China has 17 spy satellites that continuously monitor the movements of the US military and which could also be used to guide a "saturated" missile attack on US and Taiwan warships, a Chinese regional daily reported yesterday.
"If the US seeks to intervene militarily into the internal affairs of China and Taiwan, they will find that the entirety of their global movements are seen by Chinese spy satellites," the Sichuan Youth Daily reported, citing a Chinese military expert.
China has the capability to rapidly determine the number and location of American aircraft carriers should Washington decide to send its ships to the region, as it did during a Sino-Taiwanese crisis in 1996, Zhou Guanwu said.
"China has a lot of anti-ship and anti-submarine missiles that can be guided by satellites and adjusted for a saturated attack in local waters," the paper said.
"Enemy troops, either American or Taiwanese, will have difficulty withstanding this," it added.
At the end of 1997, China had a total of 40 domestically-made satellites in orbit of which 17 were spy satellites, the paper said.
Friday's National Day military parade marking 50 years of mainland communist rule showcased a wealth of Chinese missile technology and was seen as an explicit warning to Taiwan to refrain from activities advocating independence.
Beijing has refused to renounce the use of force in reunification with Taiwan.
Last Thursday, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji warned Western businessmen that the US was risking armed conflict in the region by supporting Taiwan.
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