Minister of National Defense Tang Yao-ming (湯曜明) confirmed yesterday at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan's National Defense Committee that the Ministry of National Defense (MND) has issued a position paper on its anti-missile forces build-up plan in preparation for Taiwan's first-ever referendum.
People First Party (PFP) Legislator Nelson Ku (顧崇廉) said the ministry has been working on an anti-missile battery deployment plan since 1997 and will begin to implement a Patriot anti-missile battery procurement project in 2005.
The ministry's position paper makes it clear, Ku said, that no matter what the results of the March 20 referendum will be, its plan to purchase advanced anti-missile weaponry systems will not be affected.
"Against this backdrop, do we really need to hold a referendum alongside the March 20 presidential election?" Ku asked.
Tang did not answer Ku's question directly, saying only that the ministry has explained its stance "based on professionalism." Tang also refrained from revealing to whom copies of the position paper have been distributed.
The MND position paper points out that China's missile threat has existed for a long time and that China has so far refused to renounce the option of using force against Taiwan.
According to the position paper, China now has more than 100 strategic ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads that can strike any country in the world. In the future, the position paper says, China's strategic missiles, which are of various configurations and types, including Dongfeng 3, 4, 5, 5A, 21, 21A and 31, will be able to be fired from anywhere at sea, around the globe.
In addition, the position paper says, China has deployed about 500 tactical ballistic missiles of four types -- Dongfeng 11, 11A, 15 and 15A -- along its southeastern coast opposite Taiwan.
Each tactical missile is armed with multiple high-explosive warheads.
These tactical missiles can not only strike any area of Taiwan, but can also reach major US military bases in South Korea, Okinawa and elsewhere in Japan.
Noting that China's annual tactical missile output ranges between 50 and 75 units, the position paper predicts that the number of tactical missiles deployed in coastal Chinese provinces will exceed 600 by 2005.
The position paper further says that China's tactical missiles are mobile and tightly guarded and require only a short preparation time prior to launch. Their accuracy rate has been greatly increased with the installation of satellite positioning systems.
In the face of the intensified missile build-up, the position paper says, Taiwan has to beef up its anti-missile defense capabilities.
Tang also said Taiwan will not be able to push through a US$15 billion special budget to buy advanced US weaponry before next month's presidential election.
The special budget would help pay for submarines, air-defense vessels, submarine-hunting aircraft and anti-missile systems that US President George W. Bush promised to sell to Taiwan three years ago.
"There are proper procedures for arms purchases," Tang said. "The NT$500 billion (US$15.1 billion) special budget will not be ready to be submitted before the presidential election."
A local newspaper yesterday reported that the ministry would finish drafting the budget and submit it to the Cabinet on March 18.
Taiwan officials said in August that the US$15 billion special budget would pay for eight diesel-engine submarines, four Kidd-class destroyers, 12 P-3C Orion aircraft and anti-missile Patriot PAC-3 systems.
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