Taiwan trembling with fear as dragon arms itself

Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian recently delivered a speech reporting that the number of Chinese short range missiles deployed off the coast of Taiwan has now reached 706. The last number reported by Taiwan’s defense minister was 600, but Vice President Lu in August of 2004 claimed that China would reach 800 ballistic missiles, 250+ cruise missiles deployed by 2005. U.S. intelligence reports have put China’s rate of increase in missiles deployed per year at 75, but if the steady reports from top Taiwanese officials are accurate, the actual rate is considerably more.

“I urge China to join the ranks of democratic-loving and peaceful Pacific nations and give up using military force to threaten neighboring countries,” Chen said in a speech

source : www.reuters.co.uk...

another article :

Taiwanese Defense Minister Lee Jye said today that their Communist neighbor to the North is likely to have a staggering 800 ballistic missiles aimed at Taiwan before the end of 2006. He noted, while speaking to a defense committee about a requested military budget, that China already has 600 short range missiles mostly within range of the small island nation.

Lee is quoted as saying that “The number of Dong Feng-11 and Dong Feng-15 ballistic missiles is expected to rise to 800 before the end of 2006.” The DF-11 is also know as the CSS-7; the DF-15 as the CSS-6.

Lee’s estimate is actually less than that put forward by Taiwanese vice president Annette Lu, who recently said that China’s SRBMs targeting Taiwan would reach 800 by 2005.

Lee also spoke of some 200 additional cruise missiles which China may fire during a potential attack, which he characterized as consisting of five waves, lasting a total of ten hours.

“Given (Taiwan’s) missile defensive capabilities, we are hardly able to cope with the threat.”

source

Taiwanese Vice President Annette Lu stated yesterday that China will have 800 ballistic missiles aimed at the tiny island nation by 2005, in response to criticisms of a previous, controversial, statement, that the two nations were in a state of “quasi-war.”

The number 800 represents a significant increase from previous statements, such as that by President Chen last November and U.S. intelligence estimates earlier this year, which put the number of missiles deployed at 500. Lu’s statement, reported by Reuters, was that, “Mainland China has accelerated its missile deployment. By next year, the number of missiles will likely reach 800 and it is growing at a speed faster than we have expected.” U.S. intelligence have put the rate of China’s deployment of additional missiles at 75 per year, but Lu’s claim could represent a significant acceleration

more tensions :

news.bbc.co.uk...

I don't think the Taiwanese are trembling with fear. Actualy that is really a bad thing to say because you don't really know. So it's kinda like an ignorant statement don't you think.

If you have seen how most Taiwanese people live you will know they don't think about that. The only thing they think about is money. And Taiwan is relatively just like any other Chinese province in terms of economy. Their relationship to Beijing is just like Sichuan, where I live. The only thing different is the remants of a civil war still in the minds of a few old people and new younger generations fighting and scathing for power.

Why join in their game and spread lies about the people. They are not trembling with fear. They'll prefer the outcome that let's them get more money every day. Point blank.

I doubt Taiwan is trembling with fear, they have 2 American Carrier groups backing them up.

Plus, a lot of talk has being on about the 700-800 missiles.

What, do you honestly think that China is going to blow Taiwan apart to make a point?

The current status quo isn't that bad, y people continue to increase tensions is beyond me.

Its politics. China's sabre rattling and the "Fear" that Taiwan will give them weight when they ask for weapons purchases this year. Aegis, more PAC-3's, etc etc etc.

China is only helping the island arm itself to the teeth Solid work Middle Kingdom. I think the U.S. should let them buy whatever they feel they need to defend thier island.

The US will have reservations about selling the really really good stuff to Taiwan.

Afterall, it would be the ultimate irony if Taiwan was overthrown (government coup)and America found itself attacked by it's own stuff.

