Taipei, Feb. 21 (CNA) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) denied on Monday that it has ever disclosed any of its intelligence sources in its intelligence reports.
The ministry was responding to a US newspaper report that a statement issued by Taiwan's defense ministry four years ago had led to the execution of three mainland Chinese people who were part of a crucial Taiwan spy network in mainland China.
"The report is not true," an MND official said, stressing that the ministry has consistently avoided implicating any intelligence channels in its reports.
The Washington Post reported on Sunday that mainland Chinese Maj. Gen. Liu Liankun, his unnamed mistress, and Senior Col. Shao Zhengzhong were executed in mainland China last September on charges of spying for Taiwan.
According to the paper, Liu was charged with tipping off Taiwan that missiles fired by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) near the island on March 8, 1996 as part of its live-fire war games carried only dummy warheads.
The PLA military exercises, held two weeks before Taiwan's first-ever direct presidential election, were largely seen as an attempt to warn Taiwan voters against voting for pro-independence politicians.
Eager to calm jittery Taiwan residents, the Washington Post said, the MND issued a press release saying the mainland missiles were unarmed.
The Washington Post said the MND statement alerted Beijing to a possible leak in its defense establishment and prompted an investigation that culminated in the arrest and execution of Liu and his espionage team.
The prestigious US paper said the liquidation of the network was a particularly heavy blow to Taiwan because Liu was "well-placed to provide Taiwan with intelligence about China's military capabilities."
Commenting on the Washington Post report, the MND said it issued a total of 31 press releases concerning mainland China's military activities during the PLA military exercise period in the run-up to Taiwan's 1996 election.
The MND said it had issued all those reports with an aim of curbing ill-motivated rumors or misleading reports, as well as allaying local people's misgivings.
In releasing the reports, MND officials said, the ministry had taken great care to avoid violating any military intelligence regulations or revealing any of its intelligence channels.
The officials further noted that all the MND press releases issued during that period proved to be helpful in upholding morale and confidence among local people and in maintaining domestic stability. "The majority of local people also gave a thumbs-up to our move," recalled an MND official. (By Sofia Wu)
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