Military Balance and Arms Sales

2000

Air Force Says it Will Introduce New Strategies
(Taipei Times, Dec. 27, 2000) The air force is to introduce new combat tactics next year into the regular training of fighter pilots in an attempt to reach the strategic goal of "offshore denial of enemy aircraft," the air force announced. The new combat tactics are associated with the adoption of different types of beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, and the combined use of new-generation fighter planes for multi-sortie and multi-directional air defense mission flights.

Taiwan 'Set for Military Links' with China
(AFP, Dec. 24, 2000) Taiwan's military is laying the groundwork for military exchanges with Beijing, it was reported yesterday, as the island readies to open trial direct links with China on Jan 1. Taiwan's Defence Ministry has lately sent several generals to the United States where they had been guaranteed access to Washington's military-exchange experiences with Beijing since 1994.

Taiwan Can Defend Itself, Says Army Chief
(Straits Times, Dec. 22, 2000) Taiwan's armed forces are capable of defending national security, Chief of General Staff General Tang Yao-ming has said in response to a US Defence Department report. The report conceded the existence of several 'gaps' in its understanding of the military capabilities and needs of Taiwan and China which could affect US ability to comply with the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).

Pentagon Lists "Information Gaps" on China-Taiwan
(Reuters, Dec. 19, 2000) The U.S. Defense Department said on Monday there were three key "gaps" in Washington's ability to assess the potential for any future conflict between China and Taiwan. Details on how authorities in Beijing and Taiwan view their military and political situations. Specifics on training, logistics, doctrine, command and control, special operations and mine warfare in China and on the offshore island. Information to predict how each side's military capabilities will develop in the key areas of missiles and information warfare.

Taiwan, U.S. to Enter 'Strategic Cooperation'
(CNA, Dec. 18, 2000) The Republic of China will formally enter "strategic cooperation" with the United States when its military builds up the "net assessment" capability next year, Ministry of National Defense (MND) sources said Monday. According to MND sources, the U.S. military began to assist the ROC in building up "net assessment" capability after the 1995-96 Taiwan Strait crisis during which time mainland China lobbed missiles and conducted live-fire military exercises at Taiwan's doorstep in an attempt to affect the result of the ROC's first direct presidential election.

Delegation Pressing for AEGIS Sale
(Taipei Times, Dec. 18, 2000) A Taiwan delegation visiting the US has been pressing for the sale of four AEGIS destroyers and an unspecified number of diesel submarines in "pre-talks" with US officials last week. The talks, which are expected to be followed by larger arm sales negotiations at a later date, are being led by Admiral Miao Yung-ching, deputy chief of the General Staff. Early indications suggest that the Pentagon supports the sale, although whether or not its goes through will depend on the political climate in Washington

Defense Ministry Denies Developing Weapons of Mass Destruction Claim
(Taipei Times, Dec. 17, 2000) Vice Minister of National Defense Sun Tao-yu denied an analysis report released recently by Canada's national security and intelligence bureau that identifies some 10 nations, including Taiwan, as being suspected of developing chemical or biological weapons. Calling the report "absolutely wrong," Sun reiterated Taiwan's set policy of not developing nor owning nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons, stressing that this position will not change.

U.S. Eyes Russian Military Sales to PRC
(Reuters, Dec. 13, 2000) The United States is closely eyeing Russian sales to mainland China of advanced military hardware but does not believe they yet upset the balance across the Taiwan Strait, a senior U.S. diplomat said on Tuesday. Russia has sold Beijing about 50 Sukhoi-27 fighters and several dozen advanced Sukhoi-30 warplanes. It has been lobbying hard to sell its Beriev A-50 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) surveillance planes that would erode Taiwan's dominance of the skies over the Taiwan Strait.

National Security Group to React Rapidly to Crises
(South China Morning Post, Dec. 12, 2000) China has set up a top-level advisory group to respond rapidly to national security crises, especially those involving cross-strait clashes and Sino-US tension. The Central National Security Leading Group consists of leaders from the Communist Party, the military, intelligence departments, Foreign Affairs Ministry and Taiwan affairs units. It is expected to provide President Jiang Zemin with advice on diplomatic, military, strategic and technological matters if China faces a national security crisis.

Air Force Pilot Shortage is Temporary: Air Force Brass
(CNA, Dec. 12, 2000) The current shortage of pilots in the Republic of China Air Force is just a transitional and temporary phenomenon, a senior Air Force General Headquarters (AFGH) officer said Monday. AFGH Chief of Staff Chou Wen-chung pointed out that the manpower shortage has mainly been caused by the fact that a number of new pilots of the ranks of first and second lieutenant are now being trained to operate F5 jet fighters and AT-3 trainers in order to accumulate the minimum number of flight hours required for flying a new generation of warplanes.

Taiwan Successfully Develops Advanced Anti-Ship Missile
(CNA, Dec. 3, 2000) Taiwan has successfully developed advanced a supersonic anti-ship missile which is said to be superior to the Sunburn missiles that mainland China have acquired from Russia. Researchers at the Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology said Sunday that they have conducted several test fires of the Hsiungfeng-3 missiles, and mass production will begin as soon as the government gives the green light.

