Taiwan Objects To Use Of US Nuclear Weapons Against China

NUKEWARS

Taiwan To Arm With Home Made SAMs Against Chinese Air Attack
Taipei (AFP) Apr 02, 2002 - Taiwan will deploy a locally developed air defense system to protect its airports, harbours and bunkers against any air attacks from rival China, it was reported Saturday.

Sources from Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, the development unit of the "Antelope" air defense system, said they have received firm orders from both the army and the air force, according to the Liberty Times.

"Antelope" comprises a high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle and four Tien Chien I surface-to-air missiles (SAM), which have a range of four kilometers (2.4 miles).

Chungshan researchers were proud of "Antelope", insisting it could match the US-made "Avenger" which has gone into service of Taiwanese army.

Beijing has repeatedly threatened to invade Taiwan should the island declare formal independence. Taiwan and China split in 1949 at the end of a civil war.

Taipei - Mar 31, 2002
Taiwan has said for the first time it opposes any use of nuclear weapons by the United States against China, a newspaper quoted a military report as saying Sunday.

The defense ministry warned that the use of nuclear weapons in settling the Taipei-Beijing sovereignty dispute would destabilise ties between Taiwan, China and the United States, the United Evening News quoted a defense ministry's written reply to a parliamentary question as saying.

The US plan, if realised, "would give the Chinese communist hardliners a pretext to adopt a tougher line" in solving any dispute the ministry said.

The defense ministry reiterated Taipei's efforts to make the Taiwan Strait a non-nuclear area which it said would be in the interests of the entire Asia Pacific region.

The Los Angeles Times said earlir this month it had obtained a classified Pentagon report revealing the military had been asked to draft plans to use nuclear weapons against China, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Russia and Syria.

The Pentagon report detailed three scenarios about when the weapons could be used: against targets able to withstand non-nuclear attacks, in retaliation for an attack with nuclear, biological or chemical weapons and "in the event of surprising military developments."

It said one of those contingencies was a military confrontation between China and Taiwan.

Beijing responded to the revelation by saying it was "shocked" at the leaked report saying it revealed a "Cold War mentality" was still alive in Washington.

Beijing regards Taiwan as part of its territory to eventually be reclaimed, by force if necessary.

All rights reserved. © 2002 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse. Related Links
SpaceDaily
Search SpaceDaily
Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express

NUKEWARS

Russia Voices Concern Over US Nuclear Test Plans

Moscow - Mar 29, 2002
Russia is "extremely concerned" that the United States may soon abandon an international moratorium on nuclear testing to make way for development of a new generation of weapons, Interfax quoted foreign ministry sources here as saying Thursday.

Chill Settles Over US-China Relations

Washington (AFP) Mar 24, 2002
It took less than a month for the veneer of civility applied to China-US relations during President George W. Bush's visit to Beijing to crack.

China Hails Own Strategic Nuclear Missile Force

Beijing (AFP) March 20, 2002
Chinese state media Wednesday hailed the country's nuclear force and second-strike capability, amid a row over US contingency plans listing China as a potential target for nuclear attack.

India Sees New Urgency For Abolition Of Nuclear Weapons

New Delhi (AFP) Mar 12, 2002
Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh said Tuesday there was a "new urgency" in the need to abolish nuclear weapons because of a growing danger of terrorists getting them.