Zephyr Net

Pentagon: China Aiming Missiles at Taiwan
Wed Jul 30,12:34 PM ET Add Top Stories - AP to My Yahoo!


By EUN-KYUNG KIM, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - China is acquiring short-range missiles much faster than U.S. officials had thought and is aiming the weapons at Taiwan and possibly at U.S. forces to block their use on the island's behalf in any future conflict, according to a Pentagon (news - web sites) report.



"Preparing for a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait is the primary driver for China's military modernization," said the report on Beijing's military. The report, submitted annually to Congress, was released Wednesday.


China has about 450 short-range ballistic missiles but is expected to increase its inventory by more than 75 missiles each year. The sophistication and accuracy of the missiles have improved, with the Chinese army developing longer-range models of the CSS-6 missile capable of reaching as far as Okinawa, Japan, home to more than 33,000 U.S. troops.


A senior defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said China may be using Okinawa "to checkmate or deter or threaten U.S. involvement" if conflict erupts in the Taiwan Strait, which separates the Chinese mainland from Taiwan.


The Pentagon estimated in last year's assessment that China's military had acquired 350 ballistic missiles and was adding them at a rate of 50 a year.


The report also said China is spending far more on its defense budget than it has acknowledged.


U.S. officials estimate the military budget which Beijing announced as $20 billion early last year actually falls between $45 billion and $65 billion, and the report noted a potential for annual spending to increase three or four times by 2020.


The modernization of China's military, under way for several years, appears to contradict Beijing's stated desire for a peaceful resolution of the reunification dispute over Taiwan.


Taiwan split from the mainland in 1949 after Nationalist Chinese leaders fled there following the communist victory in China. Beijing considers Taiwan a renegade province and has threatened to retake the island by force if necessary. U.S. policy is to help Taiwan maintain a defense capability, but Washington does not favor Taiwanese independence.


The Pentagon report also highlights China's acquisition of Russian-made submarines that could be used to cut off sea access to Taiwan and threaten American forces that might respond.


For the fourth year in a row, China bought $2 billion worth of weapons from Russia, at least double its annual procurement from Moscow over the previous decade, according to the report.


"China's force modernization program is heavily reliant upon assistance from Russia and other states of the former Soviet Union," the report said. "China hopes to fill short-term gaps in capabilities by significantly expanding its procurement of Russian weapon systems and technical assistance over the next several years."


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On the Net:


Pentagon's report to Congress on the Military Power of the People's Republic of China: http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/20030730chinaex.pdf

That's old news CAG. They were aiming missiles at Taiwan all during the Clinton administration. I read somewhere that they had some pointed at us too.

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allah no longer exists, for I have killed him. You must worship me instead.

May be old news but it's an eye opening peice of news. I'd hate to think how far China would go to destroy Taiwan.

It would mean a war with the U.S. Bush has already said that we'll defend Taiwan at all costs.

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allah no longer exists, for I have killed him. You must worship me instead.

Da Big... wrong, this is current news... out yesterday.

The Chinese are building and installing new missile launchers on a vastly larger scale then thought. Soon they will be able to overwhelm any and all defenses that exist on the island. That includes the Patriots and their local equivilent, plus the Aegis they are still trying to get from the US..

I don't think they have the balls to try anything. They were never successful before.

And this time they'd get a free war with the U.S., talk about a bargain!

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allah no longer exists, for I have killed him. You must worship me instead.

Big. I don't think the chinese really care. If they want Taiwan to become the next Atlantis they will do it. Second they wouldn't be afraid of a war with the US if you look at the Korean war when they helped push back the UN forces. The people in their military are so brainwashed that they aren't afraid to die.

And die they would! Provided they launched a war with Taiwan or the U.S.

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allah no longer exists, for I have killed him. You must worship me instead.

Uhhh seriously though the Chinese leadership seems to like money to flow into their country with international trade (WTO, etc.). Any war with Taiwan, one of the biggest technology producers in the world and incidentally one of the biggest investors and suppliers of technical expertise to mainland China, would instantly nullify any benefits.

Zephyr

That won't hurt China too much. In perhaps 20 years they could very well be the economic power of the future. They have the biggest population and they have a virtually untapped market considering what could be there.

For them it would be much more useful to be the strongest economic power BEFORE they start the war so they'd have a chance of winning. Of course then they would be losing most of their prosperity again.

Anyway the PLA(N) doesn't have enough capabilities for a landing (, yet)

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Nice Sig there Tank!

China is good at intimidation of its smaller neighbors. However it would not stand a chance in a modern war with the US. Especially attempting to project power with the limited assets they have. If they do indeed launch any form of missile attack agaisnt US forces the first thing that will happen is their one ballistic missile submarine will be at the bottom of the ocean, and not by choice! and their 20 ICBMs will be smoking holes in the ground.

Next every airfield that houses aircraft that pose a potential threat, like their TU-16 (H-6) derivitaves and their SU series aircraft will receive a rain of crusie missiles. Thus once disarmed they will be easy pickings...

They got more then 20 ICBM's but many are older models from the 70's and 80's, but there is a new DF-31 ICBM that is enterig limited service. They are Also making new boomers the Type O94, is there next nuclear missile subs.

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August 2nd 2003
The 110th Anniversary of Yugolsaivan Aviation!
St. Elias the gardian of the Fighter pilot.

I think we should invade them right now.

What with their history of Christian persecution, death camps, invading its neighbors, and 9/11 praising. I think we should eradicate them from the face of the Earth.

We should step on them, and sqaush them like the rats that they are.

Do you realize that if I were in China, and I typed this- I probably would be killed........

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allah no longer exists, for I have killed him. You must worship me instead.

Big whats all of this We stuff. Are you going to go on the first wave? doubtful. Stop taking the American military for granted.