China deploys 100 more missiles, Taiwan confirms

China deploys 100 more missiles, Taiwan confirms

TAIPEI (AFP): Taiwan's Defense Minister Tang Fei confirmed on Wednesday reports that China was deploying nearly 100 of its newest short-range missile systems at a base across from the island.

"The information we gathered is close to the reports," Tang told journalists.

"The missiles are apparently aimed at us ... We are keeping a close eye on the development," he said.

The Washington Times reported on Tuesday that China was expanding a missile base at Yangang, some 440 kilometers from Taiwan.

It said construction of the Chinese missile base was photographed by U.S. spy satellites in mid-October.

The paper said China would deploy advanced CSS-7 missiles -- also known as advanced M-11s -- which are capable of carrying several different types of warheads up to about 500 kilometers.

"What we badly need now is to build a low-altitude anti- missile system," Tang said.

China's military lobbed missiles into shipping lanes off Taiwan in 1996 to check what Beijing said was the mounting secessionist sentiment on the island during the first Taiwanese direct presidential elections.

The crisis ended only after Washington sent two carrier groups to waters near the island.

Commenting on the latest report, US State Department Spokesman James Rubin said: "It's fair to say that we have been talking to Taiwan."

"We do discuss with them regularly the ways in which we can meet their legitimate security needs."

In August Tang had announced a low-altitude missile shield program as part of a "national missile defense" project, which he said had mistakenly been seen as part of the U.S.-led Theater Missile Defense system.

Tang said the missile shield project could take 10 years and cost Taiwan up to 300 billion Taiwan dollars (nearly US$9.4 billion).

Taiwan said last week it would put a low-altitude anti-missile system into service in 2005 to counter threats from China.

A research team at the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology told a press conference several breakthroughs had been made in developing an anti-ballistic missile system.

Taiwan bought three batteries of PAC-II missiles, the improved version of the Patriot, from the U.S. in 1993. They are positioned to defend the densely-populated greater Taipei area.

Unconfirmed reports said Taiwan may buy up to six batteries of PAC-III missiles to defend built-up areas in central and southern Taiwan.

Ting Yu-chou, director of the National Security Bureau, told the parliament, said: "Our estimate is the Chinese communists are not likely to use force to intimidate us again during the run-up of the presidential polls" in March.

"But they could still launch some military activities, which are not intended to influence the coming elections but to press the next president to come up with a mainland policy in Beijing's favor," Ting said.

Bilateral ties hit a three-year low in July after President Lee Teng-hui referred to links between Taiwan and the mainland as a "special state-to-state relationship."

China saw the statement as a deviation from its one-China policy, which traditionally had been respected by Washington and Taipei.

Angered Beijing leaders repeated that force was an option in getting Taiwan, which they regard as a breakaway province, to reunite with the "motherland."

Taiwan's defense ministry reported increased sorties by the Chinese air force in the strait immediately after Lee's remarks, and announced its air force would match the maneuvers, sparking concerns in Washington of an accidental clash.

Taiwan and China were split in 1949 at the end of a civil war.