Dear Jack, Taiwan has never been apart from China. Your interpretation is total nonsense. If China wants Taiwan to return under the threat of weapons, it has already done that before you were born. All we want is a peaceful and safe return of Taiwan, without any interference by the U.S or other nations.

AChinese, Sydney,

The article doesnt suggest China is the only spying nation, of course most countries have spies. The real significance of the story is what was being spied upon - naval weapons systems. China is a nuclear power but no sane regime is going to use them. China has major corruption and human rights problems but is not insane but a cold calculating dictatorship taking "baby steps" towards a more open society. But it has aims to be "the super power" in Asia. Japan is an "arch enemy" and Taiwan has long been on the menu. It is not going to conquer these with nuclear weapons; it must use conventional weapons. It must oppose the US Naval Fleets. My interpretation of this it further supports that China has as an option a naval war with the USA in the Asian region as a result of its future expansion plans in the region, especially Taiwan and Japan (an old enemy and one of the worlds largest economies). Hopefully it will use econmic clout instead but its current leaders are ruthless.

Jack Sprat, Bristol, UK

What is Frank of Halifax whinging about? There is nothing 'racist' in Messrs. O'Looney's or Hunt's comments. Their objections are to nothing more than the retrograde PRC *regime.* Indeed Mr. Hunt's comment actually entails the *contrary* of racism, as he accuses the PRC regime of human rights violations, apparently counting citizens of that nation as human beings

Maynard, NY/Oxford, US/UK

Frank, you really need to chill out. How is it racist to raise legitimate questions of intent, and describe real facts on the ground in China? Thats a typical socialist response to those who view things differently from themselves. Attitudes liek that just stifle opinion and choice. Rather like life in China in fact. Maybe you should move there if thats how you like you're world. And do you really believe they were framed? If you do you have lost all sense of objectivity.

NICK, Edinburgh, UK

Welcome to the real world. All states spy on each other and have done since the beginning of time.

China is a rising power and will, one way or another, develop these abilities anyway - and unlike the soviet union they will have the economy to back it all up.

All this ideological anti China rubbish that is being posted only gives the Chinese extra impetus to increase their defensive capabilities. It seems people don't want to see China do well - unless of course it is muzzled and heavily sedated.

MXR, uk,

O'Looney is what his name suggests and Brian Hunt is just as racist.
Are you going to publish all these racist comments?
Do you think that Americans and Britons and Australians and Canadians are not spying?

Frank, Halifax, UK

Watch the racists crawl out of the woodwork. Who can prove that the Chinese was not framed?

Frank, Halifax, UK

What news about this ? Surly by now the authorities must know that they are dealing with a communist regime that is totally corrupt,and laughs up it's sleeve at a gullible west blinded by profit.

Terence Shanahan, Manchester, Lancs

The war in military affairs & politics has never stoped. Spies are everywhere, not only in the U.S., but also in China. It has become a new form of exchanging resource. The sentence of Chinese spies doesn't mean China is the only origin of spies.

AChinese, Sydney, 2200

may china being the stronger in technology in recent coming years so they have economic pwer and their growth moving up sharply but the spying is very strange for china what they want after they reached the moon and have atomic arms and international respect through their veto in security council

OMERMUKHTAR, khartoum, sudan

Since the transformation of the Soviet Union into a freer type of political state, I feel that the world in general lives in the belief that the Cold War days and the mentality that went with them are a thing of the past.

However the most populous communist state in the world is still alive and well. As it has proved so profitable for western companies to produce in China , where trade unions and workers rights are practically non existent, not to mention basic human rights, western nations have chosen to ignore the fact that China conducts it's political affairs in a manner very much atune to its communist origins and history. As China attempts to increase its power both in economic and military terms, it is clear that only through the theft of military and other secrets and technology can China "catch up" with the western powers after so many years of economic stagnation under the former communist rulers. So the fact that Chinese espionage is alive shold be quite obvious!

O'Looney, Bucharest, Rumania

So cold war is stil alive and kicking.
An all thise under the cover of a friendly "chinese inscrutable smile".

jurek, Rowlands Castle , Hants

Mr. Chi Mak and his family have been living in a liberal democracy and have therefore experienced a life without tyranny. Despite this they sought to destroy the US on behalf of Communist China, a barbaric regime that has no respect for human rights. Who knows how many people have already been kill as a result of Mr. Chi Mak and his relatives activities against the US? A jail sentence of 45 years for Mr. Chi isn’t long enough.

Brian Hunt, Hamilton, Canada