Sec. of Navy: U.S. to Deploy Aegis Destroyer in Sea of Japan This Year
March 23, 2004 :: Reuters :: News
In addition to the land-based interceptors at Fort Greeley, Alaska, the United States will also be deploying an Aegis cruiser as part of the missile defense deployment scheduled to take place by September 30, according to Gordon England, Secretary of the Navy, speaking in commemoration of the 21st anniversary of Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI).
The announcement comes as good news, indicating that deployment is on schedule, and that the land-based system will be supplemented and expanded. (More »»»)
» Text of Secretary England’s remarks on missile defense
» Japan pleased with US plans to deploy Aegis
» Sec. England outlines plan through 2006
» More stories on: China, North Korea, Policy, Sea-Based Systems
» Missile system details for: Aegis Ship-Based BMD
Taiwan Missile Defense Referendum Gets 90% of Vote, But Doesn’t Pass Due to Turnout
March 21, 2004 :: Taiwan News :: News
On March 20, Taiwan held its first-ever referenda in conjunction with the presidential election, one of which concerned the deployment of further missile defenses should China fail to withdraw its missile buildup near Taiwan. Although the missile defense referendum is not legally binding due to a technicality (only 45% of eligible voters participated, 50% is required to be binding), the overwhelming majority of the voters who did participate (90%) were in favor of the missile defense resolution, which read as follows:
The People of Taiwan demand that the Taiwan Strait issue be resolved through peaceful means. Should Mainland China refuse to withdraw the missiles it has targeted at Taiwan and to openly renounce the use of force against us, would you agree that the Government should acquire more advanced anti-missile weapons to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities?
(More »»»)
» U.S. to sponsor UN resolution condemning Chinese human rights abuses
» Chen presidential acceptance speech
» Press conference for foreign press
» More stories on: China, Policy, Taiwan
Chinese Assassination Attempt?: Taiwan President Shot on Day Before Election, Missile Defense Referendum
March 19, 2004 :: Financial Times :: News
One day before the Taiwanese presidential election and referendum, which asks voters whether the island nation should deploy missile defenses in response to the continued Chinese missile buildup, Taiwanese president Chen is shot while campaigning. Fortunately he was only wounded, having been shot in the stomach.
If not directly the work of Beijing, China is likely pleased by the turn of events. China has been bullying Taiwan for months, unhappy with Taiwanese efforts to deploy missile defenses to defend themselves. Only yesterday, Bill Gertz reported in the Washington Times that China has tested “at least” five missiles since January, in anticipation of the referendum. And on Tuesday, China will be holding a large naval exercise with France, which is also perceived by Taiwan as an attempt at intimidation.
Tomorrow’s election and referendum will determine whether the Taiwanese, like the Spanish, can be bullied into becoming doormats. Or will this attack embolden them against their communist aggressors to the north? (Article, Link)
» BBC: China plans large naval exercise, Taiwan views as intimidation
» More stories on: China, Taiwan
Chinese Bullying Continues: Five Missile Tests in Advance of Taiwan Referendum
March 18, 2004 :: Washington Times :: News
U.S. intelligence officials report that China has carried “at least” five missile tests since January, according to Bill Gertz in the Washington Times. The report comes just two days before Taiwan conducts its referendum on missile defense.
The five tests are said to have included four types of missiles, the medium-range DF-21, the long-range DF-31, and the short-range DF-11 and DF-15. The missiles are all said to have been launched from the Wuzhai missile testing center in central China, and were directed toward the western part of the country.
China currently has about 500 missiles within range of Taiwan, a number which continues to increase at a rate of 75 per year.
“These tests make a mockery of all the efforts made by Washington to suppress the Taiwan missile referendum,” said Richard Fisher, a specialist on the Chinese military with the Center for Security Policy. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: China, Proliferation, Taiwan
Russia Opposes Taiwan Independence
March 17, 2004 :: Gateway to Russia :: News
On strategic Russia and China continue to exhibit a united front against the United States.
Secretary of the Russian Security Council Igor Ivanov announced today to Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo that Russia opposes Taiwan independence and supports Chinese efforts to subordinate the island to Communist rule. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: China, Russia, Taiwan
China and Pakistan Surpassing North Korea as Chief Missile Proliferators to Mideast
March 17, 2004 :: East Asia Intel :: News
When it comes to missile proliferation, its no easy to task to better North Korea. But China and its ally, Pakistan, seem intent on doing so.
As North Korea’s proliferation has slowed due to international pressure, the mideast missile market, countries such as Iran and Syria, are seeking out other standbys, reports East-Asia-Intel.com. North Korea has been said to have sold $580 million worth of missiles to the mideast in 2001. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: China, North Korea, Pakistan, Proliferation
Tenet: China’s Defense Budget Twice What They Report; Continue to Acquire Missiles From Russia
March 9, 2004 :: CIA :: News
Testifying before the Armed Services Committee, CIA Director George Tenet expressed the “greatest concern” with China’s military buildup.
China’s neighbors still harbor suspicions about Beijing’s long-term intentions. They generally favor a sustained US military presence in the region as insurance against potential Chinese aggression.
Our greatest concern remains China’s military buildup, which continues to accelerate. On Saturday, China’s Minister of Finance announced a new defense budget that is 11.6 percent larger than last year’s. China’s announced annual defense budget has grown from some $7 billion ten years ago to over $25 billion today. Moreover, we assess the announced figure accounts for less than half of China’s actual defense spending.
