US Washington Times is out again with a new rumor on March 29 that a Hong Kong enterprise is trying to steal US intelligence information for China.
The paper quoted US official's words as saying that the Hutchison Whampoa Port Co. Ltd. by Hong Kong millionaire Lee Ka-shing, which is famous for its freight transport business, is managing to buy facilities of a new container port in the state of Florida as a new site adjacent to the central command, one of the nine commands of the US around the world. The US intelligence officials are afraid that the company would serve for Chinese intelligence agency to monitor the central command.
According to Washington Times, Lee Ka-shing is allegedly having "close ties" with Chinese leaders. It pointed out that the company has provided convenience for China to station in Panama Canal port and deal with all strategic reserves passing the port after it secretly signed a long-term contract to rent the port in 1997.
According to US officials, if tense situation occurs, the US military and civil vessels, which carry war reserves in and out of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, would have restrictions placed by the company, and the Beijing authorities in actuality.
Hutchison Whampoa refutes slander
Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa Group refuted the slander. A spokesman of the company said the company currently has no plan to buy land or facilities as rumored. The report is aimed to undermine China-US relations.
As is widely known, Washington Times repeatedly fabricated rumors to cater a few with claptrap and set up obstacles in obstructing the development of US-China relations. Particularly, the above-mentioned military reporter has invented similar rumors for many times.
US and Taiwan keep collecting intelligence information
As things now stand, it is the US that has conspired with Taiwan authorities in collecting intelligence information from China. The US army had deliberately left a secret intelligence information-collecting base on Mt. Yangming of Taipei when they were forced to withdraw from Taiwan in 1979.
The US has spent a lot of money and sent many technological staff in rebuilding the base, after which they could carry out radar monitoring to the thousand-kilometer area nearby. Their military data-processing ability has also been dramatically improved with technology upgraded.
Other reports reveal that a large number of American military technological personnel and veterans are either on active service or work jointly with Taiwan military staff in the base. It is said all data have been collected and initially processed in Taiwan before being sent to US National Security Agency by satellite to make final analysis. The information is mainly about the Mainland's military activities.
( April 23, 2002)
