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.”
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
Taiwan is planning to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based X-ray imaging to customs clearance points over the next four years to curb the smuggling of contraband, a Customs Administration official said. The official on condition of anonymity said the plan would cover meat products, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, large bundles of banknotes and certain agricultural produce. Taiwan began using AI image recognition systems in July 2021. This year, generative AI — a subset of AI which uses generative models to produce data — would be used to train AI models to produce realistic X-ray images of contraband, the official
RSS