File photo of a Hsiung Feng III missile
An optical instrument used for launch measurements for Taiwan's Hsiung-Feng III anti-ship missiles was shipped to its manufacturer in Europe.
It was then sent back to Taiwan from Shandong province in eastern China, Taiwanese media reported.
Last year Beijing intensified military activity around the island.
Comment: In response to US belligerence.
China sees Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to unify to it by force if necessary. Self-ruled Taiwan sees itself as distinct from the mainland.
Comment: Even the US still officially considers Taiwan as part of the Republic of China.
President Tsai Ing-wen has announced new plans to bolster Taiwan's defence in the event of an attack from Beijing, including extending mandatory military service from four months to one year.
In a statement, Taiwanese missile developer the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology said the device had been shipped to Switzerland by the company that had originally supplied it to the Taiwanese military.
From there it was diverted for repair at the manufacturer's Asia maintenance centre in the Chinese city of Qingdao, it said.
The institute said it had removed memory cards before sending it to Europe and had also run information security checks on the device after its return and had no concerns over possible information leaks.
Dr Su Tzu-yun from Taiwan's Institute of Defence Security Research said the optical devices were not direct missile components but said Taiwan had to be more careful anyway.
"Taiwan must be more strict and careful in its contract management," he said. "Of course we would not want such equipment to be sent to China for repair."
The tool, a theodolite, is used to measure precise geographical location for missile launches as well as the angle and direction of the launchers, Dr Su said.
"It's like when you buy a computer, it's a device you put on the desk to go with the machine," he said.
He suggested that the manufacturer had not been aware the devices, purchased by a supplier in Taiwan, had subsequently been used for military purposes.
It is not the first time concerns over the security of Taiwan's missile programme have been raised. Last year, three people at two Taiwanese suppliers were sentenced to between four and 10 years in prison for using products from China to fake missile components supposedly to be made by US manufacturers.
Reader Comments
And the CIA sponsorship of the DPP is no conspicacy theory, but open source knowledge. Only through the "National Endowment for Democracy" obfuscation proxy.
But anyway, the Chinese will have had a good look at it ...
Republic of China is the official name of Taiwan.
If it's made in Taiwan or China it's still cheap shit. Buy American made rope it's the best does the job and won't break under heavy loads can use more than once.
By the way, the quality of that goods is as good as the contractee wants it to be - and is ready to pay for it. While e.g. the Germans feel it is beneath their dignity, you can easily get cheap crap for peanuts from the Chinese.
That is the main difference.
We use to have very well built goods that lasted for a very long time, and yes the corporations were sending manufacturing to Japan mostly the steel industry back in the early 60s, we built their steel factories after we nuked there country and ours were sent to there death beds. Then all the high tech went to China, S. Korea and then to Taiwan. Americas elite destroyed the Unions who kept good wages for workers and quality products, Our unions had a motto "Made in America by Americans" We still have small companies that make products made in America and rope is one of them. Not everything goes to China but I am a critic of shit merchandise that comes from Asia and anywhere else for that matter, Germany makes quality goods one of the best in the world. America will come back if people get tired of the shit that is imported and we start manufacturing are selves to make quality over quantity.
I had been working e.g. in companies that outsourced their production to China, and picked up a lot of other information tidbits along the way. Like high-priced electronics equipment (HP / Agilent oscillosscopes for 20...50k$) are made in China for decades, by a company which sells under the brand name Rigol now.
All sorts or household or consumer electronics, branded with famous US or European names. All sorts of sporting goods, branded with famous US or European names. The list goes on and on.
And the worst thing is, while the Western companies have it produced for 20 to 30 per cent of the price they sell it here in the West, this industrial nothing-burger shows up in the respective GDPs in the very same way. In other words, the impact on GDP in the (importing) Western country is 3 to 4 times as big as in the producing country.
This kind of self-delusion assured so-called "economic experts" in the West they simply could sanction Russia (and in extension China) to death.
All is related ...
I worked union industrial and commercial in chip plants and most all materials were made in the US high purity or from other countries with the same good quality. When hooking up the tools nothing spared but the best that was used for a 5 million to 25 + tool and you had a dozen of them. It was a pleasure working with excellent materials and enjoyable to go to work.
Yes, all is related
But I know other examples. As a passionate archer, I know a bit about this industry, too. The US has a large bowhunting market, both for traditional bows and compounds, and for crossbows (which I include here). You can e.g. safely assume that every "American" crossbow below the 1k$ limit is made in China (actually Taiwan ... ). The same goes for traditional bows, and to some extend to compounds. This insight is actually more than a century old, now euphemistically called "planned obsolescence".
You could research the "Phoebus cartel", for instance. Like here on Wackopedia: [Link]
Not only do such "cartels" partition their market spheres, they also agree on the quality and durability of their goods, worldwide. The light bulb manufacturers only got caught - and got away with a little slap on their wrists ...
I also did some archery hunting back in the late 60s but was lucky enough to have my bow made by an old master bow maker in town, he charged us a dollar per pound 55 lb. bows. Used hard woods from South America an were beautiful bows, mine was stolen years later an just broke my heart, ours were the last ones made before he died he was in his 80s then. You have some amazing history with your archery knowledge, did you also do competition, what a great sport. I watch competitions ( long bows ) on you tube when I get a chance.
I always like older cars and restored a few, one was a 1949 International one ton dully with a Diamond flat head six and a four speed double clutcher, a 1949 Chevy 2 door coup with a 235 and a 3 speed on the column I started driving when I was 10 with my granny. These were made to last a long time. I had a hollanders exchange book about 10" thick, would show what parts would fit different makes and models and years of motor parts and body parts used on a Ford that were used on a Chevy too and other vehicles. I could build a plate to fit a Chevy transmission onto a Ford. If you went to Cuba now they still have older cars from the 40s up through the 50s and some 60s they were built to last for sure but low on parts.
We are the last generation to enjoy what we had, some of the best made products of past years to the cheapest made short life high dollar products on the market unless you're a rich man. It may never change but I still have memories of when it was good and I could fix what was broke myself..or make something to make it better than what it was. I'm to old and broken down for this shit anymore but still trying. I really feel sorry for this generation perhaps they can change it for the good, I tried to wake people up back in the 60s and 70s but no one wanted to hear it.
Old farts who remember that people are not born to be gender-confused, welfare-dependant slackers, who's only variation is in changing focus between smartphone and TV.