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Defense ministry rejects missile deployment story

The Ministry of National Defense spokesman yesterday referred to a media report claiming that locally-built cruise missiles have secretly begun to be deployed on the island as a "sheer fabrication"

Ministry spokesman Liu Chih-chian (劉志堅) said that the ministry does not comment on fabricated reports.

The government has begun deploying home-made cruise missiles on mobile launchers that are capable of hitting major military targets in southeast China, a Chinese-language newspaper reported in Taipei yesterday.

The daily said the Hsiung Feng missiles, which have a range of 1,000km, were deployed nationwide by the ministry's new missile command.

The missiles, which cost about NT$100 million (US$3.13 million) each, were developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, the daily said.

The military-run institute was also developing cruise missiles with a range of 2,000km.

The newspaper said President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) had inspected the missile command and witnessed a mock launch of the cruise missiles.

Taiwan reportedly successfully test-fired its first cruise missile earlier this year, which flew more than 500km before hitting its target.

The Pentagon released a report last month that warned that Beijing had deployed up to 730 ballistic missiles targeting Taiwan.

The report said Beijing's defense build-up could tip the military balance against Taiwan and pose a credible threat to other countries in the region.

In a bid to beef up defense capabilities, the Cabinet has approved a revised arms deal worth some US$15.5 billion for weapons from the US. Critics said the budget could further provoke China and heighten cross-strait tensions.
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