China has been steadily stepping up fighter plane patrols in the Taiwan Strait, according to the Ministry of National Defense?? (MND) annual national defense report released yesterday.
The report said that while Chinese fighters patrolling the Strait made about 400 sorties per year before 1998, there were 1,500 sorties in 2001 and 1,700 in 2005.
The figures have averaged between 1,300 and 1,700 since 2005, indicating a more aggressive posture, the report said.
TERRITORIAL WATERS
In addition, Chinese research vessels have intruded into Taiwan?? waters more than 20 times in the past three years, it said.
The research vessels are believed to be mapping the undersea geography of Taiwan?? and Japan?? territorial waters for use by China?? submarine force, the report said.
The latest figures show that China has around 1,300 ballistic and cruise missiles targeted at Taiwan, and is adding 75 to 100 missiles per year.
The report said China?? ballistic missiles posed the biggest threat to national security.
China has about 700 fighter jets of various types, with its most advanced Su-series fighter jets deployed in bases in southeast China, the report said.
It added that these jets would form the main force should there be a conflict between China and Taiwan.
MISSILES
The report said China procured S-300 series air defense missiles from Russia, and had proposed procuring more advanced air-defense missile systems from Russia.
The deployments of Russian Kilo-class submarines and Sovremenny-class destroyers pose a serious threat to stability in the strait, the report said.
The report added that China?? military strategy toward Taiwan was ??o use force to deter Taiwanese independence.??
This would be done by launching blockades of Taiwan?? outlying islands and sea lanes or launching a full-scale missile attack against Taiwan.
US AID
Beijing is focusing on developing long-range missiles ??o strike at US bases and battle carrier groups stationed in the Asia-Pacific ... so as to block the US from coming to the rescue of Taiwan should war break out in the Taiwan Strait,??the report said.
??lthough the Chinese communists have claimed they would like to solve the Taiwan issue in a peaceful manner, they have asked their forces to step up preparation for military struggle against Taiwan,??it said.
China believes that ??f it employs military actions against Taiwan, foreign intervention would be its greatest concern, with the United States being the most significant foreign power,??the report said.
STAY AWAY: An official said people should avoid disturbing snakes, as most do not actively attack humans, but would react defensively if threatened Taitung County authorities yesterday urged the public to stay vigilant and avoid disturbing snakes in the wild, following five reported snakebite cases in the county so far this year. Taitung County Fire Department secretary Lin Chien-cheng (林建誠) said two of the cases were in Donghe Township (東河) and involved the Taiwan habus, one person was bit by a Chinese pit viper near the South Link Railway and the remaining two were caused by unidentified snakes. He advised residents near fields to be cautious of snakes hiding in shady indoor areas, especially when entering or leaving their homes at night. In case of a
A tropical disturbance off the southeastern coast of the Philippines might become the first typhoon of the western Pacific typhoon season, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The system lacks a visible center and how it would develop is only likely to become clear on Sunday or Monday, the CWA said, adding that it was not yet possible to forecast the potential typhoon's effect on Taiwan. The American Meteorological Society defines a tropical disturbance as a system made up of showers and thunderstorms that lasts for at least 24 hours and does not have closed wind circulation.
ENERGY RESILIENCE: Although Alaska is open for investments, Taiwan is sourcing its gas from the Middle East, and the sea routes carry risks, Ho Cheng-hui said US government officials’ high-profile reception of a Taiwanese representative at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference indicated the emergence of an Indo-Pacific energy resilience alliance, an academic said. Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安) attended the conference in Alaska on Thursday last week at the invitation of the US government. Pan visited oil and gas facilities with senior US officials, including US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and US Senator Daniel Sullivan. Pan attending the conference on behalf of President William Lai (賴清德) shows a significant elevation in diplomatic representation,
Credit departments of farmers’ and fishers’ associations blocked a total of more than NT$180 million (US$6.01 million) from being lost to scams last year, National Police Agency (NPA) data showed. The Agricultural Finance Agency (AFA) said last week that staff of farmers’ and fishers’ associations’ credit departments are required to implement fraud prevention measures when they serve clients at the counter. They would ask clients about personal financial management activities whenever they suspect there might be a fraud situation, and would immediately report the incident to local authorities, which would send police officers to the site to help, it said. NPA data showed
RSS