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.