Taiwan keeping close tabs on North Korean satellite launch
Central News Agency
2012/04/12 17:11:35
Taipei, April 12 (CNA) The military has formed a joint emergency response center to closely monitor developments in a North Korean satellite launch plan, the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.
North Korea announced in late March that it is scheduled to launch a long-range rocket between April 12-16 to carry an earth observation satellite into orbit as part of celebrations of the centennial of the country's late founding leader, Kim Il Sung.
The United States and North Korea's Asian neighbors such as South Korea and Japan, however, believe the move could be a disguised long-range missile test and have protested the plan.
Military spokesman Luo Shou-he said Defense Minister Kao Hua-chun directed Chief of the General Staff Gen. Lin Chen-yi a day earlier to set up an emergency response center to cope with any possible or unexpected developments in the North Korean launch.
"In addition to keeping a close eye on North Korean movements, the center is also collecting information about related activities," Luo said, adding that the country's various military units are maintaining normal operations and training programs.
Meanwhile, military sources said Taiwan has maintained positive security relationships with major Asia-Pacific countries and regularly share military intelligence with the U.S. Pacific Command and the Japanese authorities.
"Information from various sources shows that the North Korean satellite launch will not have any direct impact on the air space over Taiwan proper," said a source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The source further said there has been no change in the schedule for the annual Han Kuang military exercises set for next week. The exercises will span five days, with military units conducting round-the-clock drills in different areas of the country simultaneously.
(By Chen Pei-huang and Sofia Wu)
ENDITEM/J
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
