Taipei: China is ramping-up its military
presence facing Taiwan despite the easing of hostilities
across the Strait, a defence ministry report cited by local
media warned on Wednesday.
"Although the cross-Strait ties have improved
significantly in recent years, the Chinese communists`
military have not slowed at all their pace of build-up aimed
at Taiwan," the United Daily News said, citing the ministry
report.
In a report to the US Congress last month, the Pentagon
also warned that China`s military build-up against the island
has "continued unabated" despite improving political relations
across the Taiwan Strait.
China`s military spending for 2010 rose 7.5 percent on
last year, in spite of the global economic downturn, said the
Taiwan report which was sent to parliament last week.
Looking ahead, the defence report said Beijing may offer
concessions to Taipei on minor issues but will not budge on
the decades-old dispute over the island`s sovereignty.
Ties between Taiwan and the mainland have improved
markedly since 2008 when Ma Ying-jeou of the Beijing-friendly
Kuomintang party came to power.
But despite the fast warming ties, Beijing still refuses
to renounce the use of force against the island, saying it was
aimed at preventing the independence movement gathering ground
on the island.
The People`s Liberation Army may also attack the island
"should the military tip the balance seriously towards
Beijing," the defence report was quoted as saying.
PTI