I've heard there are digital locks on tomahawk cruisemissiles, allies can only launch them if washington gives permission and turns the second key ???? (wich is entirely understandable as you wouldn't your allies get oppertunistic thoughts with a nuclear warhead placed on one of your long range delivery vehicles)

Makes you wonder, how many more digital locks could their be on American weaponry that are kept secret ?, allowing Washington to remotely de-activate ? Just watch those turned rogue allied planes start falling out of the sky like bird droppings and missiles suddenly complaining about obtaining a new Windows -XP license and contacting your vendor...

For example, I believe usa is doing very profitable bussiness by supplying both Pakistan and India with weaponry while carefully watching this will not offset the millitary balance too much to either side, but suppose one of their leaders has a visit from God and gets told to wage war, the USA could (bare with me, theoratically) just FREEZE a good deal weaponry ???



Maybe Bush should workout something with Putin to pursuede him to put secret locks on those RPG , that would benefit the russians as well, as they were often countered in Afghanistan and Checnya with their own manufactured equipment...

Would it be considerad too much of a liberal thought to have american gun manufacters built in some restrictions in general, That for instance they do not function in the vicinity of electronic field around a banks or a liquor store, but allows the smart gun of the guards or the shop owner to operate in his own territory ?

I believe i read some stuff about guns that will only allow themselve to be used by their owner and recording the time/date of gunshots on chip, as possible cevidence/owner clearance in any courtcases that may arise from the gun being used..Personally I hope this technology becomes more popular and that Americans find a set of electronic rules that satisfies both the american love for freedom of ownership/use while at the same time poses some limits on those that lack responsible ownership???.


[edit on 1-3-2005 by Countermeasures]

Hmm…interesting point of view there.

Could America place these chips on the weapons and get away with it though? That’s a bigger question After all, once you’ve got these missiles a lot of nations ‘re-verse’ engineer from them and create their own weapons. What if they find out or found out America had sold them weapons they couldn’t use? Wouldn’t this cause more problems then just letting these nations bomb themselves?

It is possible and it seems as though America would do it, but I doubt that they have for the simple fact if it was found out that they had…they’d loose a lot of business to Russia and they need the money at the moment to help the flagging economy of America.

As for the handguns, I agree with that. They should be given a GPS encoder and timer chip, once the gun has been fired record it - that way, anyone can have their gun traced to an incident. Maybe they could have it so this gets reported? Satellite uplink, etc? That’s just a though, but do I see the gun nuts allowing this? Hell no. But, remember innocent women, children, etc, being killed is all fine as long as you can keep the ‘Second Amendment’.

As for Russia doing it? Hell no, they love those RPGs they sell to ‘terrorists’, ‘Muslim extremists’ or whatever else you wish to call them. It earns a lot of money to Russia and with the way the American and British administration acts, it causes Russia no major problem. (Except the School kid one, but that was payback for Russia 20 years ago acting the way America does now.)

Most criminals use untracable guns anyways, putting a GPS tracker on weapons will not solve anything.

There are organizations that produce firearms from their own materials, perfectly identical to the real thing, say a sig or glock, but never registered, no paperwork, no serial, no nothing. Just a gun. Who do you think they make them for?

i would be scared to, if all the worlds supply of frosted flakes were to be eaten i would be very angry.............so i think the taiwanese should launch there milk missiles so the chinese supply of frosted flakes becomes very soggy so no one eats eats the frosted flakes then they will starve to death

[edit on 1-3-2005 by ThEeNd]

Originally posted by Odium
That’s just a though, but do I see the gun nuts allowing this? Hell no. But, remember innocent women, children, etc, being killed is all fine as long as you can keep the ‘Second Amendment’.

No, irresponsible or criminal people shoot guns irresponsibly or recklessly. Most gun-owners and proponents of the Second Amendment are responsible, law-abiding citizens who are trained how to use their weapons properly and only use it in self-defense. They don't go around and intimidating people with their sidearms or hoisting assault weapons on their backs in America. You see that a lot in some African nations, South America and Afghanistan, where AK-47 rifles are the standard weapons. If the Second Amendment applies to every nation, crime rates, violent or otherwise, would drop like a rock.

