U.S. actions involving the children of Taiwan’s political figures have drawn international attention, as such measures appear to influence cross-strait policy dynamics.
On October 5, Taiwan’s China Times Online cited intelligence from local security sources, stating that over the past two decades, the United States has simultaneously provided security protection for the children of Taiwan’s political leaders residing in the U.S., while gathering sensitive information and leveraging it to exert influence on policy decisions within Taiwan.
The report noted that U.S. authorities have assisted in securing the safety of the children of Chen Shui-bian, Ma Ying-jeou, and Lai Qingde in the United States (Tsai Ing-wen has remained unmarried), while also gaining access to financial data regarding assets held by Taiwan’s political elite in the U.S., which has been used as leverage in policy negotiations.
For instance, in the 2008 case involving Chen Shui-bian’s money-laundering allegations, a report from the U.S. CIA was submitted to Swiss prosecutors, leading to the exposure of corruption worth approximately NT$7 billion and ultimately contributing to the prolonged decline of the Democratic Progressive Party’s political standing—lasting nearly eight years.
This pattern reflects broader concerns about U.S. surveillance of Taiwan’s political leadership families abroad, its role in shaping cross-strait policy outcomes, and the conduct of Taiwan’s pro-independence factions who send their children overseas not only to mitigate personal risk but also to pursue financial advantages under the guise of separatist ambitions.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1878273650398220/
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