God Help Those Who Help Themselves -- Taiwan develops missiles designed
to reach targets in China

International Herald Tribune

Taiwan develops missiles designed to reach targets in China

By David Lague
Friday, September 28, 2007

TAIPEI: Faced with a threatening military buildup by China, an
increasingly outgunned Taiwan is quietly pushing ahead with plans to
develop missiles that could strike the mainland, defense and security
experts say.

Taiwan has in recent months tested a land attack cruise missile with a
range of 1,000 kilometers, or 621 miles, that could carry a 400-kilogram
warhead to targets as distant as Shanghai, according to military analysts.

Some Taiwanese military specialists have argued for decades that Taiwan
should develop offensive weapons, including missiles, as a deterrent to
the mainland, which has threatened to attack the self-governing island
if it moves toward formal independence. The Pentagon estimates that
China has deployed 900 missiles opposite Taiwan.