It was 1988, and Taiwan was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. But then, one of its most senior nuclear engineers decided to highlight the country’s secret program in the United States. Taiwan had no other option but to close his almost complete program. The country and critics blamed Chang Haseen-Y for “betrayal”, which could help Taipei to keep pace with China.
Thirty years later, critics claim that they weakened Taipei’s rescue against a possible Chinese invasion.
But 81-year-old Chang Hasen-Yi, who is from Idaho, said there was no betrayal. “I decided to provide information to the CIA because I think it was good for the people of Taiwan,” he told CNN.
Whistbalore said, “Yes, there was a political struggle between China and Taiwan, but it was nonsense for me to develop any malignant weapon. I believe we are all Chinese and it is not understood.”
15 years after the Communists won the Chinese Civil War, the first nuclear test was conducted in Beijing in 1964. The Taiwan government was worried that it would be used against the island.
Two years later, Taiwan leader, Chiang Kai-Shek, launched a secret program to develop nuclear weapons. The project was managed by the Ministry of Defense and was done by the Changshan Science Research Institute, which was responsible for doing research and creating a technical basis for nuclear weapons development.
Mr. Haseen-Ai became the captain of an army and joined the project a year later. He was selected to undergo advanced nuclear training, including American studies. After studying physics and nuclear science in Taiwan, he was trained at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.
Mr. Haseen-Yayi said that although Taipei said that its nuclear research was being conducted for peaceful purposes, the students sent to the US knew that their real goal was to learn to make nuclear weapons.
He said, “We were excited in a way and were trying to work. Whatever we did was focused on what he had assigned to us;
He claimed that he received a call from the CIA during training in 1969 or 1970, but he was not aware of him till much later. The caller invited him for lunch and said he was interested in the nuclear power sector. However, Mr. Haseen-Yay initially showed no interest, as he focused on his mission.
He agreed to speak when CIA officials re -approached him during a visit to the United States in 1980.
Mr. Haseen-Yay explained that the Americans tested them very well to confirm that he was not working for both sides. He informed him that he already knew who he was and was interested in him.
After these initial conversations, Mr. Hasin-Yay began to help the CIA with various small tasks, and in 1984, he officially became the CIA informer.
In January 1988, after alerting the US about Taiwan’s plans, the CIA left Mr. Haseen-Yay, his wife and three children in his country. Till then the US administration had enough evidence to cooperate with the Taiwan government and pressurize its nuclear ambitions.
Mr. Haseen-Yay, who was declared desired in Taiwan at that time, never returned home, because he was not sure how the country would get him.
