20110213 Spying case is a serious concern for our security

Spying case is a serious concern for our security

By Wang Jyh-perng 王志鵬

Just a few days after the Lunar New Year holiday celebrations had ended, the nation woke to the shocking news that Major General Lo Hsien-che (羅賢哲), head of communications and electronic information at Army Command Headquarters, had been arrested on suspicion of espionage. Lo had apparently been recruited by Chinese agents in 2004 during the middle of his 2002-2005 posting to Thailand.

Since then, he is known to have leaked information about the Po Sheng (Broad Victory) digital multi-service integrated command, control and intelligence system — obviously considerably sensitive in nature — and is also suspected of passing on highly confidential documents and files about the army’s strategic areas communication system, the procurement of Apache helicopters and the layout of the nation’s underground fiber optic communication network.

Since President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) took office two years ago he has promoted more open cross-strait relations and signed the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). Another major decision relates to the deployment of RT-2000 -multiple-launch surface-to--surface rockets, developed by the Ministry of National Defense’s Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology.

Last month, it was decided to deploy the RT-2000s not on the outlying islands, but on Taiwan proper, even before any assurance from China that it would remove the missiles it has aimed at Taiwan. The reason behind this decision was that the RT-2000s are now to be used to prevent the enemy from making landfall in the event of an invasion attempt.

This espionage case must surely be a huge wake-up call for Ma, who has assiduously pursued, through economic exchanges, a policy of peaceful cross-strait development during the course of his nearly three years in office. It is clear and incontrovertible proof that Beijing is engaged, more than ever before, in a double-pronged approach of combined soft and hard power.

The nation has spent NT$50 billion (US$1.71 billion) on the Po Sheng system in the 10 years since former US president Bill Clinton agreed to sell it to Taiwan. Lo’s leaks about the system are a grievous blow to the nation’s national defense, and although the fallout for the US is relatively limited, it remains to be seen how this is going to effect US arms sales to Taiwan.

We are told that the defense ministry was aware of Lo’s espionage last year and knew what he had access to. It assures the nation that the impact was, in fact, quite limited. Nevertheless, it is quite apparent that the nation’s long-standing political warfare system, a key element in national defense, has been hugely compromised.

It is possible that the leaks are to be blamed not just on the political warfare system itself, but on the community of interests that has evolved within the ministry’s bureaucracy.

This is a high-level spy case. Ma has expressed outrage and let it be known that the case is to be dealt with in a manner fitting the gravity of the circumstances. One cannot escape from the fact that it could be just the tip of the iceberg.

What else is there that we don’t know about? Does the rot extend higher up the defense ministry?

We will have to wait for the results of the ministry’s investigation, although from previous experience, don’t expect any clear cut answers. Nevertheless, if the ministry is unable to get to the bottom of things, Ma may pay dearly in his bid to secure re-election next year.

Wang Jyh-perng is an associate research fellow at the Association for Managing Defense and Strategies.