Taiwan is developing missiles capable of covering a range of up to 1,000km to defend the country against a possible attack, the defense minister said yesterday.
Minister of National Defense Lee Jye's (李傑) comments came just two days after Taiwanese military officials revealed that a computer simulation of a war with China envisioned Taiwan using unidentified missiles to take out Chinese military bases across the 160km-wide Taiwan Strait.
Lee yesterday said the "Tactical Shore-based Missile for Fire Suppression" (TSMFS) is being developed with the US government's approval.
"The TSMFS is a defense missile system," he said. "It can be used against Chinese missile attacks. The US government is well-informed of the plan."
The minister made the remarks in response to lawmakers' questions yesterday morning.
Other than admitting that the maximum range for the "TSMFS" will be 1,000km, Lee said that other details of the missile system remain confidential.
"I have no idea what targets in China the missiles may hit," he said. "Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Yu Shyi-kun once said during his term as premier that our missiles could easily destroy China's Three Gorges Dam, and his comment has seriously made our job a lot more difficult. Please stop speculating."
The minister told lawmakers that China has a superior military force. As such, Taiwan would never challenge China and the TSMFS would only be used for defense.
Taiwanese missile development is a sensitive issue for the US, which provides defensive weaponry but has been reluctant to sell arms that could be used to attack China.
Opposition lawmakers have expressed concern that the US could still pull the plug on the missile program by withholding sophisticated satellite guidance technology from the Taiwanese military.
As for last week's simulated war game, Lee said President Chen Shui-bian (
Regarding recent criticism that the military asked its officers to commit suicide should they be surrounded by enemies during the war game, Lee emphasized that the war game only simulated the worst-case scenario.
"Again, we still have to figure out what we should do when the worst happens. That was not the focus of the war game," Lee said.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force
RSS