Chang Hsien-yi’s (張憲義) defection to the US in 1988 resulted in a lack of significant weapons available to the national defense force as a deterrent, and betrayal of one’s nation should be seen for what it is, former president Lee Teng-hui’s (李登輝) national security team member Chang Jung-feng (張榮豐) said.
Former Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) nuclear division deputy director Chang Hsien-yi on Monday spoke to reporters on the telephone about the launch of his book, Nuclear bomb! Spy? CIA: Record of an Interview with Chang Hsien-yi, saying he was motivated by fears that his research into nuclear weapons would be used by “politically ambitious” people who would harm Taiwan.
Chang Hsien-yi said that his actions were in line with former president Chiang Ching-kuo’s (蔣經國) policy of “retaining nuclear capability, but not actively manufacturing” nuclear weapons and he could, at most, be accused of betraying then-minister of national defense Hau Pei-tsun (郝柏村).
Chang Jung-feng was dismissive of Chang Hsien-yi’s comments, saying that Chang Hsien-yi, as a colonel, had betrayed his nation and as a result of his defection directly contributed to Taiwan’s lack of national defense options.
In regards to Chang Hsien-yi’s claims that his defection was a “win-win” scenario for Taiwan and the US, Chang Jung-feng said the excuse was flimsy at best, as such decisions were not Chang Hsien-yi’s responsibility.
Chang Jung-feng also dismissed claims made in the book that Taiwan’s goal of creating a “nuclear-free homeland” was in part due to Chang Hsien-yi’s defection.
The former security adviser also criticized those who wrote the foreword for Chang Hsien-yi’s book, which he said were primarily supporters of Taiwanese independence.
“If these people think that Chang Hsien-yi has not betrayed his country, then they are not right in the head,” Chang Jung-feng said, adding that if these same people think that Chang Hsien-yi is a traitor, then they should not have written a foreword for him.
“It’s a matter of right and wrong,” Chang Jung-feng said.
DPP Legislator Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) said that he had written the foreword for the book as it offered a chance for others to piece together parts of history, adding that from the vantage point of Taiwanese, Chang Hsien-yi “has indeed been a traitor.”
The insight of high-end technology researchers is the equivalent of a blueprint for national development, and too many are seeking to rationalize their actions for going to China, Lo said, adding that he has taken a more severe view on the matter due to his feelings that loyalty to the nation is the most basic of requirements.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) today condemned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) after the Czech officials confirmed that Chinese agents had surveilled Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) during her visit to Prague in March last year. Czech Military Intelligence director Petr Bartovsky yesterday said that Chinese operatives had attempted to create the conditions to carry out a demonstrative incident involving Hsiao, going as far as to plan a collision with her car. Hsiao was vice president-elect at the time. The MAC said that it has requested an explanation and demanded a public apology from Beijing. The CCP has repeatedly ignored the desires
Many Chinese spouses required to submit proof of having renounced their Chinese household registration have either completed the process or provided affidavits ahead of the June 30 deadline, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said on Thursday. Of the 12,146 people required to submit the proof, 5,534 had done so as of Wednesday, MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. Another 2,572 people who met conditions for exemption or deferral from submitting proof of deregistration — such as those with serious illnesses or injuries — have submitted affidavits instead, he said. “As long as individuals are willing to cooperate with the legal
The Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant’s license has expired and it cannot simply be restarted, the Executive Yuan said today, ahead of national debates on the nuclear power referendum. The No. 2 reactor at the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County was disconnected from the nation’s power grid and completely shut down on May 17, the day its license expired. The government would prioritize people’s safety and conduct necessary evaluations and checks if there is a need to extend the service life of the reactor, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) told a news conference. Lee said that the referendum would read: “Do
Taiwan's Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said Saturday that she would not be intimidated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), following reports that Chinese agents planned to ram her car during a visit to the Czech Republic last year. "I had a great visit to Prague & thank the Czech authorities for their hospitality & ensuring my safety," Hsiao said on social media platform X. "The CCP's unlawful activities will NOT intimidate me from voicing Taiwan's interests in the international community," she wrote. Hsiao visited the Czech Republic on March 18 last year as vice president-elect and met with Czech Senate leadership, including
RSS