Jiupeng base, located in Pingdong Province, has been a key site for missile research and testing for the Taiwan army, known also as the "Space Center Houston" of Taiwan. It has drawn wide attention as it is reportedly being developed into Asia's biggest missile base.

Large bunker suspected to be a nuclear test ground

The arms research by the Zhongshan institute has drawn close attention from the United States due to frequent remarks made by the Taiwan authorities for developing offensive arms to be used against the mainland, and You His-kun ("president of the Administrative Yuan") advocating the so-called "balance of terror" approach.

US intelligence satellites recently noticed that a large reinforced concrete structure is being built at Jiupeng base, which belongs to the Zhongshan institute. From its unusual thickness, the Americans guessed it to be a bunker able to resist heavy bombs.

It is suspected the bunker was built for "special purpose", which may relate to Taiwan's alleged research into medium-range missiles, cruise missiles, and even nuclear weapons.

US experts say such a large, impact-proof structure may be used to store high-risk objects such as warheads, missiles, missile-propelling rockets and fuel, or for the final assembly of such dangerous objects, to avoid damaging other facilities, if there were any accidental explosions.

High-ranking military officials from Taiwan made no comment on the ongoing construction, and firmly rejected conjectures of a "nuclear test ground" or "missile base".

A "Space Center Houston" in Taiwan

Formally put into operation in 1975, Jiupeng Base is called one of the "three mysterious units" of the Taiwan military for its potential use for developing nuclear, biological or chemical weapons (the other two are the "Preventive Medicine Research Institute" and the Nuclear Energy Research Institute).

After 1990, the base was expanded to have R&D functions, and it will become a missile base upon the completion of the bunker.

After decades of development, Jiupeng Base is now responsible for all of the the islands high-precision observation, calculation, missile guidance, and research and development; it is the island's sole missile launch and long-range projecting system test site.

As Taiwan military have recently boasted, the whole base is a small "space center", describing its controlling center as no less than a "Space Center Houston" on a smaller scale.

Closely guarding against intelligence satellites of world countries

Due to its secret location and purposes, Jiupeng Base has been kept highly confidential until recent years. Even American and French scientific or intelligence services have been unable to conduct satellite monitoring of the base at all times.

According to a commander of the base, from 10:12a.m. to around 11:00a.m. every morning, many intelligence satellites gather directly above the base, but staff are ordered to "shut down" their computers, and any other devices, to prevent their activities being known.

Source: Xinhua News Agency

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