Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

ARMS PURCHASE WILL DETER CHINA'S INVASION OF TAIWAN: PREMIER

ROC Central News Agency

2005-03-11 20:34:21

    Taipei, March 11 (CNA) Premier Frank Hsieh said Friday that the government's proposed NT$610.8 billion (US$18.23 billion) arms procurement package from the United States will deter a Chinese attack of Taiwan because China "is bound to lose."

    However, failure to acquire the weapons will tilt the military balance across the Taiwan Strait in China's favor, Hsieh warned.

    Hsieh made the remarks during an interpellation session in the Legislative Yuan ahead of the expected enactment of an "anti-secession law" by China, which will authorize the Beijing authorities to use non-peaceful means should Taiwan move towards independence.

    The Cabinet has been lobbying the legislature to support an expensive budget proposal for the procurement of six Patriot PAC-III anti-missile batteries, eight diesel-electric submarines and a squadron of 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft from the United States.

    According to Minister of National Defense Lee Jye, the side on the offensive will be certain to win if its has three times the strength of the deffense and the result will be uncertain if it has only two times the strength of the defense.

    If the ratio between the strenthes is lower than "1.5, " the side on the defensive will be certain to win, Lee said.

    While the current ratio of military strength between China and Taiwan is 1.46, the it will increase significantly to 2.87 between 2020 and 2035 if Taiwan does not buy new weapons to maintain its defense capabilities against China's continued military buildup, Lee said.

    The arms procurement will slow down the rate of increase and keep the ratio at 1.67, he said.

    The minister said China is not going to launch an attack of Taiwan now because the chances of success are meager.

(By Y.F. Low)

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