Taiwan Negotiating with US on Four Kidd-Class Destroyers: Report
(AFP, Dec. 3, 2000) Taiwan is negotiating with the United States for the acquisition of four powerful Kidd-class destroyers, a leading defense magazine, Jane's Weekly said. The warship would provide the navy with a platform capable of conducting simultaneous anti-air, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, the London-based magazine said.

PRC Spies Infiltrate ROC Politics, Military: NSB
(China Post, Dec. 2, 2000) Mainland China has beefed up its intelligence operations in Taiwan and a sizable number of politicians and military officers might have been won over, a high-ranking security officer said. An estimated 23,000 mainlanders visit Taiwan each year since the government lifted the ban on such travel in 1988, the National Security Bureau Deputy Director Han Kun told a military seminar. Over 3,000 of them are here on spy activities, he said.

U.S. Urged to Address Imbalance in Cross-Strait Military Might
(CNA, Dec. 1, 2000) Republic of China Premier Chang Chun-hsiung urged the United States Friday to address squarely the growing imbalance of military might on either side of the Taiwan Strait. The premier made the remarks when he received Floyd D. Spencer, chairman of the Committee on Armed Services of the U.S. House of Representatives. He urged the United States to continue to provide Taiwan with defensive weapons in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and to step up cooperation and exchanges with Taiwan's military.

Military Plans New Information Warfare Unit
(Taipei Times, Nov. 23, 2000) The military plans to establish its first information warfare (IW) force by year's end at the earliest to counter the new threat from China's "net force," which has been in operation for several years, defense authorities said yesterday. The proposed IW force, which is to be composed of almost an entire battalion of specialized troops, is scheduled to be independent of any service and is to be directly controlled by the office of the chief of the general staff.

War in Taiwan Strait in Five Years
(AFP, Nov. 19, 2000) "During the period of the 10th five-year plan, it is certain that war would break out in the Taiwan strait," said Zhang Wannian, vice chairman of the central military commission, at an equipment conference in southern China's Guangzhou city last month, the Oriental Daily News said.

New Chinese Missile Could Form Menace To Taiwan, Expert Says
(AFP, Nov. 6, 2000) A new missile which China has shown to the public for the first time could pose a grave threat to the defense of Taiwan if deployed, a U.S. military expert said.The missile, which has not been given an official Chinese name, appeared at the Zhuhai airshow in south China, attached to a model of the Chinese-made JH-7 fighter-bomber, also known as the "Flying Leopard."

U.S. Downplays Chinese Threats Against Taiwan
(Reuters, Oct.20. 2000) White House National Security Adviser Sandy Berger on Thursday played down renewed Chinese threats against Taiwan, saying the saber rattling was nothing new and urging Beijing and Taipei to settle their differences peacefully. China's State Council issued a defense white paper on Monday calling relations with Taiwan "complicated and grim" and repeated its threat to use "drastic force" to prevent Taiwan from breaking away or stalling indefinitely on reunification. Berger said the document was largely "rhetoric for international consumption."

China Unlikely to Go to War over Taiwan for Now: IISS
(AFP, Oct.19, 2000) China is too preoccupied with joining the World Trade Organisation and suppressing the spiritual Falungong group to go to war over Taiwan. But the International Institute for Strategic Studies said China was still steadily building up its military capability with help from Russia and was estimated to have spent 40 billion dollars on defence last year. The London-based institute's annual Military Balance report said China's priority in 2000 was economic reform to prepare for WTO entry, probably early next year.

Taiwan MND Slams China's Defense Paper
(Taipei Times, Oct. 17, 2000) Responding to China's newly released defense white paper, the Ministry of National Defense said the paper is self-contradictory and is aimed at the international community. In a press release, the defense ministry said that the white paper is basically all rhetoric, intended to achieve the greatest political effect for the least effort. The paper is strongly worded in parts concerning China's claim of sovereignty over Taiwan and the threat of using force against Taiwan.

China Defends Military Growth; Reiterates One-China Policy
(CNN, Oct. 17, 2000) In a lengthy policy paper issued Monday, China defended its growing military might and again reiterated its threat of force against Taiwan if the island's leadership refuses to recognize Beijing's one-China policy. Responding to foreign concerns about its growing military might, China's Cabinet insisted that defense expenditures remained low compared to other countries and said its military modernization is "purely for self-defense." Beijing also slammed the United States for its role in helping Taiwan militarily, and said the situation with Taiwan "is complicated and grim."

Taiwan Situation 'Grim', Says China
(AFP, Oct. 16, 2000) In the most strongly-worded statement since newly-elected Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian came to power in March, the official Xinhua news agency quoted a defense paper as saying: "The PLA has the absolute determination, confidence, ability and means to safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity and will never tolerate, condone or remain indifferent to the realization of any scheme to divide the motherland." The document entitled "China's National Defense in 2000", offered no hope of any breakthrough in ties with Taiwan, saying the situation was "grim and complicated".

