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MND TO PROVIDE VIEWS ON PURCHASE OF ANTI-MISSILE WEAPONS

2004-01-20 16:53:59

    Taipei, Jan. 20 (CNA) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) will provide its views on the purchase of anti-missile weapons, an MND spokesman said Tuesday.

    Maj. Gen. Huang Suey-sheng made the remarks when he was asked about President Chen Shui-bian's planned questions to be put to a referendum on March 20, including one that asks for the acquisition of more advanced anti-missile weapons to strengthen Taiwan's self-defense capabilities.

    When asked if those who are against the purchase of anti-missile weapons outnumber those who are for the purchase, and will that affect the procurement policy, Huang said that he would not answer a presumptions question.

    He said, however, that mainland Chinese deployment of nearly 500 missiles on its southeast coast opposite Taiwan poses a great threat to the 23 million people on Taiwan, and a policy to build up the anti-missile system is certainly a goal of the ministry.

    He said the ministry's plan to purchase missiles is comprehensive, noting that the Minister of National Defense Tang Yiau-min said recently that one-third of anti-missile equipment and software and hardware systems will be purchased from other countries, including the Patriot III anti-missile system, while two-thirds will be developed and manufactured by Taiwan itself.

    Meanwhile, Huang also spoke about the recent change of the word "China" to "the Republic of China" in military publications.

    The Liberty Times, a major daily in Taiwan, reported Tuesday that at the urging of legislators who asked for a correction of the names, the military has quietly changed the name of its publications, such as China Navy, to Republic of China Navy.

    Huang said that some of the publications of the MND have a long history. "People of my age know clearly that China means the Republic of China," he said.

    But for the sake of differentiating between the People's Republic of China on the other side of the Taiwan Strait and avoiding confusion, the ministry has decided to drop the simplified form and use the full name, Huang said.

(By Lilian Wu)

ENDITEM/mw