Why is there such a fuss about the leaking of the planned meeting between José Casimiro Morgado – director of the EU Intelligence and Situation Centre (INTCEN) – and colleagues from the Taiwanese intelligence service? One can only smile at the hectic chatter about this.
On the one hand, it is once again frightening how little expertise there is in the media on Taiwanese intelligence architecture and how this ignorance is concealed with painfully clueless presentations. On the subject of Taiwan intelligence I can recommend the excellent chapter by my friend and colleague Jens Rosenke, which he published in the anthology Intelligence Communities and Cultures in Asia and the Middle East: A Comprehensive Reference.
But besides the ignorance about the Taiwanese security bureaucracy, this naivety about China’s insights is also astonishing: How did Beijing find out about this “Top Secret” affair? What happened there? What did evil Beijing do to get this information?
It is no wonder at all that the Chinese government is well informed about many EU events. It learns it directly from corrupt and unscrupulous, sometimes naive insiders or those who have learned a few bits of information on the side. The hoover of the Chinese secret services sucks up everything! In addition, Chinese journalists can be found in Brussels with the most astonishing legends.
Given the gathering of these forces – in Brussels and beyond – one can only wish the Taiwanese office in Brussels courage and energy!