Last year, Beijing reached new benchmarks in its production or acquisition from Russia of missiles, submarines, other naval combatants, and advanced fighter aircraft. China also is downsizing and restructuring its military forces with an eye toward enhancing its capabilities for the modern battlefield. All of these steps will over time make China a formidable challenger if Beijing perceived that its interests were being thwarted in the region.
(Article, Link)
» More stories on: China, Proliferation, Russia
China Resisted Inquiry Into Their Aid of Pakistan’s Nuclear Program
March 5, 2004 :: National Security Archive :: News
The National Security Archive project at George Washington University has documented a number of previously classified documents which indicate that China was permitted to rebuff inquiries by the United States, over the course of three presidencies, into the nature of the Chinese assistance of Pakistan with their nuclear program.
The documents illustrating China’s refusal only confirm, however, what has been obvious for some time, that China aided Pakistan with their nuclear program in order to permit Pakistan to counterbalance India, which borders China and is their geopolitical rival. At another level, however, they serve as a reminder that the real roots of proliferation stem not from individuals working alone, such as A. Q. Kahn, but from regimes themselves—and not primarily “rogue states” but most especially from the major rivals and threats to America, Russia and China. The major threats, in other words, are not so “asymmetrical,” but rather “strategic.” (Article, Link)
» More stories on: China, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan
Study on China’s Stance Toward U.S. BMD, China’s Own Missile Defenses
March 4, 2004 :: Analysis
A study prepared by the Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA) for the Defense Intelligence Agency outlines both China’s likely response and attitudes toward U.S. ballistic missile defense, and China’s own missile defense efforts and systems.
The study, dated September 2003, divides the treatment of China’s strategic position towards missile defenses into 5 periods, beginning in 1955 and ending with 2002.
The outline of Chinese strategic doctrine from that of the Mao years, when nuclear weapons were regarded as just another weapon, through China’s very reluctant acceptance of something like mutually assured destruction, shows a policy which has not followed the same track as that of the United States in its nuclear thinking. Unlike Russia and domestic left-wing opponents, for example, China apparently may have considered Reagan’s SDI as potentially stabilizing.
Most interesting, however, is the (admittedly little) light shed on China’s own ballistic missile programs, which around 1964, when Chairman Mao ordered a long term BMD research. According to various sources cited, the program included a team of 8-10 scientists, a cost of some $100 million dollars, is described as having paralleled U.S. and Soviet research during the period, until Deng Xiaping allegedly cancelled the program in 1983. Another source cited, however, claims that there was a Program 640 which set out to field a viable defense which included “a kinetic kill vehicle, a high powered laser, space early warning, and target discrimination system components.” The study also notes that Secretary McNamara apparently hinted at such Chinese BMD developments in 1966. There is also evidence that China was weighing both a land-based defense and a space based defense in the 1980s. The study notes the plausibility of Chinese missile defenses patterned after Soviet and (previous) American interceptors which were nuclear-tipped, but hastily steps back to say that there is no evidence for this “in the literature surveyed for this essay.”
The study describes an “acceleration and expansion of China’s own efforts to build a missile defense system” during the 1990s. In addition to some 100 or more SA-300 air and missile defense interceptors acquired from Russia, China apparently also began work on the “Patriot-like” HQ-9 interceptor, and another with an extended range based on America’s more advanced PAC-3. One factor pushing this acceleration was concern for the need to defend the Three Gorges Dam—where China is believed to have such missile defenses currently deployed. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Analysis, China, Chinese Missile Defenses, Proliferation
Taiwan to Purchase and Deploy Six Patriot Batteries by 2019—But Are They Enough?
March 3, 2004 :: Taiwan News :: News
Previous reports indicated that Taiwan would proceed with the purchase of three batteries of PAC-3 Patriot missile interceptors, but a news item by the Taiwan News now suggests that that number will increase, to six batteries, consisting of four launchers, which in turn each have 16 interceptor missiles. The plan is said to involve the deployment of the said batteries within 15 years, that is, by 2019.
The larger purchase would not, however, represent a complete defense of Taiwan against the considerable and growing Chinese threat. Even the larger purchase would mean only an additional 240 interceptors. Such a defense pales in comparison to the over 500 short range ballistic missiles China already has deployed near the coast of Taiwan, a number which increases at a rate of 75 to 100 per year. Currently, Taiwan is believed to have some 32 of the less advanced PAC-2 interceptors, spread between two batteries. Supposing China’s rate of increase was to hold steady at 75 per year, then by the time the six new batteries of PAC-3 are deployed by 2019, China could have 1,625 SRBMs with which to threaten their island neighbor. Against these, Taiwan could have only 416.
Although the 2019 deadline is somewhat late, a defense which consists of Aegis sea-based defenses as well, with additional interceptors there, would help narrow the gap. (Article, Link)
» Feb. 19, 2004: Despite Chinese bullying, Taiwan to proceed with Patriot BMD
» Jul. 24, 2003: Taiwan requests 3 batteries of PAC-3
» Mar. 3, 2004: Sale of Aegis to Taiwan approved
» More stories on: China, Policy, Taiwan
» Missile system details for: Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3)
