Personally, I don’t have many thoughts on matters with clear facts and penalties; those who deserve punishment should be punished, and it should not be let off lightly. However, recently many people have argued that the focus of this incident is not on Li Qianrong, the photography, or the Apache’s security, but on military discipline.
This argument is actually correct. Rather than Li Qianrong or the Apache being photographed, the key issue is whether the defense nature of the Republic of China’s armed forces has become completely rotten. But the photos taken by Li Qianrong are definitely not something that can be easily dismissed with a “it’s okay” excuse.
Simply put, a single photograph can reveal far more information than you imagine! Moreover, Li Qianrong posted several sets of photos online. To those familiar with military equipment and war games, this is like waving a large, juicy steak in front of a dog.
In the past, intelligence agents who could infiltrate military camps were considered highly skilled; those who could get close to advanced weaponry were among the best; but those who could take numerous photos with spy cameras were one in a million, the pinnacle of skill.
Li Qianrong accomplished this (with 26 people including her helpers).
📷 The Difference Between Promotional Photos and Actual Machines
Someone downloaded a promotional photo of the Apache helicopter from Boeing’s website, claiming that the internal structure was already public information, thus proving that the interior photos Li Qianrong took were completely unimportant.
However, I believe the person who makes such a claim is on par with Li Qianrong in terms of lack of common sense—even if that person is intelligent enough to search for photos online.
Promotional photos are meticulously designed; any unwanted equipment or information is removed. How can you possibly compare promotional photos to actual war machines in use? A simple comparison of these two photos (referring to Li Qianrong’s photo and Boeing’s promotional photo) reveals significant differences in many hardware details.
📡 Intelligence Leaked in Uncontrolled Environments
Regarding this promotional photo, the only details captured are the cabin interior and the brightly lit, beautifully displayed instrument panel. Even ignoring the possibility that the information displayed on the instrument panel might be manipulated, did you see any images outside the cabin?
This is the effect of a photo taken in a controlled environment. In contrast, Li Qianrong’s photo was completely uncontrolled. She completely captured the surrounding configuration of the warehouse—the auxiliary instruments and equipment, the ceiling strength, the size of the hangar, the number of windows in the walls. These are all data that enemy countries could use from satellite reconnaissance photos to deduce which building it is, or even the “actual” parameters for constructing a simulated environment.
Furthermore, on the right side of the first photo, behind Li Qianrong’s right elbow, there’s a device that looks like a communication device, with a piece of paper covered in information pasted on it. While I don’t know what’s written on it, I can imagine that intelligence personnel from some countries have already begun deciphering the information on that paper.
Now, do you still think these photos are completely unimportant?