Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

MILITARY CLOSELY MONITORING PLA ACTIVITIES: MND

ROC Central News Agency

2005-03-13 15:08:45

    Taipei, March 16 (CNA) The military is closely monitoring China's military movements after Chinese President Hu Jintao was elected chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission Sunday, replacing Jiang Zemin, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense said Sunday.

    Liu Chih-Chian said that the Republic of China military has heightened its alert in response to Hu's succession as China's top military chief. It was reported that prior to Jiang's resignation, he said to Hu that if the People's Liberation Army (PLA) plans to take Taiwan by force, "It had better be sooner than later."

    Commenting on news reports that the PLA has been ordered to "make whatever preparations needed" against "possible countermeasures" that Taiwan may adopt in protest against Beijing's enactment of an "anti-secession" law, Liu reiterated that it is the defense ministry's established policy and duty to prevent a war, safeguard the national territory and fight terrorism regardless of the odds.

    Liu stressed that the defense ministry has built up effective deterrents and defensive capabilities to address any contingency and the military will react swiftly if necessary.

    The draft "anti-secession" law is expected to be ratified by a vote in the Chinese National People's Congress Monday, the last day of its annual session.

    The law says China could use "non-peaceful means" to stop Taiwan's secession from China should all efforts for peaceful unification prove futile.

(By Deborah Kuo)

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