Military Sets Aside NT$3bn for E-Warfare
(Taipei Times, Oct. 15, 2000) Defense sources said yesterday that the military has earmarked around NT$3 billion for investments in electronic and information warfare next year. It would represent the largest budget ever on a field now increasingly valued due to the growing reception of RMA (revolution in military affairs) thinking among the country's military leaders. The investment will cover upgrading different categories of hardware and software associated with electronic or information warfare.

Pentagon Approves Arms Sales to Taiwan
(AP, Sept. 29, 2000) The Pentagon said yesterday it plans a series of arms sales to Taiwan valued at $1.3 billion, including 200 supersonic air-to-air missiles and advanced military communications systems. The Pentagon said it plans to sell Taiwan 200 AIM-120C medium-range air-to-air missiles to enhance the defensive capabilities of Taiwan's F-16 fighters. Although Taiwan had previously asked to buy this type of missile, this is the first time the Pentagon has approved the sale. That portion of the deal is valued at $150 million.

Pentagon Report Says Taiwan Can Handle AEGIS
(Taipei Times, Sept. 27, 2000) A classified Pentagon report concludes that Taiwan's navy has sufficient manpower and capability to operate, integrate and maintain the four AEGIS destroyers whose sale had been put off by US President Bill Clinton last April. Clinton decided last April to sell a package of high-tech weapons to Taiwan, but on the Pentagon's recommendation, put off the sale of four AEGIS destroyers, diesel submarines and P-3 Orion anti-submarine aircraft.

Taiwan Tones Down Its War Games
(Reuters, Sept. 22, 2000) Summer is the peak season for war games in Taiwan, and the lesson from this year's drills seems to be that the island is seriously avoiding inflaming relations with rival China. On Friday, Chen observed the drills and gave a speech that was a mixture of soothing words for Beijing and warnings that Taiwan stood ready to defend itself.

Taiwan Renews Bid to Buy US-Built Aegis Class Destroyers: Report
(AFP, Sep. 10, 2000) Taiwan has renewed its bid to purchase Aegis class destroyers in military talks with the United States, it was reported Sunday. The Taipei-based China Times quoted "reliable military sources" as saying representatives of the Taiwanese navy and the US Department of Defense were meeting at an unspecified site in the US. But the official admitted Washington was not likely to give its approval now, especially as Chinese President Jiang Zemin is visiting the US.

Battle Brews In U.S. Senate Over Chinese Arms Sales
(Reuters, Sep. 9, 2000) The U.S. Senate on Monday will debate a controversial plan to combat alleged weapons proliferation by China, Republican Leader Trent Lott announced, despite White House warnings it threatened Sino-U.S. relations and a landmark trade pact. After months of delay, the Senate is expected to vote by Sept. 15 on legislation that would grant permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) to China.

Taiwan's Military Seeks Better Arms
(Financial Times, Aug. 31, 2000) When Wu Shih-wen, Taiwan's new defence minister, appeals for more money for the military, he is assured of a sympathetic hearing from his cabinet boss. Unfortunately for Mr Wu, however, his former comrade is finding it hard to put Taiwan's money where his mouth used to be. Mr Tang, a one-time fighter pilot, has unveiled a 2001 draft budget that makes welfare and education a priority and marks a new decline in defence outlay as a proportion of total spending.

Pentagon Moves Cruise Missiles to Guam
(AFP, Aug. 25, 2000) The US Air Force moved conventional air-launched cruise missiles (CALCMs) to the Pacific island of Guam earlier this month, allowing the United States to respond more quickly to crises from the Gulf to the Korean peninsula, air force officials said Friday. The 1,360 kilogram (3,000 pound) terrain-hugging weapon, which has been used in strikes against Iraq and in last year's air war with Yugoslavia, has never before been pre-positioned outside the continental United States

China Deploying over 400 Missiles Opposite Taiwan: MND Report
(CNA, Aug. 8, 2000) Beijing has deployed more than 400 guided missiles along the coastal provinces of Jiangsi and Fujian opposite Taiwan, according to the 2000 National Defense Report released by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Tuesday. The range of the missiles covers the whole of Taiwan, according to the report. The report further said that the number of missiles will increase by over 600 by the year 2005.

Taiwan's Leader Considers Purchase of Updated Jet Fighters
(New York Times, Aug. 4, 2000) Taiwan's president, Chen Shui-bian, said today that the island should begin considering new fighter aircraft purchases, warning that in five years China could threaten Taiwan's ability to control the skies over the Taiwan Strait, a key factor in repelling a mainland invasion. That Mr. Chen, who spoke during an inspection of Taiwan's air force headquarters in Taipei, would make the politically charged suggestion during the Republican Party's convention suggested to some analysts that he hoped to interject the issue into the American presidential campaign.

China Holds High-Tech Military Exercises - Paper
(Reuters, July 29, 2000) China successfully demonstrated some of its latest military hardware during recent war games on its coast facing Taiwan, an army newspaper said on Friday. In a mock beach landing in the southeastern province of Fujian, troops used portable anti-missile rockets, amphibious tanks and radar-fooling decoys while reporters watched from a hillside, China Defense News Military Weekly said.

