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MND dismisses report on mass production of medium-range missiles

ROC Central News Agency

2013/03/18 15:26:12

Taipei, March 18 (CNA) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) dismissed a media report Monday that the military will start mass production of medium-range missiles in 2014, saying that 'it is by no means true.'

The ministry said in a news release that it regretted that a local newspaper ran the unsubstantiated report.

The ministry said Taiwan's research and development of major weaponry for the military has long been a focus of Chinese intelligence and a point of interest for the local and international communities.

Disclosure by political figures or journalists of related information undermines national security, the ministry said.

'If the contents they disclose are not true, this could lead to misjudgement by the local and international communities, and cause trouble and unease,' the MND said.

The MND stressed that political figures and journalists should deal carefully with military issues to avoid affecting national security.

At issue was a media report by the China Times that day citing military sources as saying that Yunfeng (cloud peak) missiles developed by the military's Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology will start mass production next year.

According to the report, around 50 of the surface-to-surface missiles will be produced in the initial stage. They will have a range of more than 1,000 km and will serve as counter-strike weapons that will target missile bases and airports in coastal areas of China.

They will not be aimed at non-military targets such as densely populated Shanghai.

The news report followed the disclosure in a book by former Defense Minister Tsai Ming-hsien that Taiwan has successfully developed a medium-range missile.

Tsai, a civilian who served under the previous Democratic Progressive Party administration, wrote in his new book titled 'God Bless Taiwan' that the missile was test-fired at a military base in southern Taiwan in February 2008.

(By Rogge Chen and Lilian Wu)
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