FILE – Military representatives chat before the closing ceremony of the National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday, March 11, 2024. Chinese state media reported Thursday, June 13, 2024 that a military history buff discovered a collection of classified documents related to the Chinese military in a pile of used paper he bought for less than $1. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guang, File)
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Chinese state media reported Thursday that a military history enthusiast discovered a collection of classified documents related to Taiwan’s military inside a pile of used paper he bought for less than $1.
The Collector, after realising that the documents were sensitive, reported them to security forces.
The report stated only that two people involved in the sale and purchase of second-hand books and magazines were being investigated, without disclosing the contents of the documents or whether any arrests had been made.
The buyer, identified only as a retired man surnamed Zhang, is an avid fan of military history and quickly realised the items contained classified information.
China’s opaque state security apparatus and Communist Party-controlled legal system often make it difficult to discern what constitutes a state secret. Chinese and foreign consultancies operating in China have been subject to investigations by state security agencies for possessing economic information that would be considered part of public records in other countries.
China’s military has grown exponentially in recent years and now boasts the world’s largest navy, an air force equipped with state-of-the-art stealth fighter jets, and a vast missile force that appears aimed at backing China’s claims to the self-ruled island of Taiwan, the South China Sea and disputed islands controlled by Japan, and ultimately driving its arch rival, the United States, out of the region.
In response, the United States has strengthened ties with allies such as Australia, the Philippines, Japan and South Korea, and increased arms sales and military cooperation with Taiwan.
