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CHINA'S SPACE PROGRAM FAR EXCEEDS TAIWAN'S: REPORT

2004-01-01 18:15:20

    Taipei, Jan. 1 (CNA) Taiwan's research budget and personnel for its space program are far behind that of mainland China's, a report released by the non-profit National Space Program Office (NSPO) said Thursday.

    The assessment report on the strength of mainland China's space program was given to the national policy team of the Democratic Progressive Party legislative caucus.

    The report found that mainland China spends between NT$52 billion and NT$70 billion (US$1.52 billion and US$2.05 billion) a year on its space program, compared with only NT$1.6 billion for Taiwan.

    In terms of core researchers, various agencies in mainland China have about 200,000 staff in comparison with only 200 in Taiwan's NSPO.

    The DPP legislative caucus had asked the Ministry of National Defense and the NSPO to make the assessment given the increasing threat posed by mainland Chinese military satellites.

    The report said that the mainland Chinese space program mainly focuses on national defense, followed by scientific research, economic development and national prestige.

    In contrast, Taiwan's space program centers on improving the people's livelihood by increasing scientific knowledge and upgrading the nation's industry and international cooperation, the report added.

(By Lilian Wu)

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