The Ministry of National Defense yesterday denied that it has retracted Taiwan's objection to the possible use of nuclear weapons by the US in the Taiwan Strait.
The statements are still accessible to the public on the Cabinet's official Web site.
"The ministry's position on the nuclear arms issue has always been clear. We want the Taiwan Strait to be free of nuclear threats," it said in a press release.
"We do not want to see the use of nuclear weapons to solve disputes in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan has a five no's policy on nuclear arms.
"The policy is that we will not produce, develop, acquire, store or use nuclear weapons of any kind," it said.
The ministry made the clarification yesterday in response to a report by the United Evening News that it has retracted objections to US' plans to use nuclear weapons -- under certain conditions -- to ward off a Chinese attack or an invasion of Taiwan.
The Minister of National Defense Tang Yao-ming (
US contingency plans for the possible use of nuclear weapons in case of conflict between Taiwan and China, though yet to be confirmed, were reported by the Los Angeles Times last month, based on a top secret Pentagon report.
The Pentagon report lists China as one of the seven countries that the US would consider using nuclear weapons against -- under certain conditions, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The report aroused great concern from local politicians, but the ministry did not make an official response to the leaked report until last week.
Last Wednesday, the ministry posted on the official Cabinet Web site a written response on the issue, under the request of KMT lawmaker Chen Chien-ming (陳建民).
The ministry made it clear in the response that it is opposed to any possible use of nuclear weapons in the Taiwan Strait.
"The Ministry of National Defense was extremely cautious in working out the official response on the issue. We will not do something which would make us look foolish," the official said.
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