The arrest of Lo Hsien-che, a major general in the Republic of China in-exile Army, on espionage charges has caused a pall on rosy reports about a cross-strait thaw in relations between the ROC and the People’s Republic of China.
Whether military secrets of the United States were the goal of Chinese spying or the security of Taiwan was the target is unknown. General Lo was well positioned to compromise Taiwan’s defense but the extent of damage to U.S. military secrets was likely limited say Washington observers. Past weapons sales to Taiwan have been restricted to partial capabilities out of spying concerns.
However, Chinese penetration of ROC defenses is a concern to the United States and will likely be a factor in a decision whether or not to sell advanced F-16 fighter jets to the Chinese Nationalists exiled on Taiwan.
General Lo was to command Po Sheng or Broad Victory, a joint command military strike information-sharing platform. Po Sheng is designed to allow for integrated battle communications between ROC military branches and to interface with the U.S. Pacific Command.
General Lo is the highest ranking military spy yet accused in ROC’s tumultuous history since the White Terror era.. At the time of Lo’s arrest, secret Po Sheng documents were allegedly found at his home. The ROC general had reportedly been recruited by a Chinese female agent with sex and money.
Lo also had access to details of Taiwan’s underground optical fiber communications network and communications technology in Apache helicopters sold by the United States to the Republic of China in-exile.
Richard Fisher, of the International Assessment and Strategy Center think-tank, told the Taipei Times that the spy charges were “deadly serious” and could be “very damaging” to Taiwan.
Fisher said, “It is not difficult to see how the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] would view the ability to turn off or take control of Po Sheng as critical to a range of coercive military scenerios that could lead to political capitulation in Taipei before the start of a full attack.”
Fisher has previously warned about a shift in the balance of power caused by China’s continued military growth: “Most worrying of all is the steady Chinese military buildup against Taiwan….This new situation demands new, realistic thinking and new, substantial policies are required from Washington if our own interests and those of our democratic friends and allies are to be maintained.”
Source: Michael Richardson - Boston Progressive Examiner
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