Taiwan says it is under threat from 1,300 Chinese missiles

Oct 20, 2009, 6:34 GMT

   Taipei - Taiwan said Tuesday that China has deployed at least 1,300 missiles at its coastal military bases that are targeting the island despite warming cross-strait relations.

   'Some 1,300 in various types, including short-range ballistic and cruise missiles, have been deployed by the Communist forces at their Nanjing and Guangzhou military bases, targeting Taiwan,' Taiwan's military said in its annual defence policy white paper.

   It said China has been mass-producing and improving the quality and accuracy of these missiles in striking Taiwan, making it necessary for the island to maintain an elite defence force to curtail any possible attack from the mainland.

   Taiwan and China split at the end of a civil war in 1949, but Beijing still considers the island an integral part of China that must be brought back to its fold, if necessary by force.

   Once-sour cross-strait relations have improved since China-friendly President Ma Ying-jeou took office in May 2008 and adopted a policy of engaging Beijing.

   But Taiwan's military said that before China ends its hostility against Taiwan, builds a mutual military trust mechanism and signs a peace pact with the island, it would be risky for the island to slacken its development of defensive power or its arms acquisition and development policy.

   Speaking at a news conference in Taipei Tuesday on the release of the defence policy paper, the director of the Military Planning Office, Lieutenant General Lee Hsi-ming, said for China to remove or dismantle the missiles targeting the island, the two sides would need to establish a military trust mechanism.

   Asked whether Taiwan has started talking with China on the establishment of such a mechanism, he said: 'There is no timetable yet.'

   But the military has been conducting studies and surveys in this area to prepare for future talks, he said.