1999 ; 2000
[ News ] [ Papers ]
Ma: Missile Withdrawal Precondition for China Talks
(Yomiuri Shimbun, Jun. 6, 2008) Taiwan will demand
China withdraw ballistic missiles aimed at Taiwan as a precondition for
future peace talks with China, Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said in an
exclusive interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun.
KMT Chairman Suggests Missile Gesture
(Taipei Times, Jun. 2, 2008) Chinese Nationalist
Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung said yesterday that China could demonstrate its goodwill toward Taiwan by reducing the number of ballistic
missiles it has pointing at Taiwan.
Missile Defense Is Inadequate: Report
(Taipei Times, Apr. 9, 2006) A new report paints a bleak picture of Taiwan's
ability to counter a Chinese missile attack, even with the help of the US,
citing what it calls the "chaotic" political atmosphere surrounding
the issue of missile defense and military squabbling over the issue.
Taiwan Successfully Test Fires First Cruise Missile
(AFP, June 5, 2005) Taiwan has successfully test
fired its first cruise missile, which would allow the island to hit major
military targets in southeast China.
PRC May Pull Back Missiles Facing Taiwan, Paper Reveals
(Taiwan
News, May 31, 2005) The China
Youth Daily reported that the issue of whether to remove the missiles is
currently under discussion by the leadership of the People's Liberation Army.
Taiwan Successfully Test Fires First Cruise Missile
(AFP, June 5, 2005) Taiwan has successfully test fired
its first cruise missile, which would allow the island to hit major military
targets in southeast China.
PRC May Pull Back Missiles Facing Taiwan, Paper Reveals
(Taiwan
News, May 31, 2005) The China
Youth Daily reported that the issue of whether to remove the missiles is
currently under discussion by the leadership of the People's Liberation Army.
Military Talks About Missile Program
(Taipei Times, May 3,
2005) The recently formed Missile Defense Command will be disbanded, but the
defense minister seemed to imply that Taiwan was developing ballistic
missiles.
China to Deploy Cruise Missiles: NSB
(Taipei Times, Apr 24, 2005) An official with the
National Security Bureau said that even if China withdraws its
much-publicized ballistic missiles, its LACMs could still devastate
Taiwan.
Taiwan 'Cannot Ward Off a Surprise
Missile Attack'
(Straits Times, Mar. 22, 2005) Taiwan's
military admitted yesterday that it would be incapable of defending against a
surprise missile attack from China.
Japan Rapid Missile Defense
Response Set
(Japan
Times, Feb. 9, 2005)
The government has come up with an emergency override process that sidesteps
the normal decision-making channels if it needs to quickly activate a
U.S-developed missile defense system.
Japan, U.S.
Sign Missile Defense Pact
(Reuters, Dec. 17, 2004) Japan
and the United States
signed an agreement cementing cooperation on the development of a ballistic
missile defense system.
Taiwan Military Warns of China Missile Threat
(Reuters, Sep. 30, 2004) Taiwan
Defense Minister Lee Jye said that China could have as many as 800
ballistic missiles poised to strike the island in an intensive bombardment by
2006.
Taiwan Test-Fires Missiles that Can Hit Chinese Cities
(AP, Sep. 27, 2004) The missiles, dubbed Hsiung-feng 2A and Hsiung-feng 2E, have ranges of
between 150km
and 300km, the
mass-market Liberty Times said, citing unidentified military sources.
Yu Heralds a 'Balance of Terror'
(Taipei Times, Sep. 26, 2004) "The best scenario will
see a `balance of terror' being maintained across the Taiwan
Strait so that the national security is safeguarded,"
Premier Yu Shyi-kun said. "If you fire 100 missiles at me, I should be
able to fire at least 50 at you. If you launch an attack on ... Kaohsiung, I should be able to launch a counterattack on
Shanghai."
China Tests New Missile Which
Could Pose Threat to Taiwan
(AFP, Sep.
