Taipei, Nov. 25 (CNA) People in Taiwan are feeling an increasing hostility from Beijing and cross-strait relations have been negatively affected as a result of recent reports that mainland China is deploying missiles against Taiwan, said a government official on Thursday.
The Washington Times reported Tuesday that Beijing was constructing a missile base at Yangang in Jiangxi Province, some 275 miles from Taiwan, and is planning to deploy nearly 100 advanced M-11 missiles capable of carrying several different types of warheads up to a distance of about 300 miles, putting Taiwan well within the missiles' range.
The news paper reports quoted US intelligence sources as saying that their spy satellites had picked up evidence of Beijing's deployment of the short-range M-11 missile. The reports were confirmed Wednesday by Defense Minister Tang Fei of the Republic of China at the Legislative Yuan.
Lin Chong-pin, vice chairman and spokesman for the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), told the press at the MAC news conference Thursday that these latest moves by Beijing's authorities reflect their lack of confidence politically, which may not only negatively affect relations between Taipei and Beijing, but could also jeopardize the security of the East Asian region.
Lin stressed that issues across the Taiwan Straits should be resolved through dialogue, exchanges and consultations, so as to reduce misunderstanding between the two sides.
Any sable rattling will only alienate people on both sides of the straits and erase the gains made over the last eleven years in cross-strait relations, Lin added.
The MAC vice chairman thus urged the authorities in Beijing to relinquish their military threat and resume a dialogue with Taipei for the sake of the long term strengthening of cross-strait relations and for the peace and security of the Asian and Pacific region. (By Eva Chen)
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