Wednesday, June 6, 2018 | The Japan Times | 5 world Ex-intelligence official charged U.S. eyes warship passage through Taiwan Strait with trying to Beijing warns U.S. against The U.S. Navy’s only official said, speaking on condition of ano- forward-deployed nymity to describe the U.S. view of Chinese sell China secrets harming ties between aircraft carrier, the activities around Taiwan. USS Ronald Reagan, Separately, it now appears unlikely the the two countries, arrives in the Yoko- United States will send top officials to a June Salt lake City destabilizing region suka naval base in 12 dedication ceremony for the new Ameri- AP Kanagawa Prefec- can Institute in Taiwan, America’s de facto ture after a sched- embassy in Taiwan. Washington does not A former U.S. intelligence officer was charged WaShington uled patrol in have formal ties with Taipei. with attempted espionage for trying to sell reuters December. u.s. nAVY U.S. officials said the date clashes with the secrets to China, the Justice Department planned June 12 summit between Trump and announced Monday. The United States is considering sending North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but added In a 41-page felony complaint, prosecutors a warship through the Taiwan Strait, U.S. there will be another opportunity to commem- claimed Syracuse, Utah, resident Ron Rock- officials said, in what could be seen as a pro- orate the institute’s unveiling in September. well Hansen, 58, was paid up to $800,000 vocative move that comes at a time when Since taking office, Trump has approved a over several years for passing along technol- Sino-U.S. ties are under pressure from trade $1.4 billion arms sale to Taiwan and angered ogy and information about U.S. military and disputes and the North Korean nuclear crisis. Beijing by signing legislation encouraging visits intelligence issues. U.S. officials said that the United States had by senior U.S. officials to Taiwan. Trump also Several years after he left the U.S. gov - already examined plans for an aircraft carrier named John Bolton, known as a strong Taiwan ernment, he allegedly attended trade con- passage once this year but ultimately did not supporter, as his national security adviser. ferences on behalf of China and shared pursue them, perhaps because of concerns The fourth U.S. official said Washington information he gathered with officials con- about upsetting China. aimed to change the way it approaches arms nected to Chinese intelligence. Charging A U.S. warship passage, should it happen, sales requests from Taiwan to address them documents also allege he transferred foren- could be seen in Taiwan as a fresh sign of on a case-by-case basis, as opposed to bun- sic software worth several thousand dollars, support by President Donald Trump after a news broke that the Trump administration the Strait, the last of which was in July 2017. ing to find their way out of a major trade dling them together. in violation of export controls. series of Chinese military drills around the was considering the move. The Pentagon declined comment on dispute that has seen the world’s two eco- Military experts say the balance of power If convicted, he faces life in prison. No self-ruled island. China claims Taiwan as part The last time a U.S. aircraft carrier tran- any potential future operations and it was nomic heavyweights threaten tit-for-tat tar- between Taiwan and China has shifted deci- attorney was listed for Hansen in charging of its territory. sited the Taiwan Strait was in 2007, during unclear how soon a passage might take place. iffs on goods worth up to $150 billion each. sively in China’s favor in recent years, and documents. No phone number was publicly On Tuesday China’s Foreign Ministry said the administration of George W. Bush, and Trump, who broke protocol as president- China has alarmed Taiwan by ramping up China could easily overwhelm the island listed. the United States should properly handle the some U.S. military officials believe a carrier elect by taking a phone call from Taiwan’s presi- military exercises this year, including flying unless U.S. forces came quickly to Taiwan’s aid. According to charging documents, Hansen Taiwan issue, so as to avoid harming two- transit is overdue. dent in 2016, has toned down his rhetoric about bombers and other military aircraft around the The United States is bound by law to provide spent more than 20 years in the U.S. Army way ties and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Another, less provocative option would be Taiwan in recent months as he seeks China’s aid island and sending its carrier through the nar- Taiwan with the means to defend itself, but it including time with the Defense Intelligence Spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the resuming the periodic, but still infrequent, in the nuclear standoff with North Korea. row Taiwan Strait separating it from Taiwan. is unclear whether Washington would want to Agency. He left the military in 2006 but spent comments at a daily news briefing after the passages by other U.S. Navy ships through The United States and China are also try- “They’re turning up the heat,” a fourth U.S. be dragged into war with China over the island. several months as a civilian case officer with the DIA. He then started working at a pair of digital Ground staff prepare forensics companies but repeatedly sought a Qantas Airbus work with the government, according to Qantas Taiwan pressure angers Canberra A380 aircraft for the felony complaint. Among other offers, flight at Sydney he allegedly tried to work as a double agent Despite Taiwan having been governed Australia’s government already adheres to Airport on SyDney Friday. AfP-JiJi against Chinese intelligence. reuters, AfP-JiJi separately for about seven decades, with its the “One China” policy, which means it does The FBI began investigating Hansen in own government and own military, China not recognize Taiwan as a country. 