Spy Game: The Latest Chapter in China and Taiwan’s “Smokeless War”

The recent spy case involving a Taiwanese general is the most serious in the island’s history and may have compromised a crucial command and communications network.The recent spy case involving a Taiwanese general is the most serious in the island’s history and may have compromised a crucial command and communications network.Major General Lo Hsien-che was arrested in late January and charged with spying for mainland China. Lo was ensnared in a honey trap, a sexual entrapment operation used to recruit agents, while serving abroad in Thailand sometime in 2004. The agent that lured Lo has been described as a tall, fashionable woman in her early 30s who held an Australian passport. Lo continued to spy when he returned to Taiwan and was placed in charge of the communications and electronic information department. Much of what may have been compromised is still unknown at this point, but it is believed that information about the Po Sheng program is among the intelligence Lo gave to China.The Po Sheng program is a command and communications network system built by U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin. The network would link Taiwan with the U.S. Pacific Command. In the event of a conflict between China and Taiwan that involved the United States, the Po Sheng program would be crucial in coordinating Taiwanese and U.S. forces. If China can disrupt the network, the United States’ ability to operate in a Taiwan contingency would be hampered. Combined with China’s burgeoning anti-access/area-denial capabilities—such as an increasingly capable submarine fleet, anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles, and anti-aircraft SAM batteries—mainland espionage greatly increases the potential cost to U.S. forces assisting in Taiwan’s defense.Taiwan has downplayed the damage done by Lo. Taiwan’s military leadership has claimed that Lo’s position was strictly managerial and his access to Po Sheng was limited and not technical in nature. The information that Lo could have given China, therefore, would only provide a limited picture of the Po Sheng program.New security measures are being implemented by Taiwan to help prevent future intelligence failures of this magnitude. Loyalty testing, which includes a polygraph test, will now be conducted for any individual being granted access to confidential information. Lo did not undergo loyalty testing upon being promoted to the rank of general.New security measures are likely also meant to address the concerns of the United States. Taiwan’s national defense is highly dependent on U.S. military technology and arms sales. If the United States became convinced that Taiwan’s military was heavily penetrated by Chinese spies, America might conclude that selling advanced weapon platforms, such as the F-16 C/D fighter, is too risky, fearing they may fall into Chinese hands. Given China’s military modernization, Taiwan’s ability to defend itself from Chinese coercion or even invasion will likely depend on acquiring these advanced platforms.This is not the first time spy games have influenced cross-Strait affairs. Espionage is an all too familiar aspect of the China-Taiwan relationship. Ever since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the governments on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have used spies to try to gain the upper hand in “the smokeless war” that continues to this day. In 2008, Beijing executed a man accused of spying for Taiwan, Wo Weihan, in a controversial case that included allegations of coerced confessions and torture.Assessing the damage done by a spy is a difficult and lengthy process due to the classified nature of the material and the efforts by both the spy and his handlers to avoid detection. It may be years before an investigation is completed and even then unanswered questions will likely remain. What is certain is that spying will remain an important facet of the cross-Strait relationship and continue to influence the nature of the security environment in East Asia. This image is being used under Creative Commons licensing. The original source can be found here.