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Taiwan plays down damage after spy leak
Taiwan's new air defence system was damaged somewhat by an intelligence leak to rival China, but its key technology was not compromised, a defence official said on Tuesday.
- AP
- Published: 00:53 February 20, 2008
Taipei: Taiwan's new air defence system was damaged somewhat by an intelligence leak to rival China, but its key technology was not compromised, a defence official said on Tuesday.
The Po Sheng system - a sophisticated command, control and communications network that Taiwan is purchasing from US defence contractor Lockheed Martin - was one of the targets highlighted in an espionage affidavit filed earlier this month against a Pentagon analyst in a US court.
The analyst, Gregg W. Bergersen, was accused of providing classified information to Kuo Tai-sheng, a dual US-Taiwanese national, identified in the affidavit as a Chinese agent.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Taiwanese Defence Ministry spokesman Yu Sy-tue said the Po Sheng system was still intact because the system's key communications technology remained in Taiwanese hands.
"The US provides Taiwan with the system's infrastructure, but Taiwan still controls the key integral technology," he said. "The damage was within our expectations."
Yu acknowledged that Bergersen had knowledge of the Po Sheng system and said he met with Taiwan's Defence Ministry on the project, and on other issues, which he declined to specify.
He said Kuo had never been in contact with the ministry.
Accusations 'groundless'
The Chinese government has called the accusations of espionage involving the Po Sheng system groundless and accused the US of "Cold War thinking."
The Po Sheng system is a key part of Taiwan's defences against a possible attack by China, which has more than 900 missiles aimed at Taiwanese targets.
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