As long as you know how to use a weapon properly and use it in self-defense, you're not a gun-nut. Only irresponsible or criminal people are nuts about using guns irresponsibly or recklessly.

Just get this bussiness over with. Status quo, unite or seperate just choose one! Or else America will try to reap benifits using its dirty hands. oh, wait.... I think they are already playing those dirty tricks...

Originally posted by the_oleneo
if the Second Amendment applies to every nation, crime rates, violent or otherwise, would drop like a rock. ...

I really, really doubt that.

The problem with legal gun ownership is not that it allows the criminal elements to obtain guns, they can get it anyway.

The real problem is that it allows people who are angry, lack self control, kids etc... Those who are not hardened criminals to get to guns and use them in a fit a rage.

Taiwan trembling with fear as dragon arms itself


Mighty hilarious that the Reuter's article is entitled:
"Taiwan says China missile threat grows"
and another article released by them further says:
China to boost military spending as it eyes Taiwan

Hmmmm.....
Don't know how you got this interpretation, but I am sure that if Chiang Kai-shek was alive today, he would have beat you like there was no tomorrow for twisting and misinterpreting this article.

I highly doubt that Taiwan is "trembling with fear" in regards to China arming. China has been amassing and arming along the Taiwan Strait for quite some time, decades really.

That would be like saying that India is "trembling with fear" in regards to China arming. Maybe even Japan "trembling in fear." How about Russia is "trembling with fear"?

I noticed today that Taiwan blasted the EU over their lifting of the arms ban against China. I would suppose that Taiwan is "trembling in fear" concerning the EU?

IMHO, it is the CHINESE that are "trembling in fear" of Taiwan. Why else would they continue to amass arms against Taiwan? I mean gee, just who is China defending itself against?





seekerof

[edit on 1-3-2005 by Seekerof]

A more appropriate title would be:

"Taiwan uses China's increasing military budget to smack opposition legislators into buying 18 billion dollars worth of "defensive weapons" such as kidd destroyers, subs, pacs, planes, blah, blah blah."

At this time China has no capabilities to take over the island. No landing craft. No shipping. No supply craft.

The missles are for propaganda as with Reagan and the Pershings in Europe.

The American Pacific fleet would leave enough Chinese wreckage on the bottom of the Formosa straight that shipping could not use it. Then economic sanctions and the fall of the Commie Politbureau.

Originally posted by booger
At this time China has no capabilities to take over the island. No landing craft. No shipping. No supply craft.

China has 8 of these



4 Of these and a futher 5 under construction



11 of these



7 of these



10 of these



1 of these



31 of these



Several Hundred of these




That would make 71 large/medium sized amphibious assault ships... capable of carrying multiple tanks and equipment.

And several hundred smaller ships for troops


[edit on 2-3-2005 by Lucretius]

Yes - they have all that stuff - and they are still about 3000 vessels short of having barely enough transport capability to even attempt an amphibious assault against a landmass more than 100 nm away.

Take a good look at what the Allies needed to do in order to pull off Operation Overlord:

- A 5000-vessel armada transporting over 150,000 men and nearly 30,000 vehicles.
- Six parachute regiments -- over 13,000 men -- were flown from nine British airfields in over 800 planes.
- 300 planes dropped 13,000 bombs over coastal Normandy immediately in advance of the invasion.
- 10,000 casualties in the first 24 hours alone.

Now, imagine trying to replicate this feat, without the element of surprise, against a island nation that is twice as far away, in deep waters. Taiwan has little or no beaches suitable for this kind of amphibious landing, and they would most certainly be aided, either directly or indirectly, by the US. The Germans had the problem of trying to guess where the Allies would land - the Taiwanese have no such problems. The Taiwanese Air Force also has comparable numbers and quality of AC to the Chinese, who will have to fly over water to their target, face hardened defenses and fighters with home field advantage.

China would be really foolish to try this, but hey, they are inscrutable, so who knows what they will do........