A Hong Kong-based Chinese-language weekly said in its latest issue that an Indian parliamentarian who had served as India's defense minister had secretly visited Taiwan many times to help Taiwan develop nuclear weapons.The magazine identified the parliamentarian as 77-year-old Shri George Fernandes. Accompanied by his girl friend and staff, Fernandes arrived in Taipei aboard a China Airlines flight in mid-April for visit, the magazine said. He was greeted by officials of the National Security Council and then escorted by them through a secret passage, according to the report.
But Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense reiterated that the country was not involved in the development of nuclear weapons. "We abide by the regulations of the international treaty, and we always uphold our position of no engagement in developing, producing, requiring, storing, and using of nuclear weaponry," said MND spokesman Major General Yu Sy-tue in response to the report.
The report referred to Fernandes as "the pushing hand behind India's nuclear weaponry."
Many senior security officials, including former National Security Council deputy secretaries-general Parris Chang and Antonio Chiang, as well as former Vice Defense Minister Lin Chong-pin, had secretly visited India many times at Fernandes' invitation while he was employed at the Indian defense ministry, the report claimed. The magazine quoted what it described as reliable sources as saying that India is helping Taiwan develop nuclear weapons with assistance provided by Fernandes.
Su Chi, a Taiwan legislator affiliated with the opposition Kuomintang, said in a media interview that a senior official affiliated with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party had revealed to him that Taiwan is developing nuclear weapons. Su said Taiwan is very likely to develop nuclear weapons in the face of growing military threats from China.