UNRELIABLE PARTNER?The US Department of State official asked whether Taiwanese businesses with Chinese commercial interests could be relied on to protect technologies

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 16, 2017
By: Nadia Tsao and Jake Chung / Staff reporter in Washington, with staff writer and CNA

US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs David Helvey on Thursday once again called into question Taiwan’s ability to protect sensitive technologies from Chinese spies, should the US agree to transfer them to Taiwan, at a symposium held by the Global Taiwan Institute in Washington.

The one-day event, titled “Upgrading US-Taiwan relations for the 21st century,” marked the institute’s first annual symposium.

Helvey posited the question whether Taiwanese businesspeople with obvious commercial benefits in China would be involved in Taiwan’s autonomous national defense projects.

US-Taiwan relations have been stiff since the Monterey Talks in Hawaii last month, at which both sides devoted significant time to the case of Hsieh Chia-kang (謝嘉康).

Hsieh, a former missile command commander, is still under investigation after reports in May said he had been turned by Chinese covert operatives.    [FULL  STORY]