20, 2004) China
has test-fired a cruise missile which will pose a new threat to rival Taiwan.
The land attack cruise missile (LACM) will have a range of 1,500km, Jane's Missiles and Rockets
magazine said.
China Tests New Guided Missile
Amid Taiwan Tensions
(Reuters, Aug. 17, 2004) China
has successfully tested a new guided missile it says is highly accurate,
state media said on Tuesday amid rising tensions with arch-rival Taiwan.
Powell Cautions Mainland China on Missile Build-Up
Across Taiwan Strait (China Post, Nov. 7,
2003) U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell cautioned mainland China over its
military build-up across the strait from Taiwan and about the kind of message
Beijing wishes to convey to the world regarding its intentions toward the
island.
Taiwan Keeps Mum on Development of
Missile That Can Reach Shanghai (AFP, Oct. 29,
2003) Taiwan's defence ministry was tight-lipped on
a report that the military has been quietly developing a medium-range
surface-to-surface missile capable of attacking rival China's Shanghai.
China Slams Missile-Defense Plan
(Kyodo News, Sep. 4, 2003) Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan voiced
concern over Japan's
plans to launch a missile defense system in 2007. Region's military balance
may be jeopardized.
Japan Seeks Shield for North
Korean Missiles
(NYT, Aug. 30, 2003)
Hours after North Korea
reportedly threatened to test a nuclear bomb, Japan's Defense Ministry asked
Parliament here to spend $1 billion a year through 2007 to build an
American-designed missile-defense shield.
U.S. Report Pushes Taiwan to Review Defense Abilities
(Taiwan
News, Aug. 2, 2003)
Taiwan said it was well
aware of China's
growing military threat but added it would reassess the country's defense
capacity and arms procurement plans as the Pentagon has suggested.
White House Reassures Taiwan
over PRC Missiles
(China Post, Aug. 2, 2003) "We've made it very clear
that China's rapid
build-up of weapons, particularly missiles opposite of Taiwan, is something that is
destabilizing, and we will fulfill our commitments under the Taiwan Relations
Act," said White House press secretary Scott McClellan.
China Slams Pentagon Report on
Threat to Taiwan
(Reuters, Aug. 1, 2003) China
denounced a Pentagon report accusing it of deploying growing numbers of
missiles aimed at Taiwan
and said Washington
was making excuses to sell advanced weapons to the island.
U.S. Says China Is Stepping Up Short-Range Missile
Production
(NYT, July 31, 2003) China has accelerated production
of short-range ballistic missiles, not only to hold Taiwan at peril but also
"to complicate United States intervention in a Taiwan Strait
conflict," the Pentagon said.
China Missile Tests
(Washington Times, July 18, 2003) China now has about 450 CSS-7 and CSS-6
missiles near Taiwan.
The figure represents an increase of 100 missiles since last year's report.
China's Missile Tests
(Washington Times, June 20, 2003) China's military is preparing to conduct a
flight test of the new DF-31 mobile missile, according to U.S. officials.
MND Studies Effectiveness of Patriot Missiles
(Taiwan
News, Mar. 26, 2003)
The Ministry of National Defense is closely observing and studying the
effectiveness of Patriot anti-missiles presently being used by coalition
forces in the U.S.-led war against Iraq.
Taiwan Speeding Up Procurement of Patriot Weaponry
(AFP, Mar. 25, 2003) Taiwan's military is speeding up
procedures for the purchase of U.S.-made PAC-III anti-missile weaponry to
counter China's growing missile threat, a vice defence minister said.
Defense Officials Complain about Patriot Missiles
(Taipei
Times, Mar. 25, 2003)
The poor performance of the new PAC-3 version of the air-defense system has
given the MND second thoughts about buying it.
Missiles Pointed Toward Taiwan
Meant for Foreign
(AP, Mar.
