Monday's IT551/IT552 Taoyuan-Da Nang, IT606/IT607 Taoyuan-Busan and IT602 Taoyuan-Seoul Incheon flights. Tomorrow, cancelations include IT603 Seoul Incheon-Taoyuan, as well as flights between Taoyuan and Sapporo, Osaka, Tokyo Narita, Okinawa, Fukuoka, Saga, Tokyo Haneda, Nagoya, Asahikawa and Jeju. On Wednesday, the IT321/IT322 Kaohsiung-Macau round-trip would also be canceled. CAL announced that today's