2014. Unaware of that investigation, he alleg- Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on considers the democratic island a renegade However, Bishop said in an emailed state- edly approached the FBI in 2015 and said Tuesday criticized China for pressuring Qan- part of its territory to be brought back into ment that how Qantas structured its website Chinese security officials had offered him tas Airways Ltd. to change its website to refer the fold, by force if necessary. was a matter for the company. $300,000 per year to pass along information to Taiwan as a Chinese territory, in com- In late May, several foreign airlines were “Private companies should be free to con- from U.S. conference and exhibitions. ments likely to ramp up tensions between still listing Taiwan as a country, including duct their usual business operations free from In 2016, Hansen allegedly told an FBI the two countries. Qantas, Australia’s national carrier. political pressure of governments,” she said. informant that he was doing consulting for Qantas said Monday it had decided to com- Qantas CEO Alan Joyce told reporters at an Her comments were later echoed by Dep- China’s Ministry of State Security. ply with a request from Beijing to remove ref- annual meeting of global airlines in Sydney uty Prime Minister Michael McCormack and Prosecutors say the two plotted this year erences on their websites or in other material that “our intention is to meet the require- Defense Minister Marise Payne, who said to sell U.S. plans “regarding potential mili- that suggest Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau ments,” but there were some technical delays. businesses should make their own decisions. tary intervention with China,” and met for are part of countries independent from China. “We have some complexity to work through. Sino-Australian relations have soured in dling” when he announced plans in late Australian lobbying, the row intensified last roughly two hours near the Seattle-Tacoma The Chinese Civil Aviation Administration This is not just a Qantas airline, it’s a Qantas recent months, just two years into a free 2017 to introduce tough new legislation to month when Australia’s Treasury Wine Estates International Airport over the weekend. He sent a notice to 36 foreign airlines in April, Group piece that needs to be adjusted,” Qan- trade pact, after Canberra accused Beijing of limit foreign influence, including a ban on Ltd., the world’s biggest listed winemaker, said was arrested Saturday on his way to the air- asking them to comply with Beijing’s stan- tas International chief Alison Webster added. interfering in its domestic affairs. offshore political donations. it faced delays at Chinese customs and Can- port, where prosecutors say he planned to dards of referring to Taiwan, Hong Kong and She said the carrier had been given an Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull refer- China denied the allegations, and lodged a berra said “four or five” other wine exporters board a flight to China. Macau as Chinese territories. extension to make the changes. enced “disturbing reports of Chinese med- formal diplomatic protest. Despite sustained had since experienced similar problems. Sweden National Day Special Celebrating 150 years of close relations

Magnus Robach sector also accompanied their majesties on both economic and strategic partnership AmbAssAdor of sweden the trip. The level and size of this group illus- agreements. The political and economic sig- trated an interest in engaging more strongly nificance of these agreements, also in view In 2018, Sweden and with Japan in light of the coming EU-Japan of deepening Sweden-Japan relations, were Japan celebrate 150 trade deal. But there is also renewed inter- highlighted by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as years of relations. A est related to Japan’s rising importance as he received their majesties and their delega- great variety of activi- a gateway and partner in the Asian growth tion for a gala dinner at the Akasaka Palace. ties commemorating markets and beyond. In the second half of the anniversary year, this anniversary are Through a Japan-Sweden business sum- focus will shift more to design, art, music taking place in Japan, mit, held at Roppongi Academy Hills in and children’s literature. We’re pleased to as well as in Sweden Tokyo, in cooperation with Japan Asso- welcome the Royal Philharmonic Orches- throughout the year. ciation of Corporate Executives, ways to tra in September. Overall, some 80 concerts Their Majesties reinvent business in a competitive and will take place to cater to fans of chamber King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, with digitalized world were examined. In several music and jazz to heavy metal. The world of representatives of the Swedish govern- breakout sessions, the startup scenes in both children’s book author Astrid Lindgren will ment, visited Japan in April to celebrate this countries were highlighted, as were the lat- be the subject of a unique exhibition, open- anniversary and to reconfirm the warm and est trends in health care, transportation and ing in July at the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum in longstanding relations between the Royal energy. Hachioji. In September, a major retrospec- and Imperial families. About 150 senior rep- The visit was particularly timely as Japan tive of renowned design artist Ingegerd resentatives from the corporate and public and The European Union are about to sign Raman will open at the Crafts Gallery of The Top: King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Emperor Akihito and Empress National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. Michiko at the preview of “The Art of Natural Science in Sweden — Trea- Additionally, Sweden features as a guest sures from Uppsala University” exhibition at the Intermediatheque country at the “DesignArt” festival, which museum in Tokyo on April 23. Above: The king and the queen pose with takes place in Tokyo’s Omotesando and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and first lady Akie Abe at the Akasaka Palace in Aoyama districts, in October. To learn more Tokyo on April 25. AlexAnder mAhmoud / sAid KArlsson about these and other events, please visit the anniversary website, swedenjapan150.jp. Today, as we are celebrating Swedish National Day, I encourage everyone, Swed- ish and Japanese, who have been part of this exchange in any way, to celebrate the curios- ity, openness and respect that have brought our two nations this close. I am certain that this bond will grow even stronger and that our exchange will bring more economic, sci- entific and cultural prosperity to both our Gadelius Holding Ltd. nations. Aoyama Yasuda Bldg. 4F 7-1-1, Akasaka, Minato-ku, This content was compiled in collaboration Tokyo 107-0052 Princess Takamado (left), King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia visit an elderly care center in Tel: 03 5414 8751 Fax: 03 5414 8754 Kamakura on April 25. A robot that assists the elderly was introduced at the center as part of a with the embassy. The views expressed here do www.gadelius.com community project dubbed Kamakura Living Lab. sAid KArlsson not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.

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