13, 2003) A legislator defended China's
deployment of missiles near rival Taiwan, saying they were meant to
prevent foreign meddling in Chinese affairs, not to threaten the self-ruled
island.
China Slams Aus 'Star Wars' Plan
(CNN.com, Feb. 28, 2003) Australia's
decision to examine possible involvement in the controversial U.S. missile shield defense system has drawn
sharp criticism from China.
Chen Calls for Positive Response to U.S. Plan for Missile Defense
(Taiwan
News, Feb. 26, 2003)
President Chen Shui-bian said that Taiwan,
Japan and South Korea
all should make a positive response to the U.S.-initiated theater missile
defense (TMD) system development plan.
Military Slowly Preparing for MDS System
(Taipei Times, Feb 26, 2003) The military is now
better prepared for the deployment of a multi-layered missile defense system
(MDS) to stand up to missile threats from China.
No Signs That China Is
Pulling Back Missiles
(AP, Feb. 22, 2003) Taiwan's military has no evidence
that China has withdrawn some of the hundreds of missiles aimed at the
island, a military official said.
China Aims 75 More Missiles a Year
at Taiwan
(Reuters, Feb. 21, 2003) China
is adding at least 75 ballistic missiles a year to its arsenal and is likely
to have fielded 600 against Taiwan
by 2005, the Pentagon's Taiwan
desk officer said.
Japan, US to Conduct Joint Missile-Interception Tests
(AFP, Feb. 17, 2003) Japan and the United States have
decided to conduct joint tests on intercepting ballistic missiles in Hawaii
as fears grew that North Korea may resume its own missile test-firing.
Military to Study Missile Defense
(Taipei
Times, Feb. 14, 2003)
Minister of National Defense announced that the military has set up a task
force to plan for the establishment of a comprehensive missile defense
system.
New Missiles Threaten Taiwan
(Taipei Times, Feb. 13, 2003) China is developing mid-range missiles,
deployed inland, that could be used to threaten Taiwan as a substitute for the
short-range missiles across the Strait.
China Hits Out at U.S. Missile Plans
(CNN.com, Dec. 19, 2002) Beijing
has reiterated opposition to Washington's
deployment of a National Missile Defense (NMD) system, saying it will upset
the "global strategic balance."
Security Chief Says Offer to Move Missiles Hollow
(Taipei Times, Dec 12, 2002) National Security
Bureau (NSB) director Tsai Tsao-ming said it was meaningless to have China
move short-range ballistic missiles deployed against Taiwan since these
missiles are mostly mobile and could be quickly redeployed if necessary.
China: Taiwan ‘Independence Forces' the Problem, Not
Mainland Missiles
(AP, Dec. 10, 2002) China asserted its right to
"military deployment in its own territory", insisting that problems
between Taiwan and the mainland are caused not by Beijing's missile
deployments but by independence advocates on the island.
U.S. Informs Japan Joint
Missile Shield To Be Deployed in 2008
(Kyodo News, Nov. 10, 2002) The United States has
told Japan that it plans to begin deploying interceptor missiles in 2008
under the countries' joint missile-defense initiative, Japanese and U.S.
government sources said.
Taiwan Parliament Calls on China to Remove Ballistic Missiles
(AFP, Oct. 23, 2002) Taiwan's
parliament has passed a motion demanding China remove the hundreds of
ballistic missiles deployed near the island and settle the sovereignty
dispute by peaceful means.
MOFA Starts Anti-missile Campaign
(Taipei Times, Oct. 13, 2002) The
ministry got the Taiwan
Junior Chamber to start a global movement to put pressure on China to stop its use of missiles to
intimidate Taiwan.
Taiwan President Demands China
Remove Missiles
(Taipei Times, Oct. 13, 2002) The
ministry got the Taiwan Junior Chamber to start a global movement to put
pressure on China to stop
its use of missiles to intimidate Taiwan.
