The COVID-19 virus originated in China, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) told lawmakers yesterday, adding that intelligence indicated that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is “ill,” but remains in control of the nation.
Chiu was responding to questions by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應) and other lawmakers at a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.
Tsai asked Chiu about the bureau’s intelligence regarding the source of COVID-19 and whether it originated in China or the US, as has been suggested by some Chinese officials.
Photo: CNA
“All of the initial information pointed to the virus coming out of the Huanan Seafood Market [in Wuhan], there is no doubt about it,” Chiu said.
“So the virus originated in China?” Tsai asked, to which Chiu replied: “Yes, that is correct.”
Tsai asked about the possibility that the novel coronavirus was deployed as a form of biological warfare, or if it was simply a chance happening.
Tsai showed a photograph of a P4 — the highest biosecurity rating — laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, asking if it was possible COVID-19 leaked from the facility amid research conducted there.
“China has two such P4 research laboratories, one in Wuhan and another in Harbin,” Chiu said. “However, we are not yet certain whether China was conducting virus research and experiments at other laboratories in secret locations.”
Chiu said that the bureau does not have a unit focused on gathering intelligence on biological warfare activity, promising to set one up and recruit talent to coordinate work gathering intelligence on the subject.
There are many reasons for the outbreak, including poor hygiene, which leads to weakened immunity, Chiu said.
“Once the virus got started, it infected people quickly and the situation got out of control,” he said.
“However, it is not clear where or when the virus originated,” he said.
After lawmakers asked about Kim, Chiu said that the North Korean leader had fallen ill.
“So [Kim] has been sick, but he is still alive?” Tsai asked.
Chiu smiled and did not elaborate.
DPP Legislator Wang Ding-wu (王定宇) also asked about Kim’s condition.
“My answer is from the intelligence that is available and it is not an opinion,” Chiu said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers asked Chiu to explain how the bureau had obtained the intelligence on North Korea.
Chiu said that there was a lot of speculation surrounding Kim’s condition, but he could not talk openly about it, as it could disclose the bureau’s sources in North Korea.
If necessary, he would discuss the matter with legislators in private, Chiu said.
After Chiu left the meeting, KMT Legislator Lu Yu-ling (呂玉玲) asked how the bureau knew that Kim was sick, but still alive.
NSB Deputy Director-General Hu Mu-yuan (胡木源) said that Chiu’s answer was based on media reports and not his opinion.
“Right now, all the available information is unable to confirm the status of Kim Jong-un’s health... From what we know, Kim is still in charge and in control of North Korea’s military and its government,” Hu said.
Earlier in the session, Chiu said that China could be planning hostile moves against Taiwan.
“When the pandemic subsides, Beijing will want to diffuse the domestic pressure it faces over COVID-19, so it might shift the focus from China’s internal problems to outside,” he said. “Therefore, Beijing is likely to make aggressive, threatening moves against Taiwan.”
“The bureau is closely monitoring the situation, as China is likely to put pressure on Taiwan through military and international affairs, and also step up its economic pressure,” Chiu said.
Taiwan’s should bolster its military defenses and alertness on island outposts in the South China Sea, as China has been aggressively expanding its military presence in the region, he said.
The combined effect of the monsoon, the outer rim of Typhoon Fengshen and a low-pressure system is expected to bring significant rainfall this week to various parts of the nation, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The heaviest rain is expected to occur today and tomorrow, with torrential rain expected in Keelung’s north coast, Yilan and the mountainous regions of Taipei and New Taipei City, the CWA said. Rivers could rise rapidly, and residents should stay away from riverbanks and avoid going to the mountains or engaging in water activities, it said. Scattered showers are expected today in central and
COOPERATION: Taiwan is aligning closely with US strategic objectives on various matters, including China’s rare earths restrictions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Taiwan could deal with China’s tightened export controls on rare earth metals by turning to “urban mining,” a researcher said yesterday. Rare earth metals, which are used in semiconductors and other electronic components, could be recovered from industrial or electronic waste to reduce reliance on imports, National Cheng Kung University Department of Resources Engineering professor Lee Cheng-han (李政翰) said. Despite their name, rare earth elements are not actually rare — their abundance in the Earth’s crust is relatively high, but they are dispersed, making extraction and refining energy-intensive and environmentally damaging, he said, adding that many countries have opted to
African swine fever was confirmed at a pig farm in Taichung, the Ministry of Agriculture said today, prompting a five-day nationwide ban on transporting and slaughtering pigs, and marking the loss of Taiwan’s status as the only Asian nation free of all three major swine diseases. The ministry held a news conference today confirming that the virus was detected at a farm in Wuci District (梧棲) yesterday evening. Authorities preemptively culled 195 pigs at the farm at about 3am and disinfected the entire site to prevent the disease from spreading, the ministry said. Authorities also set up a 3km-radius control zone
CONCESSION: A Shin Kong official said that the firm was ‘willing to contribute’ to the nation, as the move would enable Nvidia Crop to build its headquarters in Taiwan Shin Kong Life Insurance Co (新光人壽) yesterday said it would relinquish land-use rights, or known as surface rights, for two plots in Taipei’s Beitou District (北投), paving the way for Nvidia Corp to expand its office footprint in Taiwan. The insurer said it made the decision “in the interest of the nation’s greater good” and would not seek compensation from taxpayers for potential future losses, calling the move a gesture to resolve a months-long impasse among the insurer, the Taipei City Government and the US chip giant. “The decision was made on the condition that the Taipei City Government reimburses the related
RSS