Taiwan’s Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) denies that an arrested US federal employee is a member of the Taiwan Navy. Chiu made the statement on Friday, three days after the US Justice Department charged federal employee Philip Chu (朱一飛) with making false statements about his connections to the Taiwan Navy.
Chu is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Taiwan and has been working with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The charges say Chu gave false statements about his contact with the Taiwan Navy in order to get security clearance for an assignment with the US Navy in Singapore.
Minister Chiu says Chu is not a member of Taiwan’s military. He says he personally investigated the matter and his current understanding is that Chu does not share any connections with the navy.
If Chu is convicted of concealing military and business ties to Taiwan, he could face up to 25 years in federal prison and a US$ 500,000 fine.