Taiwan President Demands China
Remove Missiles
(AFP, Oct. 10, 2002) Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian again
demanded China
remove "immediately" the 400 missiles it has targeted at the island
and renounce the use of force against his country.
MND to Spend NT$20b on Supersonic Missiles
(AFP, Oct. 7, 2002) Taiwan's military has budgeted at
least NT$20 billion (US$570 million) to finance the uncompleted supersonic
anti-ship missile development project next year.
China Test-Fires New Missile
(Washington Times, July 1, 2002) China's air
force test-fired a new air-to-air missile for the first time last week in a
move that has altered the military balance across the Taiwan Strait.
US Buries ABM Treaty, Bush Praises Missile Defense
(Reuters, June 14, 2002) The United States formally
withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty on Thursday and President
Bush called for an aggressive push to build missile defenses against ``terrorists''
and ``rogue'' states who could work together to try to destroy U.S.
civilization.
US Military Commander Warns
of Cross-Strait Arms Race
(AFP, April
18, 2002) China's
growing collection of weapons targeting Taiwan
will eventually force the US
to consider boosting the island's missile defences, the top US Asia-Pacific
military commander said.
US Upbeat on China Missile Dispute
(Reuters, March 18, 2002) China has told the US it is
cracking down on nuclear, chemical, biological and missile exports, stoking
optimism that a festering non-proliferation dispute can be resolved soon.
American Aide Meets Chinese on U.S. Pullout
From ABM Pact
(NYT, Dec. 18, 2001) A senior United States State Department
official met with Chinese counterparts here over the last two days in what
was described by the Americans as an effort to explain President Bush's
recent decision to pull out of the Antiballistic Missile Treaty.
Locally Developed Missile Defense Considered
(AFP, Dec. 17, 2001) The government is planning on using a
locally developed missile shield rather than buying the US-made Patriot
weaponry to defend the central and southern part of the nation against
attacks from China,
it was reported.
China Ready to Deploy its First
Mobile ICBMs
(Washington
Times, Sep. 6, 2001)
China will soon deploy its
first road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles, a new long-range
strategic weapon whose predicted range includes the western United States. U.S. intelligence agencies
detected the Chinese military's formation of the first missile units equipped
with Dong Feng-31 missiles in July, and the Pentagon believes the first
missiles will be fielded by the end of the year.
U.S. Restates Its Stand on
Missiles in China
(NYT, Sep. 2, 2001) The Bush administration, seeking to
overcome Chinese opposition to its missile defense program, intends to tell
leaders in Beijing
that it has no objections to the country's plans to build up its small fleet
of nuclear missiles.
White House Denies Shift in China
Policy
(AFP, Sep. 3, 2001) The White House played down reports Sunday
of a change in policy toward China,
saying planned discussions with Beijing
were merely an effort to win support for President George W. Bush's proposed
missile defense shield -- a key foreign policy goal.
U.S. to Tell China It Will Not Object to Missile Buildup
(NYT, Sep. 2, 2001) The Bush administration, seeking
to overcome Chinese opposition to its missile defense program, intends to
tell leaders in Beijing that it has no objections to the country's plans to
build up its small fleet of nuclear missiles.
Jiang Dodges Query on
Missile Shield
(Washington Post, Aug. 9, 2001) Senator
indicates plan isn't 'compelling issue' for China. President Jiang Zemin took
a softer tone on China's long-standing opposition to U.S. plans to build a
missile defense system during a two-hour meeting with a group of U.S.
senators, the head of the delegation said.
NMD Development Unjustified: Chinese Defense Minister
(People's Daily, Aug. 8, 2001) Chinese Defense Minister Chi
Haotian said that the United
States' advocate for developing the
national missile defense system does not stand to reason.
China Angered by U.S. Missile Tests
(CNN.com, July 16, 2001) China's
Foreign Ministry has responded harshly to a fourth U.S. anti-missile defense test
over the weekend in the Pacific. "The U.S. insisted on developing
anti-missile defense systems in violation of the (1972) Anti Ballistic
Missile Treaty.
