The US government should offer to train Taiwan’s top spy catchers, an expert told the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
Former FBI supervisory special agent David Major — also a former White House director of counterintelligence — said the training should include instructions on targeting and recruitment operations.
Testifying before the commission on Thursday, Major said that China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) is targeting Taiwan for espionage activities.
“Targeting of the Republic of China [ROC] is an exception to most of the rules of Chinese intelligence,” Major said. “This target is essentially the area of operation exclusively of the MSS. Taiwan is the third rail for China, both politically and for intelligence collection.”
“In the recent time period Taiwan pushed the USA hard for the release of new F-16 fighter aircraft and is awaiting delivery of Patriot PAC-3 air defense missile systems and the P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft. All these technologies are targets of the mainland Chinese,” he added.
Major said in his testimony that China has an “intense interest” in developing the capability to disrupt Taiwanese communications ahead of an attack on the nation.
He said that according to a former US deputy defense secretary, China’s penetration of Taiwan affected what types of arms the US was willing to sell to Taiwan.
Major said that China’s success in penetrating Taiwan’s military and intelligence community agencies had serious implications for US national security.
He said that between 2002 and this year, 56 people in Taiwan were charged with being clandestine agents of the MSS or the People’s Liberation Army.
According to Major, there were 23 espionage plots over the period, all but six of which involved more than one person.
Included in the 56 people charged were 15 members of Taiwan’s three intelligence services — the National Security Bureau, the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau.
“The [People’s Republic of China] PRC intelligence service relies heavily on their recruited Taiwan agents recruiting sub-agents and creating networks,” Major said.
He said that at least 50 percent of the Taiwanese were recruited into espionage for the PRC by a co-worker, friend or relative.
“Justifiable concerns about the security of US defense systems sold to Taiwan are a byproduct of this espionage activity,” Major said.
He said that Taiwan had made efforts to improve security — including trip reporting and routine polygraphs for personnel with sensitive access as well as boosting its counterintelligence staff.
“It is hoped that both countries are openly sharing damage assessments to help make way for improved US-Taiwan counterintelligence cooperation,” Major said.
“Knowing the degree of severity of Taiwan’s espionage losses, the US government will assume the worst case in spite of the many questions that could be raised about how much damage each spy did,” he added. “If the US begins to slow down or stop the transfer of needed technology and information with Taiwan for fear of espionage loss, then the PRC wins and Taiwan is doomed.”
The commission hearing on Chinese intelligence services and espionage operations asked all of those who testified for recommendations on congressional action.
“The US government should consider offering first-class advanced counterintelligence training to the three ROC intelligence agencies,” Major said. “This would include training on targeting and recruitment operations.”
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS