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Taiwan may be forced to develop ballistic missiles: Report
Taipei, June 19: A potential Sino-US agreement on a reduction of arms sales to Taiwan might prompt the island to accelerate the development of its own offensive missile systems, the Jane`s missiles and rockets reported.
Taipei, June 19: A potential Sino-US agreement on a reduction of arms sales to Taiwan might prompt the island to accelerate the development of its own offensive missile systems, the Jane's missiles and rockets reported.
Reports from Washington indicate that the White House is
now considering the Chinese proposal for freezing additional
deployments of tactical ballistic missiles aimed at Taiwan in
exchange for a reduction in US arms sales to the island, the
magazine said.
"Although it is a possibility, I would take this with a grain of salt. We would fight it," stated another US government source. Pro-Taiwan supporters in the US government, referred to as the 'Blue Team,' would clearly be opposed to the Chinese proposal.
China has 100 Dong Feng-11 (M-11) and 300 Dong Feng-15 (M-9) tactical ballistic missiles deployed within range of Taiwan, which Beijing still considers a renegade province despite the fact that it has been governed separately since a civil war in 1949, it said.
Taiwan has seen the hundreds of ballistic missiles targeting the island as the most serious threat and repeatedly called on Beijing to remove them.
Taiwan's foreign minister Eugene Chien has rejected the swap plan outright, arguing that it was "unreasonable and unfair”.
The magazine warned that "if Washington and Beijing broker a deal, it may encourage Taiwan to continue with plans to develop a short-range ballistic missile -- based on the Tien Kung (sky bow) surface-to-air missile -- and a cruise missile (HF-2e) based on the Hsiung Feng (brave wind) anti-ship missile." Bureau Report
"Although it is a possibility, I would take this with a grain of salt. We would fight it," stated another US government source. Pro-Taiwan supporters in the US government, referred to as the 'Blue Team,' would clearly be opposed to the Chinese proposal.
China has 100 Dong Feng-11 (M-11) and 300 Dong Feng-15 (M-9) tactical ballistic missiles deployed within range of Taiwan, which Beijing still considers a renegade province despite the fact that it has been governed separately since a civil war in 1949, it said.
Taiwan has seen the hundreds of ballistic missiles targeting the island as the most serious threat and repeatedly called on Beijing to remove them.
Taiwan's foreign minister Eugene Chien has rejected the swap plan outright, arguing that it was "unreasonable and unfair”.
The magazine warned that "if Washington and Beijing broker a deal, it may encourage Taiwan to continue with plans to develop a short-range ballistic missile -- based on the Tien Kung (sky bow) surface-to-air missile -- and a cruise missile (HF-2e) based on the Hsiung Feng (brave wind) anti-ship missile." Bureau Report