Military authorities are also mulling deploying the Hsiung Feng III -- the first locally developed supersonic anti-ship missile -- on mobile launchers, Lin Yu-fang, of the Kuomintang party, said in a statement quoting Vice Admiral Lee Hao.
"Several types of warships have been armed with Hsiung Feng IIIs (Brave Wind)," the statement said.
It was not clear how many missiles will be produced, but according to Lin, eight Perry-class frigates and seven patrol boats will be fitted with the weapon in the Tw$11.89 billion ($413 million) project.
Analysts say Hsiung Feng III, designed to cruise at a maximum speed of mach 2.0, or twice the speed of sound, with a range of up to 130 kilometres (80 miles), are difficult to defend against.
Taiwan's defence ministry has expressed alarm at China's naval buildup although experts say it may still take time for the People's Liberation Army to operate its first carrier group complete with fighter jets.
Tsai Teh-sheng, head of Taiwan's National Security Bureau, confirmed last month that the "Varyag," a half-completed Soviet era aircraft carrier Beijing obtained in 1998, is expected to make its maiden voyage before the end of the year.
Tsai said the warship will have "certain combat capability" and will serve as a base for China's home-grown fighter jets which are modelled on Russian-made Su-33s.
Taiwan plans to build a new 'stealth' warship armed with guided-missiles next year in response, military officers have said.
Ties between China and Taiwan have improved significantly since the China-friendly politician Ma Ying-jeou became the island's president in 2008, vowing to adopt a non-confrontational policy towards the mainland.
But China still regards Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting to be reunified by force if necessary, although the island has governed itself since 1949 when a civil war ended.
(AFP)
The Obama Administration has already stated that it will not support the United Kingdom from defending its people in the event of another unprovoked invasion by Argentina, so this news is hardly surprising. Having lived in China for eight years and married with a Chinese, I see that country as opposed to all the values we in the West claim to continue to believe in. Conflict is inevitable, and our blind eye to its property theft, gross contempt of basic human rights and threats to its neighbours only encourages the regime and convinces it of our weakness. I teach history here outside of Dachau, and the parallels (or "lessons") are striking.
ReplyDeleteConsider this one: Taiwan shoots down a Chinese plane. China doesn't want conflict at this moment as it would undo its strides, but can't back down in the face of fierce pressure from its people and army- the only reason the CCP maintains its fiction is its efforts to regain the motherland and inaction would be seen as a betrayal. The US is in no real position to do much but if it does nothing, its credibility in the region is lost and so it has to stand by the fiction of its relationship with Taiwan- not an alliance per se, no-one knows what it entails, but war breaks out against everyone's best intentions. The Great War broke out in 1914 for less.