Taiwanese officials said on Nov. 10 that they were closely monitoring the threat of Chinese espionage targeting the island’s high-tech industry but declined to comment on allegations involving Alice Huang, a Chinese woman allegedly acting as a spy for Beijing who was romantically involved with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
Chiu Chui-cheng, head of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, said the Taiwanese government could not assess the case because the relevant facts and evidence had yet to be established.
Speaking to reporters before a legislative session, Chiu said preventing Chinese Communist Party espionage and infiltration had long been a priority. He described the use of romantic relationships to obtain intelligence, commonly known as a “honey trap,” as a classic and distinctive method employed by Beijing.
He said Taiwan would continue to strengthen its defenses against such infiltration. The government had seen some initial results from these efforts in recent years, he added.
Chiu also said government agencies would work with private companies to strengthen protections for Taiwan’s critical infrastructure and sensitive technologies, which he described as core national interests.
Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi also declined to comment on whether Alice Huang was a Chinese intelligence operative, telling reporters at the Legislative Yuan that he had no basis to make such an assessment.
“I have no evidence, nor do I have the authority to investigate,” Chen said.
He said the case highlighted the importance of economic security in global economic planning and high-tech development, adding that Taiwan’s government had consistently treated the issue as a priority.
Asked about Alice Huang’s previous visits to Taiwan, Chen declined to disclose the capacity under which she had entered the island. He said the government had taken the necessary precautions and that all visitors were required to comply with relevant regulations.
However, Chen said Taiwan would not impose unnecessary restrictions on people who enter and leave the island legally and have no criminal records in Taiwan, apart from measures required for national security reasons.
The controversy has drawn scrutiny to the potential national security implications of Jensen Huang’s relationship with Alice Huang, whom U.S. intelligence officials identified as having provided information to Beijing, according to an Oct. 29 report by The New York Times..
Jensen Huang, in a memo to Nvidia employees, acknowledged having an extramarital affair, saying, “I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did.”
Chung Yuan contributed to this report.
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