'Shanghai Forum' Unity against US Missile Plan
(Financial Times, June 15, 2001) China forged a
united front with Russia and central Asian states on Friday against the US
plan for an anti-missile defence shield ahead of the weekend meeting between
presidents Vladimir Putin and George W. Bush.
China Firm On Missile Defense Opposition
(WP, May 16, 2001) Rejecting the arguments of a
senior U.S. envoy, China stood firm in its opposition to the Bush
administration plan for national missile defenses today, bluntly describing
it as a threat to Chinese national interests.
U.S. Faces China Tough Sell
(CNN.com, May 15, 2001) U.S. envoy James Kelly faces
a hard sell as he briefs Chinese officials in Beijing Tuesday on Washington's
missile defense plans.
Armitage: U.S. Missile Plan 'No Threat to China'
(CNN.com, May 11, 2001) The U.S. has said its missile
defense shield poses no threat to China during U.S. Deputy Secretary of State
Richard Armitage's tour of Asia to
sell the concept. "We believe if we have a limited -- limited – defense
against a handful of missiles, that in no way eliminates China's strategic deterrent, so it is not a
threat to China."
China Warns of Possible Arms
Race
(CNN.com, May 2, 2001) China
has warned that U.S.
plans for a missile defense system (NMD) could lead to a possible arms race. China's official Xinhua news agency slammed
President George W. Bush's call to replace the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile
treaty (ABM) -- between Washington and Moscow -- with a new
missile system.
Beijing Eases Stand On Missile
Defense
(Washington Post, Mar. 15, 2001) China
signaled a softening in its opposition to U.S.
plans for national and theater missile defenses, saying it looked forward to
discussing the issues during a visit to Washington next week by its top diplomat.
China Aids Pakistani, 'Rogue' Missile Programs, CIA Says
(Washington Times, Feb. 28, 2001) China continued to
send "substantial" assistance to Pakistan's missile program during
the first half of 2000 and also aided missile programs in Iran, North Korea
and Libya, according to a CIA report. "Chinese missile-related technical
assistance to Pakistan
continued to be substantial during this reporting period," the CIA said
in its semiannual report to Congress on arms proliferation.
Experts Try to Make Missile Shield
Plan Palatable to China
(New
York Times, Jan. 28, 2001)
With President Bush dead set on building a national missile defense, American
and Chinese military experts have begun exploring ways to make such a shield
more palatable to China
and say a compromise, though extremely difficult, might be possible.
Actions More Important Than Words By Lin Cheng-yi
(Taipei Times, Jun. 16, 2008) Through its missile
deployment, Beijing
is trying to kill many birds with one stone. While a reduction of missiles
would have a political and psychological impact on Taiwan,
the US is still the main
recipient of Beijing’s
demands.
Russia and China Attack U.S.
Missile Shield Plan By Edward Wong and Alan Cowell (New
York Times, Mat 24, 2008) President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia and President Hu Jintao of China met on Friday to conclude a deal on
nuclear cooperation and together condemn American proposals for a missile
shield in Europe.
Defense Officials Losing Faith in Missile Defense Potential
(Taipei Times, Apr. 10, 2006) There is a vast divide between those in the
military and government who want to boost the country's missile defenses, and
their opponents, who believe the country should develop deterrent
capabilities instead of paying for high-priced missile defense.
Turn Missile Buildup Against China By RichardFisher, Jr
(Taipei
Times, Jun 11, 2005) Revelations in last Sunday's China Times that Taiwan has tested a 1,000km-range capable land attack
cruise missile (LACM) proves an axiom: China's military buildup will not
stop an Asian defensive response.
Taiwan and China Both Play
Missile Cards
(ABC
Online, Aug. 17, 2004) Taiwan
and China
have both announced successful missile tests amid concerns about continuing
tension between the two neighbors.
