The alleged spying by a Taiwanese naval officer for China jolted the political community yesterday with lawmakers expressing consternation over the lack of loyalty in the military.
Fearing that many former military officials doing business in China may have been co-opted by Beijing authorities, they urged the government to soon develop an "anti-revolving door" policy.
Meanwhile, newly inaugurated Vice Defense Minister Kang Ning-hsiang (
DPP legislators Trong Chai (蔡同榮) and Peter Lin (林進興) issued a joint statement urging the government to take action to curb repeated disclosures of classified information by military and intelligence officials.
Military prosecutors have held Liu Yueh-lun (
Liu, a petty officer first class, was arrested last Wednesday on board the Shao Yang, the former US World War II destroyer he served on, investigators said.
A search of his residence uncovered numerous photographs of Taiwan's major ports, naval port maps and key naval vessels such as the French-made Lafayette frigates.
Chai cited documents from the defense ministry as saying that over 2,000 decommissioned military officers are doing business in China, of which 1,266 have moved their homes there.
Some of them have set up private detective firms devoted to spying on Taiwanese government agencies and enterprises for their Chinese clients, the senior lawmaker said.
Lin said that Beijing has cultivated many contacts in Taiwan and is seeking to woo officials from government agencies and political parties-including the ruling DPP. There has been a growing trend over the years for military and intelligence officials to take consultant positions in China's state-run businesses after they retire from their duty here, Lin said.
Liu is also suspected to have passed sensitive naval materials including communications codes to Chinese contacts through his father, Liu Chen-kuo (劉禎國), a retired soldier who has a business across the Strait. The senior Liu was taken into custody on June 6 for a probe in connection with his son's case.
Both Tsai and Lin called on the government to heed the revolving-door phenomenon and take steps against it. To that end, they suggested tightening checks on communications between soldiers in Taiwan and China.
During a trip to the legislature, Vice Defense Minister Kang said there are other suspects in the Liu case.
A military spokesman said that the younger Liu, in light of his rank, had limited access to classified documents. He could face a minimum of 10 years in prison or the death sentence if found guilty.
Still, the navy said it has changed communication codes in the wake of Liu's reported breach of military secrets.
Kang, a former Control Yuan member, linked recurrent misconducts by military officials in part to entrenched identity confusion in the country.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS