Jiang Zemin`s Presidential Plane Was Found to Be Bugged

The Washington Post (WP) and the British Financial Times (FT) reported that 27 high tech listening devices were found in the Presidential plane of Chinese President Jiang Zemin, which is a Boeing 767 manufactured in the U.S., causing turbulent waves for China-U.S. relations.

WP reported that the intelligence agency of the General Staff Office of the Chinese Military found those devices a few days before President Jiang departed for the APEC meeting in Shanghai in October last year.

FT reported that the Chinese intelligence team detected strange jamming noises and finally found the bugs in the Presidential rooms of the plane during a test operation of the Presidential plane right after it had received the plane from the U.S. in September last year.

The newspaper also reported that "The bugs that could be operated by satellite were hidden in the bedside of the President`s room and the bathroom. President Jiang was outraged by the report."

However, both intelligence agencies of China and the U.S. are keeping silent about the matter while the identity of those who planted the listening devices in the plane were not disclosed

Taylor Gross, a White House spokesperson, said, "We never discuss these kinds of allegations."

The two newspapers reported that China has avoided any official comment on this matter while it had investigated 22 related persons in the Chinese United Aviation (CUA) and Chinese Aviation Supply Corporation (CASC).

However, the newspapers anticipated that the incidents will not seriously affect the relationship between the two nations even though the incident, which popped up right before Jiang`s visit to the U.S. to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first summit talk between the two nations in February 1972, is shaking both sides.

Eun-Taek Hong euntack@donga.com