Missiles Aimed at Taiwan Could Top 1,000 in 10 Years: Expert
(Central News Agency, July 19, 2000) Stating that subduing Taiwan is a major short-term goal of Beijing's military modernization, a US expert recently predicted that the number of missiles trained on the island may increase to 1,000 or more in ten years. "The current focus of this modernization is to acquire the space, information, missile, air, naval and ground forces necessary to subdue Taiwan in the near term," said Richard D. Fisher Jr., senior fellow with the Jamestown Foundation.

Israel Drops Plan to Sell Air Radar to China Military
(New York Times, July 13, 2000) Israel announced today that it had canceled its sale of a sophisticated $250 million airborne radar system to China, a decision timed for the second day of the Camp David summit meeting and aimed at improving the mood in Congress, where heated opposition to the deal had threatened aid to the Israelis.

Taiwan: China Is Boosting Military
(AP, July 4, 2000) Taiwan's president accused China on Tuesday of "vigorously" building up its military in recent years, a sign he said showed that it has become more serious than ever about attacking Taiwan. President Chen Shui-bian made his comments during his first visit as president to the army's headquarters in this suburb of the capital, Taipei. "In recent years, communist China has been vigorously developing its forces and weaponry and strengthening its military power," Chen said in a speech to officers. "This makes its intention to invade Taiwan more obvious than ever before."

Taiwan Will Not Fire First in Any Clash with China: Defense Minister
(AFP, July 2, 2000) Taiwan will never fire the first shot in any clash with China, Defense Minister Wu Shih-wen said in an interview published Sunday. But Wu defended new President Chen Shui-bian's call for a "decisive battle offshore" if China attacked. Wu said the idea Chen raised on June 20 aimed to "solve the issue in the Taiwan Strait" rather than "bring it to the island." "It is by no means a perception of offensive strategy."

Confidence-Building Measures Must Wait, Defense Official Says
(Taiwan News, June 24, 2000) Confidence-building measures must wait, defense official says Taiwan will not set up military confidence-building measures with China as long as political tensions between the two sides remain, a top Defense Ministry official said yesterday. "If we were to blindly pursue military confidence-building measures before solving our political conflict, this would pose a great risk to national security."

Israel Acts To Defuse Row With U.S. Over China Spy Plane Deal
(AFP, Jun 19, 2000) Israel has temporarily defused the latest stage of a rumbling row with the United States over its determination to carry on with the sale of sophisticated arms to China, an Israeli defense official said Friday. The incident was sparked when Israel's deputy defence minister told parliament Wednesday that the Israeli military could buy supplies from non-U.S. sources, if the U.S. Congress made good on threats to cut 250 million dollars in annual military aid, the value of the contract Israel signed with China for the sale of an AWACS radar system to Beijing.

US to Sell Taiwan Two Counter-Attack Weapons Systems
(Taipei Times, June 9, 2000) The US Department of Defense announced on Wednesday two proposed weapons sales to Taiwan worth an estimated US$356 million. Taiwan would purchase 39 sets of Pathfinder/Sharpshooter pods and 48 AN/ALQ-184 electronic countermeasure pods to mount on its F-16 aircraft.

Tang to Sharpen Armed Forces
(Taipei Times, June 3, 2000) Chief of the General Staff General Tang Yao-ming yesterday said he was determined to revamp the logistics support systems of the armed forces. "Logistics support is the key to combat readiness of troops. Its importance is highlighted by the fact that the armed forces always have to maintain a high level of combat readiness to handle any potential military threat from China," Tang said.

Taiwan to Test Fire Patriot Anti-Missile Defense System
(CNA, May 26, 2000) The Republic of China military will test fire its US-made Patriot anti-missile defense system in September 2001, the Ministry of National Defense confirmed on Friday. The ministry said the US authorities have agreed to the ROC military's planned live-fire tests of the advanced Patriot missile defense system.

Any Chinese Attempt to Take Taiwan Unlikely to Succeed: US Admiral
(AFP, May 16, 2000) China's military forces are not poised for a strike against Taiwan but any attempt by Beijing to seize the island was unlikely to succeed, the commander in chief of the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Thomas Fargo said Tuesday. He said the 90-mile stretch of sea that separates the mainland from Taiwan would require a "tremendously robust" force capable of mounting a successful invasion.

Chinese Protest U.S. Sale of Weapons, Radar to Taiwan
(Washington Post, April 19, 2000) China issued a firm protest today over the Clinton administration's decision to sell long-range radar and air-launched missiles to Taiwan. The complaint was couched in relatively mild language, apparently reflecting Washington's decision not to sell Taiwan the state-of-the-art Aegis-equipped destroyers it had sought. It focused on the Beijing government's long-standing demand that the United States refrain from all sales of sophisticated weaponry to the island, which China regards as a wayward province that must reunite with the mainland.

