PLA CONDUCTS OVER 30 MILITARY DRILLS TARGETING TAIWAN IN 2006: MND
ROC Central News Agency
2007-03-12 16:41:27
Taipei, March 12 (CNA) China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has continued to beef up its contingency response capability and conducted more than 30 military exercise drills targeting Taiwan last year, Defense Minister Lee Jye said Monday.
Reporting at the Legislative National Defense Committee, Lee the PLA -- having honed its combat abilities through numerous war games -- is now capable of launching a quick, "triphibian, three-dimensional" landing assault on Taiwan.
Lee said China now has over 20 satellites on orbit tracks for military intelligence gathering, telecommunications, navigation, scientific research and meteorological monitoring, allowing it to conduct round-the-clock, all-weather surveillance of Taiwan's military activities.
On the PLA's naval combat ability, Lee said the number of PLA warships and submarines has continued to increase, with their weapons' ranges growing simultaneously.
In addition, he went on, the PLA has been building and acquiring aircraft carriers -- all aimed at keeping foreign military forces at bay and from entering the Taiwan Strait so that Taiwan "can be attacked front and rear" by the PLA.
In his report, Lee said China has increased its budget for military build-up for 2007 to 350.9 billion yuan, up a whopping 17.8 percent over the year-earlier level.
Lee went on that the PLA has over 900 ballistic and guided missiles aimed at Taiwan, with the number increasing by 75-100 year-on-year, in addition to some 500 new-generation fighters equipped with long-distance or cross-continental assault weaponry systems.
Noting that military might across the Taiwan Strait has developed unequally, with the edge tipping tremendously toward China, Lee said Taiwan's national security will be in irreparable jeopardy should no action be taken to beef up the country's military preparedness.
(By Deborah Kuo)
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