Taipei [Taiwan], March 13 (ANI): The Ministry of Defence of Taiwan confirmed a media report that a retired Air Force major had disclosed classified documents to Chinese intelligence agents, as reported by the Taipei Times.

The leaked information concerned the Air Force's use of Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles mounted on aircraft, as well as Taiwan's responses to Chinese incursions into the nation's air defence identification zone, Taipei Times reported.

According to Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo, the data allegedly provided by former Air Force pilot Shih Chun-cheng was academic research from a developmental phase.

The ministry first received reports from military personnel in January 2023, which prompted a joint-defence response and coordinated investigation with military police, Koo explained. He noted that the fact that military personnel reported the leak demonstrated the effectiveness of improvements in the armed forces education and counterintelligence efforts, Taipei Times reported.

To further enhance counterintelligence capabilities, the ministry will continue educating soldiers on the subject, increasing background checks for personnel, and bolstering staffing in the Military Intelligence Bureau.

According to the Taipei Times, Koo also mentioned that the ministry would adopt a model similar to the US, where access to confidential information is based on background checks, necessity, and confidentiality rather than rank. In the past, only certain ranks underwent special background checks, but from now on, only individuals who pass the review will be granted access.

Cheng Yi-cheng, CEO of the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, stated that while it was not convenient to disclose details about Hsiung Feng III's development, the leak had no impact on the ongoing research. The leaked information came from an earlier stage of the project, the Taipei Times reported.

In a separate incident involving a retired soldier's lost phone, which allegedly ended up in China and had its contents leaked on Sina Weibo, Koo confirmed that the photographs on the phone had been approved for public release and that the device had been reported as lost.

The leaked images reportedly showed group chats from Line, officer names, photos of the 137th Brigade, and the contact information of the 8th Army Corps.

Further, Koo highlighted the effectiveness of the armed forces' mobile device management systems, which locked down the device's functions and prevented further sensitive information from being exposed. (ANI)