How a CIA informant stopped Taiwan from developing nuclear weapons

In January 1988, one of Taiwan’s most senior nuclear engineers defected to the United States after passing crucial intelligence on a top-secret program that would alter the course of Taiwan’s history. Colonel Chang Hsien-yi was a leading figure in Taiwan’s nuclear weapons project, a closely guarded secret between the 1960s and ‘80s, as Taipei raced to develop its first nuclear bomb to keep pace with China.

He was also a CIA informant.

Chang exposed Taiwan’s secret nuclear program to the United States, its closest ally, passing intelligence that ultimately led the US to pressure Taiwan into shutting down the program – which proliferation experts say was near completion. While critics say he betrayed his homeland and undermined Taipei’s ability to deter a possible Chinese invasion, Chang told CNN in a rare interview he still believes he made the right call.

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