▁ac quire ▁nuclear ▁technology ▁from ▁abroad ▁( including ▁a ▁research ▁re actor ▁from ▁Canada ▁and ▁low - grade ▁plut on ium ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States ) ▁alleg edly ▁for ▁a ▁civil ian ▁energy ▁system , ▁but ▁in ▁actual ity ▁to ▁develop ▁fuel ▁for ▁nuclear ▁weapons . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁International ▁At omic ▁Energy ▁Agency ▁found ▁evidence ▁of ▁the ▁RO C ' s ▁efforts ▁to ▁produce ▁weapons - grade ▁plut on ium , ▁Tai pe i ▁agreed ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁under ▁U . S . ▁pressure ▁to ▁dis m ant le ▁its ▁nuclear ▁weapons ▁program . ▁The ▁nuclear ▁re actor ▁was ▁soon ▁shut ▁down ▁and ▁the ▁plut on ium ▁mostly ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁ ▁A ▁secret ▁program ▁was ▁revealed ▁when ▁Colonel ▁Ch ang ▁H s ien - yi , ▁deput y ▁director ▁of ▁nuclear ▁research ▁at ▁IN ER ▁who ▁was ▁secret ly ▁working ▁for ▁the ▁C IA , ▁defect ed ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁and ▁produced ▁a ▁cache ▁of ▁inc rimin ating ▁documents . ▁General ▁H au ▁Pe i - ts un ▁claimed ▁that ▁scient ists ▁in ▁Taiwan ▁had ▁already ▁produced ▁a ▁controlled ▁nuclear ▁reaction . ▁Under ▁pressure ▁from ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁the ▁program ▁was ▁halt ed . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 5 – 1 9 9 6 ▁Taiwan ▁Stra it ▁crisis , ▁RO C ▁President ▁Lee ▁T eng - hui ▁proposed ▁to ▁react iv ate ▁the ▁program , ▁but ▁was ▁forced