U.S., With an Eye on China, Settles on Weapons for Taiwan
(New York Times, April 18, 2000) In a decision intended to avoid further roiling the tensions between China and Taiwan, the Clinton administration agreed today to sell Taiwan upgraded versions of three missiles and a long-range radar system, but not four technology-laden destroyers. The decision was made today at a White House meeting among the national security adviser, Samuel R. Berger; Defense Secretary William S. Cohen; and Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott, and it was relayed to Taiwan this evening, Pentagon and White House officials said.

Taiwan Arms Deal Excludes Warships
(Washington Post, April 18, 2000) President Clinton decided yesterday to sell a package of high-tech weapons to Taiwan, but followed a Pentagon recommendation to put off the politically volatile sale of four Aegis destroyers, officials said. The package approved by the Clinton administration includes sophisticated air-to-air and anti-ship missiles as well as a "Pave Paws" long-range radar system able to peer thousands of miles into mainland China. But Congress is likely to focus on the deferral of the sale of four Aegis warships, which cost about $1.1 billion each and boast powerful radars able to track more than 100 incoming missiles and aircraft at a time.

Pentagon Won't Back Taiwan Deal: Radar Favored Over Sale of 4 Destroyers
(Washington Post, April 17, 2000) The Pentagon will recommend against the diplomatically explosive sale of four Aegis destroyers to Taiwan, but is in favor of selling the island a long-range radar that can peer deep into China to detect missile launches, Pentagon sources close to the deliberations said yesterday. The Pentagon has decided to recommend that the United States put off Taiwan's request to buy several major new weapons. These include submarines and P-3 Orion anti-submarine aircraft, as well as the four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers equipped with the Aegis battle management system, an array of radars and computers capable of simultaneously tracking more than 100 targets on land, in the air and at sea.

U.S. Faces A Dilemma On Taiwan: Warship Sale Could Fuel China Tensions
(Washington Post, April 14, 2000) Every year at this time, the United States decides which weapons it will sell to Taiwan. But this is no ordinary year; Taiwan has presented no ordinary shopping list; and the decision could hardly come at a more sensitive moment for the Clinton administration. Topping Taiwan's list of desired weapons are four Aegis destroyers costing about $1 billion apiece and bristling with missiles, guns, torpedoes and radars that can track 100 targets simultaneously. Awesome as this firepower may be in battle, members of the Clinton administration worry that its most explosive impact would be diplomatic.

Taiwan Pledges Not to Manufacture, Use Chemical Weapons
(AFP, April 12, 2000) Taiwan pledged Wednesday not to produce nor use chemical weapons despite what it said was a growing Chinese threat of nuclear and bio-chemical weapons. "The military will abide by the country's consistent policy and comply with international treaties," the Chief of the General Staff, General Tang Yao-ming, told a seminar. "(We) will by no means own, produce nor use nuclear and bio-chemical weapons.

Military Has Plans to Go Professional
(Taipei Times, April 4, 2000) By 2005, Taiwan's military is to begin a transition from its dependency on conscription to a system of voluntary enlistment to fill the bulk of its ranks, sources told the Taipei Times yesterday. The sources said that the military's end-goal is to recruit as many as 100,000 "physically competent men" to serve as the first corps of professional soldiers in ROC history. These professional soldiers are to account for half of the number of the armed forces, with the other half taken from military academies.

Washington to Sell Taiwan Four Aegis Destroyers: Report
(AFP, April 3, 2000) The United States is expected to approve soon the sale of four destroyers equipped with the Aegis combat system to Taiwan to help boost the island's defense capability against rival China, it was reported Monday. The US may give its nod during the annual military meeting, which could be slightly postponed to late April or early May, Taiwan's United Daily News quoted military sources as saying.

Cohen Confident of Taiwan's Defense
(Associated Presse, March 31, 2000) Defense Secretary William Cohen expressed confidence Friday that Taiwan has the military strength to defend itself against China, despite China's vast numerical superiority. Cohen was asked about a Washington Post article Friday quoting a secret report as saying the Pentagon believes Taiwan's military is technologically outdated and has a ``host of problems'' that make it vulnerable to potential Chinese invasion.

Taiwan Seen Vulnerable to Attack
(Washington Post, March 31, 2000) Taiwan is far more vulnerable to attack from China than is generally recognized because its isolated military has fallen behind technologically, according to a new and highly classified Pentagon report. The 40-page report points out "a host of problems" with the Taiwanese military's ability to defend against airplanes, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, said a Clinton administration official familiar with it.

US Announces Possible Hawk Missile Sale to Taiwan
(CNA, March 7, 2000) The US Department of Defense announced on Tuesday the possible sale to Taiwan of 162 HAWK Intercept Aerial guided missiles and peripheral equipment at an estimated cost of US$106 million. The announcement of the possible sale comes at a time when the Clinton administration is locked in heated debate over whether the US should sell guided-missile carrying frigates equipped with the Aegis battle system to Taiwan.

Taiwan Asks U.S. to Let It Obtain Top-Flight Arms
(New York Times, March 1, 2000) At a time of high tension among China, Taiwan and the United States, Taiwan's government is pressing Washington to sell it some of the most advanced defensive weapons as part of an ambitious new plan to counter China's growing military power. The request for weapons, including four warships equipped with sophisticated radar and antimissile systems costing more than $1.5 billion each.