China's Rapid Missile
Build-up No Empty Threat
(Reuters,
Aug. 12, 2004) China is
accelerating its coastal deployment of missiles that are now accurate and
powerful enough to inflict severe damage on Taiwan.
Asia's Ill-Advised Umbrella
(Editorial,
New York Times, Apr. 16, 2004) By pushing ahead with its plans for a missile
defense in Asia, the Bush administration runs the risk of creating a larger
threat than the one it means to counter.
Japan Support of Missile
Shield Could Tilt Asia Power Balance By Norimitsu Onishi (New York Times, Apr.
3, 2004) As the United States races to erect a ballistic missile defense
system by the end of the year, it is quietly enlisting Japan and other allies
in Asia to take part in the network, which could reshape the balance of power
in the region.
Defense Ministry Reviews Taiwan's Missile Capabilities
(Taiwan
News, Jan. 16, 2004)
Minister of National Defense Tang Yiau-ming stressed the importance of Taiwan's
self-reliance in equipping its armed forces.
US Turns Up Missile Defense
Pressure on Japan By Axel Berkofsky
(Asia
Times, Nov. 19, 2002)
Japan's
defense establishment does not apparently spend too much time worrying about
the strategic implications of missile defense.
Taiwan's
Response to China's
Missile Buildup By Phillip C. Saunders and Lora L. Saalman (Center for
Nonproliferation Studies, October 2002) Over the next five years, China’s growing missile capabilities will be
its most important means of exerting military leverage over Taiwan. This issue brief provides
a systematic outline of Taiwan’s
potential military and political responses to a PRC missile attack.
Strengthening China's
Export Control System By Jing-Dong Yuan
(Center
for Nonproliferation Studies, Oct.
4, 2002) The Chinese government’s capacity and willingness to
implement and enforce its regulations will a critical factor determining the
effectiveness of Chinese export control.
Ballistic Missiles and
Missile Defense in Asia By Michael D. Swaine with Loren H.
Runyon (NBR
Analysis: Vol. 13, No. 3, June 2002) The expansion of missile capabilities,
and U.S. ballistic missile defense (BMD) plans, have stimulated interest in
the region in the development and deployment of possible defensive
countermeasures, most notably in Japan and Taiwan.
Missile Deal to Boost
Beijing's Naval Prowess
(Taipei
Times, June 18, 2002) Russia has agreed to sell China two powerful missile
systems, including a supersonic anti-ship missile with a range of 300km, for use on two new
Sovremenny-class destroyers it will acquire from Moscow.
Missile Defense and Asian
Security
By Michael Krepon
(Stimson
Center, 2002) This paper discusses NMD's potential "cascading
effect" upon the China-South Asia nuclear balance as well as other
possible repercussions in Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
CIA Warns Missile Threat
Greater Than That During Cold War
(AFP, Mar
13, 2002) The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency warned that the United States faced a more serious ballistic
missile threat than during the Cold War, predicting that North Korea, Iran
and possibly Iraq
could target it with missiles in the next 15 years.
Foreign Missile Developments
and the Ballistic Missile Threat Through 2015 (National Intelligence Estimate, Jan. 2002) China's
current ICBM force consists of large, liquid-propellant missiles armed with
single nuclear warheads. Of these ICBMs, about 20 are CSS-4 silo-based
missiles that can reach targets in the United States. The Chinese
also have about a dozen CSS-3 ICBMs that are almost certainly intended as a
retaliatory deterrent against targets in Russia
and Asia.
China Braces for Uncertainty
as ABM Treaty Unravels By Ching Cheong
(Straits
Times, Dec. 27, 2001) Despite its low-key reaction, Beijing views
Washington's unilateral withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM)
Treaty negatively and is devising plans carefully to brace China for a more
uncertain and insecure world resulting from the United States' move.
