Mar 29, 2010, 14:52 GMT
Taipei - Vice Defence Minister Andrew Yang said Monday that developing medium-range missiles is a 'right direction' for Taiwan, because the military balance of power is tilted towards China.
Yang told parliament that the military should develop medium-range surface-to-surface and cruise missiles to defend the island, but did not confirm or deny whether they were being built.
'Peace through strength is basically the principle of our (defence development), just as the United States is doing the same,' he said.
Ding Shou-chung, parliamentarian of the ruling Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT), had asked if the reported development of the 1,200-kilometre-range surface-to-surface missiles and 800-kilometre-range cruise missiles would trigger international sanctions.
Local media reports said the military would test missiles at the Chiupeng missile base in the southern coastal county of Pingtung in June.
They said the missiles are capable of hitting major cities in China, a political rival of Taiwan since the two sides split at the end of a civil war in 1949.
Although relations between the two sides have improved since Ma Ying-jeou of China-friendly KMT became president in 2008, Beijing has continued to deploy around 1,300 missiles targeting the island.
US Navy Commander Robert Willard told a Senate committee in Washington on Saturday that China has added long-range missiles near Taiwan.
'Beijing remains committed to eventual unification with Taiwan and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve that goal,' he said.
He said continued military advancement has sustained 'a trend of shifting the cross-strait military balance in Beijing's favor.'
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