Premier once again denies development of nuclear weapons
ROC Central News Agency
2007-11-09 19:34:31
Taipei, Nov. 9 (CNA) Premier Chang Chun-hsiung once again categorically denied Friday that Taiwan has plans to "develop, produce or acquire" nuclear weapons.
Chang vowed that Taiwan is not developing nuclear weapons and does not possess any nuclear weapons. He added that officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency have visited Taiwan six times and are aware that Taiwan has not developed nuclear weapons, nor does it possess any.
Chang made the remarks while fielding questions from opposition People First Party (PFP) Legislator Chang Hsien-yao at the Legislative Yuan.
The PFP lawmaker quoted the latest issue of the Yazhou Zhoukan weekly magazine as reporting that former Indian Defense Minister Shri George Fernandes is presently assisting Taiwan in developing nuclear weapons and nuclear warheads.
Quoting another news report, Chang Hsien-yao said that an army major with the military's Chung-shan Institute of Science and Technology had his notebook computer stolen recently, and while at a Taipei police station the major confessed that the disk stored in his notebook contains calculating data for nuclear tests and operational formula for nuclear energy.
Chang Hsien-yao also grilled the premier on whether it's true that Taiwan's leadership has recently engaged in wild speculation that the country could emulate North Korea by launching several rounds of ballistic missiles to make Washington and Beijing so jittery that their leaderships would agree to meet with President Chen Shui-bian.
Premier Chang replied that the reports were simply "fabrications" supported by no evidence.
Defense Minister Lee Tien-yu also denied at the session that Taiwan has a plan to develop nuclear weapons.
(By Deborah Kuo)
ENDITEM/jnc
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
