A Taiwanese-American charged in the US with falsifying records and making false statements does not have any connection with the Taiwanese navy, Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) said yesterday denied that
In a federal criminal complaint that was unsealed on Tuesday, US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employee Chu Yi-fei, 57, was accused by the US Department of Justice of making false statements concerning people he was connected with in the Taiwanese navy, and falsifying records in a federal investigation related to his application for a security clearance, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Dawn Ison is cited as saying in a statement issued by the US Attorney’s Office.
The statement accused Chu of failing to disclose contacts in the navy and in a Taiwanese company that he was allegedly hired by to “provide consulting services on a ‘classified’ Taiwanese navy project ... during a period of employment with United States Navy.”
Photo: Chen Cheng-yu, Taipei Times
The statement also accused Chu, who is a naturalized citizen of the US, of seeking “to conceal the fact that he is still a citizen of Taiwan.”
Speaking to the media about the case ahead of a meeting with Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and the heads of other ministries yesterday, Chiu said he had spoken with the navy, which denied that it had any contact with Chu.
Separately, Chiu also commented on a 200-page report on China’s rocket program published by the China Aerospace Studies Institute at the US Air Force’s Air University.
Chiu said the lengthy report showed that the US clearly understands developments related to China’s People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force.
The military incorporates US reports into its regional security strategies, he said, citing three documents published by the US Department of Defense that detail regional security in the Asia-Pacific region and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Asked whether Taiwan had its own intelligence on China’s rocket program, Chiu said the military receives timely information and would release public statements when appropriate.
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