United Microelectronics Corp (UMC) founder Robert Tsao (曹興誠) yesterday said the Chinese Ministry of State Security was behind a smear campaign to suggest he had an extramarital affair, adding that Beijing is working through proxies to interfere in Taiwan’s elections and recall processes.
Tsao said he has come under attack since he spearheaded a recall movement to oust Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers, including leading a petition drive to recall KMT Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯).
He wrote online that the Chinese government and the state security agency was circulating doctored images of him with a young woman and was collaborating with political commentator Hsieh Han-ping (謝寒冰) to accuse Tsao of having an extramarital affair in 2015, while working in China.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Tsao offered a NT$10 million (US$305,717) reward for anyone providing information leading to the arrest of leaders or organizers of the Chinese ministry’s networks and to crack down on their subversive activities in Taiwan.
He said someone from the US told him the Chinese agency planned the smear campaign, as the accusations and circulation of the image followed China’s “united front” tactics and propaganda strategies.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆) has asked national security agencies to investigate the case.
DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said the Chinese government was seeking to interfere in Taiwan’s elections.
“Our society must establish strong defense mechanisms, to fight against these Chinese proxies and hostile forces, knowing their pro-China propaganda and tactics would escalate in scope and intensity. We urge people not to back down, but to stand up with courage and resolutely support Taiwan, to defend our democracy and freedom,” Wu said.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
A British man was arrested for attempting to smuggle 14.37kg of marijuana into Taiwan through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Customs said late yesterday. The man, who arrived from Bangkok at 9pm on Friday, was asked by customs officers to open his luggage during a random inspection, Taipei Customs said in a news release. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, refused to open his suitcase and tried to flee the restricted area. He was eventually subdued by three customs officials and an Aviation Police Bureau officer. A later search of his checked luggage uncovered 14.37kg of marijuana buds. The case was handed over
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