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PRC missiles impeding relations: MND

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday that any hope of implementing cross-strait military confidence-building measures were being hampered by China's refusal to withdraw or destroy missiles aimed at Taiwan.

“This issue is complicated,” Vice Admiral Lee Hsi-ming, director of the ministry's Military Strategy Planning Department, told a press conference in Taipei to mark the release of its biennial defense policy paper.

The removal of the missiles and confidence-building measures are key parts of President Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) cross-strait strategy for improving relations with a view to eventually signing a peace agreement.

Asked whether Taiwan has started talking with China on the establishment of such a mechanism, he said: “There is no timetable yet.”

However, the military has been conducting studies and surveys in this area to prepare for future talks, he said, including establishing a hot line between Taipei and Beijing and signing a pact to limit the deployment of military personnel and equipment against each other.

“We have not been able to make progress because China has not given up ... the notion of using force against Taiwan,” the ministry said, adding that China had continued to hold exercises aimed at preparing its troops to invade Taiwan.

“China has increased the frequency of its military exercises to pressure us since October 2008, when the US government announced the sale of an arms package to us,” the report said.

China has deployed at least 1,300 missiles at coastal military bases targeting Taiwan, “including short-range ballistic and cruise missiles ... by the Communist forces at their Nanjing and Guangzhou military bases,” it added.

Asked whether the ministry was up to date on the exact number of Chinese missiles, Intelligence Department Deputy Director Kao Chung-bang (高中邦) said it was classified information.

“The MND is fully aware of the latest situation, but we cannot make detailed information public,” Kao said.

Kao said Chinese missiles were also a major threat and concern for the US and Japan as the Chinese military continued to upgrade and develop new ones.

The Chinese air force also has more than 700 fighters based within 1,000km of Taiwan, the report said.

It said some of the fighters are equipped with airborne refueling facilities that can be used to extend their combat duration.

China's navy has been boosted by the introduction of nuclear-powered attack submarines and major combat vehicles armed with medium-range ballistic missiles capable of striking moving targets at sea.

“The purpose is to deter or delay foreign aircraft carriers coming to the rescue of Taiwan should war break out in the Strait,” it said.

While the report did not identify this “foreign force,” the only nation likely to send carriers to Taiwan in a war scenario is the US.

Meanwhile, the ministry denied a report by the military periodical Defense News that a submarine procurement team based in Washington could be disbanded as chances of Taiwan procuring submarines has diminished.

“I hereby clarify that the team remains functional and we have no intention of disbanding it anytime soon,” ministry spokesman Major General Yu Sy-tue (虞思祖) said.




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