The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has reportedly deployed advanced hypersonic missiles along China’s southeast coast, which Taiwan’s missile defense system might have difficulty intercepting, an analyst said yesterday.
Citing an unnamed military source, the South China Morning Post said that the missile bases on the coasts of China’s Fujian and Zhejiang provinces have been upgraded and are stocked with DF-17 missiles, equipped with hypersonic glide vehicles.
“The DF-17 hypersonic missile will gradually replace the old DF-11s and DF-15s that were deployed in the southeast region for decades,” said the source, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic. “The new missile has a longer range and is able to hit targets more accurately.”
Photo: EPA-EFE
Although the accuracy of the DF-17 in combat remains unknown, the missiles’ ability to travel at hypersonic speeds and quickly change course could make intercepting them difficult with Taiwan’s Patriot Advanced Capability-3 surface-to-air missile system, military analyst Erich Shih (施孝瑋) said.
The DF-17 missiles are designed to replace China’s aging short-range ballistic missile systems, Shih said.
Videos released by the PLA demonstrating the DF-11 missiles might have been part of efforts to push forward the replacement, he said.
However, the PLA is unlikely to completely retire its DF-15 systems, as it is unlikely to have produced many DF-17 rockets, he added.
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday said it was actively monitoring PLA deployments and troop movements, and that it is fully capable of responding to the developments.
The ministry has been in talks with the US about purchasing upgraded missile systems, including the Boeing-made AGM-84 standoff land attack missile-expanded response system, to increase the range of its defense perimeter, sources said.
The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology has developed the Hsiung Feng IIE surface-to-surface cruise missile system, and although exact details about it remain classified, it is believed to have a range of more than 1,000km, they said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) — who is also the convener of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee — said that the estimated 2,000km-range DF-17 is likely intended to be used against “other countries,” who would come to Taiwan’s defense in the event of a conflict.
While the situation should be monitored, it is not necessary to overstate China’s capabilities, he said.
If Beijing hoped to attack Taiwan, the PLA would need to rely on its air and land-based forces, he said, adding that invading Taiwan was likely still beyond its capabilities.
If the DF-17 is targeted at Japan, the US or other countries in the region, China could be seen as a troublemaker, and several countries could align to contain it, he said.
Additional reporting by CNA
TRAFFIC SAFETY RULES: A positive result in a drug test would result in a two-year license suspension for the driver and vehicle, and a fine of up to NT$180,000 The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to authorize police to conduct roadside saliva tests by the end of the year to deter people from driving while under the influence of narcotics, it said yesterday. The ministry last month unveiled a draft of amended regulations governing traffic safety rules and penalties, which included provisions empowering police to conduct mandatory saliva tests on drivers. While currently rules authorize police to use oral fluid testing kits for signs of drug use, they do not establish penalties for noncompliance or operating procedures for officers to follow, the ministry said. The proposed changes to the regulations require
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
Taiwanese officials are courting podcasters and influencers aligned with US President Donald Trump as they grow more worried the US leader could undermine Taiwanese interests in talks with China, people familiar with the matter said. Trump has said Taiwan would likely be on the agenda when he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) next week in a bid to resolve persistent trade tensions. China has asked the White House to officially declare it “opposes” Taiwanese independence, Bloomberg reported last month, a concession that would mark a major diplomatic win for Beijing. President William Lai (賴清德) and his top officials
The German city of Hamburg on Oct. 14 named a bridge “Kaohsiung-Brucke” after the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung. The footbridge, formerly known as F566, is to the east of the Speicherstadt, the world’s largest warehouse district, and connects the Dar-es-Salaam-Platz to the Brooktorpromenade near the Port of Hamburg on the Elbe River. Timo Fischer, a Free Democratic Party member of the Hamburg-Mitte District Assembly, in May last year proposed the name change with support from members of the Social Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Union. Kaohsiung and Hamburg in 1999 inked a sister city agreement, but despite more than a quarter-century of
RSS