China spy drama aims to spook Chen
By CNN Senior China Analyst Willy Wo-Lap Lam
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One of the spy suspects, Lin Chieh-shan, is paraded before local media last week.
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HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- Cross-Straits propaganda warfare over a number of mainland-based "Taiwan spies" has shifted into a higher gear with Beijing allowing family members to visit two of the alleged spooks.
Under special arrangements, Taiwan TV crews were allowed full access to the emotional meeting between detained spies Song Hsiao-lian and Wang Chang-yung with their wives and children.
Song and Wang were two of at least 24 alleged spies -- portrayed as out-of-luck businessmen trying to supplement incomes by freelancing for Taiwan intelligence agencies -- that Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) agents nabbed last month.
Official Chinese media reported MSS anti-espionage personnel were tipped off after Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian had a month earlier given a detailed report on the numbers and locations of the 496 missiles pointed at Taiwan.
While talking to the Taiwan and Hong Kong media, Song, Wang and other arrested "spies" said they had been fooled by Taiwan authorities into collecting military information on the mainland.
And most of them blamed Chen for recklessly blowing their cover.
A political source in Beijing said the leadership of President Hu Jintao wanted to use the publicity on the spies to discredit Chen, who is running for re-election at upcoming presidential polls.
Moreover, the 24 "spies" have been given extraordinarily good treatment, including permission to see relatives and friends from Taiwan.
The source said it was likely a few would be released before the March 20 presidential polls, in which Chen faces a tough challenge from the chairman of the opposition Kuomintang, Lien Chan.
Chen's re-election prospects could be dealt a blow if, upon returning to Taiwan, these released "spies" continue to bad-mouth the president.
At the same time, however, Beijing's cynical use of the "spies" as pawns in a political game against Taiwan has alienated a good proportion of the nearly 500,000 Taiwan businessmen and professionals working in China.
These Taiwan executives and staff have complained that there may be more state-security surveillance over them after the spy episode.
These ill-feelings against Beijing may detract from the Hu leadership's plan to encourage mainland-based businessmen to return to Taiwan to vote on election day.
