Posted on 07/04/2005 5:16:54 PM PDT by Righty_McRight
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan needs to buy more attack weapons to counter a rapid arms build-up by rival China, the mass circulation United Daily News reported on Monday. The newspaper quoted unidentified sources as saying the proposal was made in a report on national security to be issued by President Chen Shui-bian this summer.
Officials declined to comment on details of the report.
The paper did not specify the types of weapon, saying only they would be for offensive purposes. But it said the weapons would not be nuclear or biological, or have mass destruction capabilities.
China considers the self-ruled island part of its territory and has threatened to attack if it opts for formal statehood.
Washington, the island's main arms supplier that is obliged by law to help Taiwan defend itself, is more willing to sell such weapons to Taiwan, the newspaper quoted the sources as saying.
Another newspaper, the Liberty Times, said Taiwan would begin small production of indigenous Hsiung Feng, or Brave Wind, cruise missiles capable of hitting the mainland this month.
Local media have said the domestically developed missiles have a range of up to 1,000 km and could hit military bases in China's southeast.
The Taiwan government has been trying to push through a $15 billion special budget to buy submarines, anti-missile systems and submarine-hunting aircraft from the United States, but opposition lawmakers have repeatedly blocked the plan, saying that the weapons were overpriced.
China has pointed more than 700 missiles at Taiwan and is increasing the arsenal by between 100-120 a year, Taiwan officials have said.
In June, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld accused China of enhancing its ability to project power at a time when it faced no threat.
They should buy a Taiwanese knock-off of the stuff they want to buy.
Oh. Nevermind.
And in other news, the sky is blue.
The only chance Taiwan has is to go nuclear, and unfortunately, THAT ain't going to happen.
So China would comletely destroy Taiwan then do what with it?
Give Taiwan 1 nuclear sub with 1 nuclear warhead on it. park it somewhere off the coast of China. Let the Chinese know it is there and if China attacks, they will launch the weapon on Beiging.
Now go declare yourself a soverign nation.
One too many beers I guess, but not enough yet... see tagline.
Apparently that is what works in our world.
Depends. If the Taiwanese feel desperate enough (especially if somone like Hitlery Klintoon won in 2008) they might just do that.
All they really need is an a-bomb and an ICBM.
==All they really need is an a-bomb and an ICBM.
Lots of 'em.
"As far as the weapons package, if the Taiwanese are unwilling to defend themselves;perhaps we should leave them to their red brothers."
Abandon Taiwan to the Reds because Taiwanese leftist and Commie lawmakers are holding things up?
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