Taiwan Warned Against Possible 'Information War' by China
(CNA, Feb. 19, 2000) The Republic of China needs to guard against the possible use of "information warfare" by mainland China, researchers at a think tank warned during a seminar on Saturday. Beijing, based on the principle of taking Taiwan in a single strike, could employ its advanced information technology edge to intercept Taiwan's strategic information and interfere with its weaponry and warfare systems.

Taiwan Plans To Buy More Patriot Missiles
(Reuters, Jan 30, 2000) Taiwan plans to expand its U.S.-made Patriot missile arsenal to protect the island's central and southern regions from threats by rival China, the defense ministry said on Saturday. "Chinese communists' biggest threat to us is their missile attack, so we urgently need more Patriot missile systems to protect us."

US To Continue Arms Sales to Taiwan
(Associated Press, Jan. 28, 2000) Pentagon officials told a visiting Chinese military delegation this week that U.S. sales of defensive arms to Taiwan will continue, and that the reason Taiwan wants to acquire American anti-missile defenses is to counter a recent buildup of Chinese missiles within range of the island.

Pentagon Wants to Deal Arms to Taiwan
(Washington Times, Jan. 21, 2000) The Pentagon wants to make the first new advanced weapons sales to Taiwan in several years, a deal that includes four Aegis warships that can be equipped with anti-missile defenses, according to Clinton administration officials. The ships are equipped with the Aegis high-technology battle management radar and tracking system that is the heart of the U.S. Navy's developing sea-based missile defense system.

Taiwan Finishes Fighter Jet Order (Associated Press, Jan. 14, 2000) Taiwan rolled out the last two fighter jets Friday from a batch of 130 it began making in the 1980s, when Western nations were reluctant to sell the island advanced warplanes. The military originally ordered 250 of the so-called Indigenous Defensive Fighters from a state-owned defense contractor, Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. That number was cut to 130 after Taiwan bought 150 F-16 jets from the United States and 60 Mirage fighters from France in 1992.

Taiwan Armed With 1,000 Computer Viruses Against China: Report
(AFP, Jan 9, 2000) "Should the People's Liberation Army (PLA) launch electronics warfare against Taiwan, the military, armed with about 1,000 computer viruses, would be able to fight back," Defense Ministry official Lin Chin-ching was quoted. But Lin, who heads the ministry's information and telecommunications bureau, would not go into details about the computer viruses or how they would be deployed.

US to Sell Four Destroyers to Taiwan: Official
(AFP, Jan. 8, 2000) The United States had agreed to sell four state-of-the-art guided missile destroyers to Taiwan, an official said Saturday. The Aegis class destroyers would be able to help block any missile launch from rival China, said Chen Pi-chao, advisor to the National Security Council. China is expected to increase its deployment of M9 ballistic missiles to 900 in 2010 together with additional M11 and cruise missiles, Chen told a military seminar in Taipei.

Taiwan to Conduct Live Tests of US-Made Patriot Missiles in 2001
(CNA, Jan. 1, 2000) The Patriot missile is scheduled to undergo live test firings in Taiwan in 2001, sources at the Ministry of National Defense said on Saturday. They noted that if Taiwan does conduct live Patriot missile tests on the island, this will represent the first time that a country which has deployed Patriot missiles tests the surface-to-air missiles on its own territory.

Tang: Long-Range Missiles Not Policy (United Daily News , Dec. 10, 1999)

ROC Renewing Military Hardware Ahead of Links with Mainland China
(Central News Agency, Dec. 5, 2000) As the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will likely be admitted to the World Trade Organization early next year, the ROC government is stepping up preparations for opening direct cross-strait trade, mail and transport links in line with WTO requirements. On the other hand, the ROC military is also beefing up its defense capabilities and security deployment because Beijing has intensified its military build-up and still refused to renounce its attempt to use force against Taiwan.

Dire Strait? Military Aspects of the China-Taiwan Confrontation and Options for U.S. Policy By David A. Shlapak, David T. Orletsky and Barry A. Wilson
(RAND, Nov. 2000)"Our analysis suggests that any near-term Chinese attempt to invade Taiwan would likely be a very bloody affair with a significant probability of failure." "Given that it seems unlikely that Beijing will renounce its "right" to use force to compel unification, a strong Taiwanese deterrent appears to be a necessary component of continued peace on the strait. As Taiwan's most reliable friend and in keeping with the requirements of the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, the United States will necessarily play a major role in helping the ROC maintain and enhance its defensive capabilities even as the PLA modernizes. Should deterrence fail, Taiwan may find itself in a position where its survival is dependent on some degree of direct U.S. military intervention."

US Strikes a Balance with Taiwan Arms Sales By Nadia Tsao
(Taipei Times, Nov. 7, 2000) While some have been highly critical of the administration of US President Bill Clinton and his perceived favoritism of Beijing, arms sales to Taiwan have continued during his terms in office, regardless of China's strong disapproval. This approach -- helping Taiwan meet its defensive needs and appease China -- has been termed "balanced engagement." A review of US-Taiwan military relations during the Clinton era shows that while arms sales to Taiwan were held back to appease China, military support and cooperation has remained strong.

