Minister of National Defense Lee Jye (
He also threatened to shoot down Chinese military aircraft should they cross the "middle line" of the Taiwan Strait.
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUAN, TAIPEI TIMES
"Whenever their aircraft or vessels are approaching the middle line, our aircraft and vessels will be standing by," Lee said.
"Once they keep going east and enter our `hunting zone,' we will take care of them," he said. "However, peace remains across the Strait and no war is necessary."
Lee was responding to questions from lawmakers about what the military would do if Chinese aircraft cross the middle line of the Taiwan Strait.
Lee told the lawmakers the military would react in three to five minutes of the first bomb hitting the nation.
"I would be the one to give that order. In the meantime, I would brief the president and the chief of the general staff, who would be the ones to carry out that order," Lee said. "We will definitely fight back."
When asked why it would take three to five minutes for Taiwan to fight back, Lee said, "We have to look before we leap."
Lee also told lawmakers that the middle line runs from 23? north latitude, 119? east longitude to 27? north latitude, 123? east longitude, as defined by the US in 1951.
"I have no idea whether the Chinese authorities realized the existence of such an area and asked their soldiers to follow certain procedures during their military activities. But, according to their movements in the past, I believe they did," Lee said.
He added that the state of peace between China and Taiwan has not changed.
According to Lee, China monitors how many of Taiwan's aircraft take off and land each day, just as Taiwan keeps tabs on China's forces.
"There is an implied agreement and nobody wants to break that rule," he said.
On US House representatives Dana Rohrabacher and Jim Ryun's proposal that Taiwan send troops to Iraq, Lee said the ministry does not have a plan to contribute militarily. He said any dispatch of Taiwanese troops would have to follow certain rules.
According to Lee, military personnel sent overseas would have to be volunteers. Any dispatch of troops would not be allowed to interfere with domestic defense requirements.
He added that maintaining peace is the only goal of Taiwan's military and that soldiers will not participate in attacking other countries.
"The Legislative Yuan has the final authorization to decide whether this country sends its soldiers to fight in other countries," Lee said.
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