ABM Withdrawal a Dangerous
Sign
(China
Daily, Dec. 21, 2001)
Military unilateralism will not bring the United States the security they
expect and will lead to even more global distrust, experts cautioned. The
announcement by the Bush Administration of withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic
Missile (ABM) treaty indicates that the US is continuing to pursue,
instead of restraining from, military unilateralism.
Taiwan Home-Grown Shield:
Doubts Aplenty
(Straits
Times, Dec. 18, 2001) While Taiwan is said to have the capability to build
its own missile shield, experts are doubtful over whether the system is
sophisticated enough to guard against any incoming missiles from China.
Experts ask how effective it will be in destroying missiles from China,
saying more sophisticated technology is needed.
China's Nuclear Agenda By Bates Gill and James Mulvenon
(New York
Times, Sep. 7, 2001)
As the Bush administration prepares for a more serious strategic dialogue
with China,
this process must be informed by certain uncomfortable truths. First, for the
past 20 years or more China
has had the ability to incinerate at least a handful of American cities.
Unpleasant, but true. Its nuclear force, however, has remained comparatively
small since its inception.
If China Builds More Warheads By Rose
Gottemoeller
(Washington
Post, Sep. 6, 2001)
MIRVs (multiple, independently targetable warheads) would enable China to be confident that the limited missile
defense system of the United
States would not negate its strategic
offensive deterrent. On the other, MIRVs are universally regarded as a
stepping stone for aspirants to strategic superiority.
Missile Defense Dialogue
Needed By Ralph A. Cossa
(Taipei
Times, Aug. 12, 2001) What's needed is a serious Sino-US dialogue on what
China's genuine security concerns are, given Washington's current inclination
to listen -- provided, of course, that China is prepared to recognize that
there are also legitimate US security concerns to be discussed. The time has
come for Beijing
to exhibit some "understanding" of US concerns, even as it pursues
its own national security interests.
Double Talk On Missile
Defense By Michael O'Hanlon
(Washington
Post, July 31, 2001)
During his recent meetings in Beijing,
Secretary of State Colin Powell repeated his frequent refrain that the Bush
administration desires only a "limited" capability to shoot down
long-range missiles. His words were intended to reassure rulers in Beijing who fear that an American missile shield
allegedly designed against North Korea,
Iran or Iraq might really be intended to
neutralize their small nuclear deterrent.
Behind the Shield, a 3-Sided
Rivalry By Partick E. Tyler
(New York
Times, May 6, 2001)
It is a distant memory, but the common enemy that loomed over the
Antiballistic Missile Treaty negotiations three decades ago was China.
Suddenly China
was isolated.
Ballistic Missile Defense
and Northeast Asian Security: Views from Washington, Beijing, and Tokyo (Center for
Nonproliferation Studies, April 2001) US
policymakers see NMD as an insurance policy to support US national defense if deterrence
fails, which is viewed as a real possibility.
Bush's Missile Shield at
Heart of Asian Diplomacy
(Reuters,
Mar. 15, 2001)
U.S. President George W. Bush's ambitious plan for a missile defense shield
is emerging as a central issue in Washington's
diplomacy towards Asia.
Backing Beijing Into a Corner By Trevor Corson
(New York
Times, Mar. 12, 2001)
When President Vladimir Putin of Russia
announced his interest in joining the United
States and Europe in a
missile- defense program, it appeared that old adversaries might be coming
together. But one significant adversary, China, would be left out.
The China and Nuclear Reunion
Is Only a Motive Away By David E.
Mosher, Lowell H. Schwartz (LA Times, Feb. 25, 2001) We
tend to overlook China because it has opted to keep an arsenal of only about
20 single-warhead missiles that can reach the United States and because it is
not a party to the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
Japan: No Pledge to Develop
TMD By Kwan
Weng Lin
(Straits
Times, Feb. 22, 2001) Japan
has made no commitment on the development and deployment of the controversial
Theatre Missile Defence (TMD) system of the United
States in this region, although it continues to carry
out joint research with the US
on TMD technologies.
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