Taiwan Works on Defense Strategy in the Event of Attack from China
(CNN, Nov. 6, 2000) While relations between Beijing and Taipei are at their most strained in years, Taiwan's defense force continues to ready itself for a possible attack from mainland China. A recent emergency drill at Tainan Air Base in southern Taiwan sent pilots scrambling to put their jet fighters in the air. In the event of war, the men in the 443rd Tactical Fighter Wing there would be in the front line.

Taiwan Will Get Missiles If Attacked
(AP, Sept. 30, 2000) A U.S. missile sale to Taiwan includes a highly unusual condition: that they will not be turned over to the island democracy unless China threatens an attack, a senior U.S. defense official said Friday. The arrangement is designed to meet a U.S. arms export pledge not to introduce new offensive military capabilities into Asia, where tensions between Taiwan and China are a source of growing U.S. concern.

US Arms Sales Would Boost Taiwan's Defense Capacity: Analysts
(AFP, Sept. 29, 2000) Taiwanese military analysts said Friday a 1.3 billion dollar arms sales proposed by the Petagon would boost the island's defense capabilities. They said the proposed package had greater political significance than military impact. Defense authorities decline to comment on the deal. The deal included 200 AIM 120C advanced medium range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAM) as well as launchers and other related equipment worth some 150 million dollars.

Swap Arms Race for Arms Control By Yuan I
(Taipei Times, Sept. 21, 2000) Susan Shirk, former US deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and Michel Oksenberg, a senior research fellow at Stanford University's Asia-Pacific Research Center recently co-authored an article for the International Herald Tribune, introducing the concept of arms control into cross-strait relations. The most salient point in the article was the call for bilateral arms control talks between Beijing and Taipei. The idea of arms control has rarely been applied to cross-strait relations, perhaps due to the gaping military imbalance between China and Taiwan.

Military Official Says Defense Relies on US
(Taipei Times, Sep. 1, 2000) Although Taiwan claims it is capable of defending itself, the military has been relying heavily on the US in crucial areas such as real-time information about Chinese troops, according to recently leaked information from a high-ranking military official. The assistance, though not necessarily free, has been requested and granted according to a bilateral cooperation pattern developed between the US and Taiwan during the 1996 Taiwan Strait Missile Crisis, the official said.

Can China Conquer Taiwan? By Michael O'Hanlon
(International Security, Fall 2000) After a decade of intense focus on Iraq and North Korea, the U.S. defense planning community needs to devote more attention to possible war in the Taiwan Strait. The China-Taiwan relationship is structurally unstable, and potentially explosive. China insists that Taiwan is a part of its territory, whereas Taiwan refuses to be ruled by Beijing. China could not take Taiwan, even if U.S. combat forces did not intervene in a conflict. Nor will China be able to invade Taiwan for at least a decade, if not much longer. As such, Washington need not abandon its policy of strategic ambiguity. China should be deterred from attempting an invasion by the military impracticalities of the scenario, regardless of U.S. policy.

Offshore Tactics Are Out of Bounds By Chung Chien
(Taipei Times, July 22, 2000) President Chen Shui-bian has reiterated his military concept of "fully engaging the enemy outside Taiwan's territory," which he first revealed during the presidential election campaign. This has generated heated debate between the ruling and opposition parties here, frantic criticism from Beijing, and worries in the US. It has also forced Taiwan's top military brass to smooth things over. The idea of offshore engagement, first formulated by the policy committee at DPP headquarters, is to keep any military conflict outside Taiwan proper. It is a well-intentioned but impossible strategy.

Flashpoint: The Taiwan Strait By June Teufel Dreyer
(Foreign Policy Research Institute, June 30, 2000) Of all the issues now straining relations between Washington and Beijing -- the large trade imbalance in favor of the PRC, Chinese allegations that the U.S. knowingly targeted its embassy in a bombing raid on Belgrade, American suspicions of Chinese espionage and involvement in nuclear proliferation, and concerns over human rights -- none has more potential for immediate escalation into armed hostilities than the stand-off in the Taiwan Strait.

Arms and Taiwan By Gary Schmitt and Thomas Donnelly
(Washington Post, April 23, 2000) A sentimental desire for "one China" isn't Beijing's sole reason for seeking reunification with Taiwan. Armed with a hardheaded appreciation of power and strategic geography, the Chinese understand that their quest to become East Asia's dominant power depends on their ability to control the "first island chain"--a line running from the Aleutian Islands through Japan to the Philippines and parts of Indonesia. Given this, the Clinton administration's decision to deny the arms requested by Taiwan this year represents not just a defeat for that self-governing island, but a setback in the struggle to preserve American global leadership.

What Taiwan's Military Really Needs By David Shambaugh
(International Herald Tribune, April 22, 2000) The decision by the United States this week not to sell Taiwan advanced Arleigh Burke class destroyers armed with advanced Aegis combat management systems and other sophisticated weaponry was the right one at the right time. The Clinton administration chose to defer the sale pending a series of needed assessments of Taiwan's air and naval defenses. Washington has not closed the door on such sales in the future. It would do so only after careful studies better establish precisely what systems are most appropriate to Taiwan's defense requirements.

