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CHINESE MISSILES CAPABLE OF HITTING LOS ANGELES, AUSTRALIA: VP

Central News Agency

2007-07-10 16:52:41

    Asuncion, Paraguay, July 9 (CNA) Republic of China Vice President Annette Lu warned in Paraguay Monday of Beijing's hegemonic ambition to dominate the Asia-Pacific region, noting that long-range missiles deployed by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) are capable of hitting targets as far away as Los Angeles, Europe and Australia.

    In addition, the PLA has deployed approximately 1,000 missiles along China's southeast coasts, with a sufficient range to cover all of Taiwan, Lu said during a speech on "soft diplomacy", given at National University of Asuncion in the South American nation.

    Lu said the People's Republic of China, whose territory is 257 times as large as Taiwan's and whose population is 67 times as large, is using all possible means to suppress Taiwan in the international arena and threatening Taiwan with its military might.

    In 2006, China's defense budget amounted to US$44 billion, though some military experts believe the actual amount was twice or even thrice the figure publicized by Beijing, Lu said.

    On Taiwan's democratic development, Lu said the country's democracy has still room for improvement, although the old Kuomintang (KMT) administration that had ruled Taiwan for 55 years was ousted in the 2000 presidential election.

    Accusing the KMT of having cheated the people through various "political lies" during its 55-year-long rule of Taiwan, and of even now being reluctant to surrender power, Lu said the KMT is using its influence in the legislature to stifle President Chen Shui-bian's administration.

    According to Lu, to achieve a mature democracy after toppling an authoritarian regime, most new democracies need to undergo two stages and even three stages of reforms to institutionalize their democratic values.

    Pointing to the shooting of Chen and herself while campaigning on the eve of the March 20, 2004 presidential election, Lu said the Chen-Lu ticket won re-election despite the attempt, which seriously agitated voters.

    However, Lu said the democratic miracle is not in itself good enough for Taiwan, and pointed to the cleanliness of the Democratic Progressive Party's administration, which is under close scrutiny by the judiciary.

    Before visiting National University of Asuncion, Lu called on a shelter for street children and donated US$10,000 on behalf of the ROC government to the institution.

    Lu wrapped up her visit in Paraguay Monday noon and headed on to Guatemala via Panama, on the third and final leg of her current Latin American visit.

(By Wen Kuei-hsiang and Y.F. Low)

ENDITEM/jnc