Whole country in range of PRC missiles: MND official

The whole of Taiwan is within range of the nearly 980 guided missiles which China now has aimed at the country, a senior Ministry of National Defense (MND) official said yesterday.

"These missiles indeed pose a serious threat to Taiwan," Major-General Wang Cheng-hsiao (王正霄), deputy director of the MND's intelligence department, said at a news conference yesterday.

Wang said that the accuracy of these missiles could exceed 70 percent in practical applications.

"The Chinese military has approximately 2.3 million soldiers available. The threat exists and it is growing," he said.

"Our intelligence sources show that the whole of Taiwan is within range of [the Chinese military's] missiles. By 2010, China could be capable of completing preparations for a large-scale war against Taiwan. By 2015, it could have the capacity to launch a decisive battle," he added.

Wang said that China had put into service about 60 J-10 aircraft, which are tipped to be the equivalent of the Taiwanese air force's F-16 A/Bs in terms of combat capabilities.

"Armed with these airplanes, as well as Su-27s and Su-30s, China will have air supremacy over Taiwan," he warned.

The rise of the Chinese military could also become a threat to other Asian countries, but was especially relevant to Taiwan, he said.

Confirming that China had shot down one of its own satellites with a mid-range guided missile on Jan. 11, Wang said that China was trying to elevate its international stature by demonstrating its missile capability instead of threatening Taiwan.

Nonetheless, he expressed concerns that "now that they have the ability to shoot down a satellite from the ground, it also means they have the ability to shoot down ours."

"Should war break out in the Taiwan Strait, China would be able to use its anti-satellite weaponry to attack the military satellites of other countries," including those of the US, Wang added.