The luggage self-check-in system in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 1 contains parts and software made by a subsidiary of a Chinese arms manufacturer, which could put the nation at risk, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said yesterday.
The system’s conveyor belt contains parts made by a subsidiary of China North Industries Corp (Norinco, 中國北方工業集團) — a Chinese state-owned company that manufactures military products, Lin said.
The conveyor belts were manufactured and assembled in China, then disassembled and shipped to Taiwan, he said, adding that the system’s software also came from Norinco.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Lin accused the airport of failing to adequately supervise the procurement process for the equipment when it upgraded the check-in systems in January.
The airport said that the tender for the upgrade project was won by Taiwanese company CTCI Advanced Systems Inc (新鼎系統公司), which had said that its system used parts from China, but it was built in Taiwan.
Lin said the most concerning issue is that although the hardware for the system’s programmable logic controller came from a Japanese company, the controller was using a programming language designed by Norinco, which could give the company backdoor access to the airport’s systems and pose a security risk.
The issue came to light due to a regulation that stipulates that such equipment must be assembled and tested in the manufacturer’s factory before it can be installed in the airport, Lin said.
As the factory is in China, CTCI sent inspectors from CECI Engineering Consultants — the company commissioned to inspect the work — to China to fulfill the requirement.
CTCI claimed the system was built in Taiwan, as it had to be disassembled for shipment, Lin said, adding that this was a loophole in the supervisory process.
“The airport has clearly stated in the past that contractors cannot use Chinese components, so how did this project slip through?” he asked. “There must be an investigation by airport authorities and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to ensure such projects do not compromise national security.”
Taoyuan International Airport Corp senior vice president Fan Hsiao-lun (范孝倫) said that CTCI had listed the Norinco subsidiary as one of its parts suppliers during the bidding process, but that the airport believed it to be a supplier of only small components and therefore not a cause for concern.
The airport would handle the situation according to regulations and would prioritize domestically produced components, he said.
‘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
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS