Taiwan's Top Spy Caught in Bangkok on TikTok
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR - ROSS FEINGOLD
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22 September 2022
Taiwan's Top Secret Spook Caught in Bangkok on TikTok
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR - ROSS FEINGOLD
WENDELL MINNICK (Whiskey Mike) 顏文德
Note to Reader from Wendell Minnick:
TAIPEI - China In Arms is honored to have Ross Feingold as a guest contributor for this episode. Feingold is a lawyer, business consultant, and a fluent Mandarin speaker with 20 years experience in Singapore, Hong Kong, China, and currently in Taiwan.
A little background on Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB). During the pre-Democracy era the NSB was dubbed “Taiwan’s KGB”, but with increased political pressure and eventual success of democracy in Taiwan, the NSB was defanged.
Primarily, the NSB is a combination of the British intelligence model: MI-5 (domestic security and counter-intelligence) and MI-6 (external intelligence). Whereas, the CIA is singularly an external intelligence collection and operations entity with no domestic spying mandates. With the FBI and Homeland Security handling domestic terorrism and counter-intelligence.
In July, the NSB director, Chen Ming-tong (陳明通), and advisors, traveled to Bangkok. Their photographs at passport control, hotel receipts, and flight information, were all made public on TikTok. The revelation first appeared in: China Times (Taipei-based).
A former U.S. State Department officer, with strong ties to Taiwan, put it in perspective. “The liaison relationships have always involved the number one person. Sending someone else would have been perceived as bowing cravenly before PRC pressure, or accommodating presumed Thai preferences. These things are largely ceremonial, and as such they require the presence of the number one person.”
Further, “I’m not persuaded that this was a Chinese gambit. It smells more to me like what somebody on the Thai side would do – to ingratiate themselves with the Chinese.” Then once out there on social media, “it was easy plucking for opponents of Chen Ming-tong/the DPP/Tsai Ing-wen to try to use it for domestic Taiwan political reasons.”
Further, Beijing has no “special reason to advertise the obvious: they are fully aware of what Taiwan’s officials, intelligence people included, are up to. That’s not news.”
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR:
Taiwan’s National Security Bureau Visits Thailand
By Ross Feingold
Former Asia Chairman, Republicans Abroad Twitter: @RossFeingold
The leak in recent days of details and photos of National Security Bureau Director General Chen Ming-tong’s visit to Thailand in July is yet another in a series of problems for Taiwan’s intelligence and security agencies, even if the source of the leak is in Thailand and not in Taiwan. Other scandals in recent years include cigarette smuggling by officers in President Tsai Ing-wen’s protection detail, allegations of wrongdoing by a former Military Intelligence Bureau head, and periodic prosecutions of current or retired intelligence and military officers for allegedly spying for China.
Chen Ming-tong was in the news throughout July and August, as he joined the defense of former Hsinchu mayor and Democratic Progressive Party’s candidate for Taoyuan City mayor Lin Chih-chien against allegations Lin Chih-chien had plagiarized parts of a masters degree thesis submitted to the National Taiwan University Graduate Institute of National Development for which Chen Ming-tong served as Lin Chih-chien’s thesis advisor.
During the period when politicians and pundits argued about Lin Chih-chien’s thesis, Chen Ming-tong issued several statements to defend Lin Chih-chien. These included a statement on July 5, a 4,000 character second statement on July 23, and a 2,000 character third statement on July 31. Despite Chen Ming-tong’s efforts to defend Lin Chih-chien, after a National Taiwan University investigation committee determined plagiarism occurred, Lin withdrew as a candidate for Taoyuan City mayor.
Chen Ming-tong issued his second and third statements to defend Lin after media reported U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi might visit Taiwan, and occurred at a time when Taiwan ’s Ministry of National Defense and National Security Bureau had to prepare for China’s response to Pelosi’s visit. Although it is unknown how much time, during the crucial final days of July, Chen Ming-tong spent on the Lin Chih-chien plagiarism matter versus preparing for China’s response to Pelosi’s visit, Chen Ming-tong and the National Security Bureau also have other work responsibilities, some of which might have required Chen Ming-tong to visit Thailand in July.
This author believes Chen Ming-tong is dedicated to Taiwan’s national security. However, as a political appointee he serves at the will of President Tsai Ing-wen. Although President Tsai’s loyalty to her political appointees is admirable, to ensure an impartial investigation of the Thailand trip leaks and to demonstrate to the people of Taiwan as well as Taiwan’s foreign security partners how serious the Tsai Administration views this matter, it will come as no surprise if President Tsai finally replaces the National Security Bureau Director General.
