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Military Interested in Joining TMD

Taipei
CHUNG-KUO SHIH-PAO
23 Oct 95 p 1

According to a reliable military source, Taiwan is interested in joining the U.S. Theater Missile Defense System [TMD] development. This issue is expected to be formally presented at the annual Taiwan- U.S. arms sale meeting next year.

Taiwan's chief of the general staff reportedly wants a U.S. evaluation on the appropriateness of Taiwan's possible participation in the TMD and on the budget needed to join the TMD. While the former has to do with the U.S. military strategy for the Asia-Pacific region, the latter concerns the issue of whether Taiwan can accept part of the development cost.

Communist China's test-firing of six M-series missiles into the East China Sea in July has raised concerns among the countrymen on whether the Taiwan military has an anti- missile defense capability. Those inside the military also feel the urgency of building an anti-missile system. Asking the United States to evaluate the possibility of Taiwan's joining the TMD is part of the military's countermeasures.

The chief of the general staff is convinced that Communist China will certainly oppose Taiwan's joining the TMD. It has been pointed out that relations between the United States and Communist China are rather delicate at present. The military is closely watching the summit meeting between U.S. President Clinton and Communist China's President Chiang Tse-min [Jiang Zemin], as well as the future trend of development in relations between the United States and Communist China. The military believes the best time to ask the United States to help Taiwan evaluate the possibility of joining the TMD will be at the Taiwan-U.S. meeting in the first half of next year.

The operation of the TMD requires satellite reconnaissance and an early warning capability. Not only does Taiwan not possess a military satellite, but the establishment of an early warning satellite system is also an extremely sensitive matter. It is still not known how the military will approach the United States over this matter. Some in the military point out, however, that an anti- missile system does not have to be used with a satellite, because an advanced phase radar system could also serve the same purpose.

It has been learned that a certain military unit using unofficial channels to probe the U.S. position on Taiwan's interest in the TMD. It is also known that the Chung Shan Science Institute has been informed of the proposed plan by the chief of the general staff.