Taiwan's Real Bind By Michael O'Hanlon
(New York Times, April 20, 2000) Congressional Republicans are correct in saying the Clinton administration's new arms-sales package for Taiwan denies the island weapons it needs. However, what Congress proposes would go too far in the other direction without addressing Taiwan's real military shortcomings.

Arming Taiwan
(Editorial, Washington Post, April 19, 2000) …it is up to Congress to ask hard questions about whether the administration's proposed sales to Taiwan are really enough to help deter a Chinese move against the island or whether more support is necessary. Particularly as it also seeks a trade opening with China, the administration must show that it fully understands the importance of matching China's toughening posture toward Taiwan with an equal measure of American resolve.

What Taiwan's Military Needs for Its Survival By Holmes S. Liao
(Taipei Times, April 19, 2000) The build-up of missiles in China, and Taiwan's desire to counterbalance it, is looking less like a game of one-upmanship and more like an outright arms race. What must Taiwan do to maintain its military edge over China? is the US promoting or preventing the fledgling democracy from keeping pace?

A LOOK AT . . . The China Puzzle -- Goal: Build A Missile Defense. Problem: How To Handle Beijing By Bates Gill and James Mulvenon
(Washington Post, March 5, 2000) In just three months, President Clinton plans to make a momentous national security decision--whether and how to go forward with plans to deploy a form of national missile defense, or NMD, by 2005. We support the deployment of such a system but question whether the administration has adequately taken into account the major power that would be most affected by it: China.

A LOOK AT . . . The China Puzzle -- Goal: Defend Taiwan. Problem: Flinching By Constantine C. Menges
(Washington Post, March 5, 2000) If the U.S. government acquiesces to China's use of force to take over Taiwan, it would be a violation of principle--consigning 22 million people in a democracy to a dictatorship--and a strategic error of the same magnitude as the 1938 Munich Pact with which the West turned its back on Czechoslovakia, paving the way for World World II.

Time to Act on Taiwan Security By Stephen J. Yates
(The Heritage Foundation, Executive Memorandum, No. 651, Feb. 11, 2000) On February 1, the House of Representatives sent a powerful message to China, Taiwan, and President Clinton that the status quo is no longer acceptable in U.S. policy toward Taiwan. By an overwhelming and bipartisan 341-70 vote, the House passed the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act (H.R. 1838), strengthening America's ability to fulfill the mandate of the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) that the U.S. make available defense articles and services for Taiwan's self-defense. Faced with a promised presidential veto, the bill now moves on to an uncertain future in the Senate.

Dismissing Taiwan's Weapons By Bradley Martin
(Asia Times, Feb. 11, 2000) The latest occurrence is an article by Beijing military strategist Zhang Daji in this month's China Review, published in Hong Kong. As summarized by the PRC-owned Zhongguo Tonxun She (China News Agency), the article says Taiwan's hope of developing offensive weapons that would be up to the challenge of fighting against an attack from the mainland is doomed to be dashed. Beijing's leaks of such dismissive analysis are, of course, aimed at intimidating and discouraging Taiwanese in the run-up to the presidential election.

Debate on US-Taiwan Defense Obligations Underscores Lack of China Policy
(AFP, Jan. 22, 2000) A heated debate in Washington on US defense obligations towards Taiwan underscores the administration's lack of a clear China policy, analysts said here Friday. The debate is pitting Pentagon advocates of selling advanced weaponry to Taiwan against those protesting such sales in the State Department. With China threatening that US-Chinese relations will be determined by the US decision on the sales, and Taiwan's arguing that the weapons are a necessary power-balancer, that lack of a clear policy is becoming more noticeable.

The Military Balance Across the Taiwan Strait By Chen Pi-chao
(Taipei Times, Jan. 10, 2000) China is winning the arms race through sheer quantity now and will eventually catch up in terms of quality, but can it really afford the cost? In military manpower and hardware, the PRC enjoys a quantitative superiority that Taiwan has no hope of matching or even closing the gap. In terms of the quality of military manpower and hardware, Taiwan still possesses a diminishing edge.

The China-Taiwan Military Balance By James H. Nolt
(Jan. 2000) China has no real military options in dealing with Taiwan. Others have discussed at least three major ways China could use military force against Taiwan: 1) invasion, 2) blockade (or mere harassment of flights and shipping) and 3) missile attacks (with or without nuclear warheads). I argue below why none are practical military options. Taiwan's military modernization is proceeding more rapidly than China's. Thus, despite China's more rapid economic growth, its capacity to threaten Taiwan militarily is not increasing; in fact, it is probably decreasing. I conclude by suggesting why the "China threat" seems to many US commentators to be increasing, when, objectively, China's continuing neglect of its military portends the opposite.

Establishing Cross-Strait Military CBMs By Kenneth Allen (The Henry L. Stimson Center, Apr. 22, 1999)