• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

MILITARY TO RESPOND TO MAINLAND ACTION IN LINE WITH COMBAT RULES: MND

2003-12-18 20:55:32

    Taipei, Dec. 18 (CNA) The ROC armed forces will respond to any mainland Chinese military action in line with relevant combat regulations, Defense Minister Tang Yiau-min said Thursday.

    Tang was responding to press inquiries about his views on President Chen Shui-bian's statement in a recent interview with the London-based Financial Times that if mainland China test-fires missiles near Taiwan as it did in 1996, the missile tests would be regarded as a provocation, an attack, and therefore contradict the precondition of his "four noes plus one" pledge.

    Tang said the Ministry of National Defense (MND) is not in a position to comment on Chen's remarks, as he is the top commander of the armed forces.

    Noting that the military consistently monitors mainland China's military activities closely, Tang said the military will take action according to the nation's combat regulations to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack.

    Asked whether the president or the defense minister will order the first strike against the mainland in the event of a cross-Taiwan Strait war, Tang said the first strike order should be issued by the chief of the general staff upon the instruction of the defense minister in accordance with two newly passed defense laws.

(By Sofia Wu)

ENDITEM/J