Taiwan Spy Case Endangers Sale of Advanced U.S. WeaponsMarch 11, 2011
 A developing spy case in Taiwan could endanger the sale of high-tech U.S. weapons to the country, according to an article in The Wall Street Journal. A Taiwanese general was arrested in late January for allegedly leaking to China sensitive details about an electronic defense system sold to the island by Lockheed Martin. Taiwan's Po Sheng program was developed by the U.S. contractor to integrate communication and control between ground, naval and air forces. China openly considers Taiwan to be a renegade state and has said over the years that it plans to bring it under mainland control through diplomacy, economic pressure and possibly even by using force. The U.S. is Taiwan's biggest supporter, supplying the island with advanced weapons systems. The Taiwan Relations Act passed by the Congress requires that the U.S. supply Taiwan with weapons systems and services to defend itself against any aggression from China. In recent years, Taiwan nevertheless has inched closer to China diplomatically and economically, realizing that the island's economic welfare depends on improved relations with its behemoth neighbor. In the current spy case, the worst in 50 years, a Chinese agent is suspected to have recruited Major General Lo Hsien-che, who worked as military attaché in Thailand in 2004. China has wanted details about the Po Sheng program for years because of its drive to develop countermeasures to disrupt Taiwanese communications prior to any attack, according the Journal article. A former Taiwanese deputy defense minister interviewed by the Journal, says Chinese spying has already affected the kinds of weapons systems the U.S. is now willing to offer Taiwan. The fear is that China will get its hands on some of the most advanced weapons systems developed by the US. |
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