China is building a base in a southeastern city for advanced long-range ground-to-air missiles, a move feared to weaken Taiwan's air defence capabilities, it was reported inTaipei on Monday.

The base, built in Zhangzhou of Fujian province, would be used for deployment of Russia-made S-300 MPU missiles which have a minimum range of 90 km, the United Daily news quoted intelligence information as saying.

The s-300 MPU had been moblized from areas surrounding Beijing to Zhangzhou and Fuzhou, also in Fujian, during major military maneuvers in 1995-96.
Modified versions of the S-300 would have ranges between 50 km and 200 km, the paper said, but added it was not clear whether China possessed such advanced weapons.

From the Zhangzhou base, the S-300 MPUs were capable of attacking an aircraft above Taiwan's Penghu Island group and from Fuzhou, they could reach Taiwan's western Hsinchu Coast, the paper said.
The new base might also be a future main deployment center for the FT-2000 long-range missiles being developed by China, according to the paper.
The FT-2000 would be capable of hitting Taiwan's early warning AWAC (Airborne Warning and Control) systems and ground radar stations, the paper said.

Several hundred ground-to-ground missiles have already been deployed along the mainland southeastern coast facing Taiwan.

Bureau Report