Man Accused of Stealing F-16 Info for China
TAIWAN - A retired Boeing engineer accused of stealing classified information from the U.S. government has been arrested in Taiwan, a newspaper reported Wednesday.
Howard Hsu, 57, is accused of spying for the People's Republic of China by hacking into a U.S. government Web site and stealing classified information on the F-16's night-combat systems, our newspaper partner the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported based on information from Taiwan's official news service.
Hsu is also accused of having obtained information on the fighter jet's command and control-data links, the newspaper said.
Taiwan has at least 150 F-16s.
Hsu, also known as Hsu Hsi-tse, was arrested Aug. 5 after arriving at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport on a flight from Los Angeles.
He and two others were being held on charges of espionage and treason, according to the government news agency. Hsu has reportedly not been allowed to contact family or friends since his arrest.
Hsu, a widower and the father of two grown children, worked for Boeing in the Seattle area and retired in 1995, a company spokesman said. Boeing did not disclose what work Hsu did for the company.
Many in the Chinese American community, who know Hsu as a friend and contributor to charitable causes, were shocked by the accusations.
"Most people are very surprised. He's a regular member of the community," said Bellevue City Councilman Conrad Lee.
Hsu was traveling with friends and had planned a vacation in Taiwan, said friend Lo-yu Sun, who owns China Harbor Restaurant in Seattle. The two men met when Hsu attended community banquets at Sun's restaurant. Their wives also were friends and active in the Seattle Chinese Women's Club.
"He's very generous in the community. This news is a big shock. There's no proof now," Sun said. "We want to know when they will let him go out. He's an American citizen."
Lee, who has known Hsu for about 15 years, said Hsu opened a consulting business after retiring from Boeing, and often traveled to China and Taiwan.
http://www.komotv.com/stories/26737.htm
TAIWAN - A retired Boeing engineer accused of stealing classified information from the U.S. government has been arrested in Taiwan, a newspaper reported Wednesday.
Howard Hsu, 57, is accused of spying for the People's Republic of China by hacking into a U.S. government Web site and stealing classified information on the F-16's night-combat systems, our newspaper partner the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported based on information from Taiwan's official news service.
Hsu is also accused of having obtained information on the fighter jet's command and control-data links, the newspaper said.
Taiwan has at least 150 F-16s.
Hsu, also known as Hsu Hsi-tse, was arrested Aug. 5 after arriving at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport on a flight from Los Angeles.
He and two others were being held on charges of espionage and treason, according to the government news agency. Hsu has reportedly not been allowed to contact family or friends since his arrest.
Hsu, a widower and the father of two grown children, worked for Boeing in the Seattle area and retired in 1995, a company spokesman said. Boeing did not disclose what work Hsu did for the company.
Many in the Chinese American community, who know Hsu as a friend and contributor to charitable causes, were shocked by the accusations.
"Most people are very surprised. He's a regular member of the community," said Bellevue City Councilman Conrad Lee.
Hsu was traveling with friends and had planned a vacation in Taiwan, said friend Lo-yu Sun, who owns China Harbor Restaurant in Seattle. The two men met when Hsu attended community banquets at Sun's restaurant. Their wives also were friends and active in the Seattle Chinese Women's Club.
"He's very generous in the community. This news is a big shock. There's no proof now," Sun said. "We want to know when they will let him go out. He's an American citizen."
Lee, who has known Hsu for about 15 years, said Hsu opened a consulting business after retiring from Boeing, and often traveled to China and Taiwan.
http://www.komotv.com/stories/26737.htm