Chinese General Threatens Nuclear Use Against U.S.
July 15, 2005 :: Washington Times :: News
China is prepared to use nuclear weapons against the U.S. if attacked by Washington during a confrontation over Taiwan, a Chinese General reminded America in a recent press conference. Chinese General Zhu Chenghu is quoted as saying that, “If the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition on to the target zone on China’s territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons.” He added: “[We] will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all of the cities east of Xian. Of course the Americans will have to be prepared that hundreds … of cities will be destroyed by the Chinese.”
The comment comes just as the Pentagon’s annual report on the military power of China is due to be released. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: China, Taiwan
Russia Tests Missile for Sale to China
July 1, 2005 :: News
Russia is testing a new anti-ship missile for export to China, according to a report by The Epoch Times. The report states that flight testing is currently underway on a variant of the Raduga Kh-59M (NATO AS-18 Kazoo) anti-ship missile, which is well suited for attacks against U.S. carriers. Russia began testing the Kh-59M in 2004 using a SU-30MK2 aircraft, a model that is already exported to Beijing. Smith notes that the modified Kh-59M has been fitted with an active radar seeker, advanced guidance systems, and a special computer interface allowing it to use targeting data from the Su-30MK2 fighter. The Kh-59M is said to have a range of 288 km (186 miles). (Article, Link)
» More stories on: China, Russia, Testing - Foreign
China Quiet on SLBM Test Details
June 30, 2005 :: News
China is keeping quiet on its recent ship-launched ballistic missile test, reports the Press Trust of India. According to reports, the People’s Liberation Army Navy successfully test-fired its new JL-2 SLBM from a nuclear submarine in the Pacific Ocean on June 16. When asked to confirm the reports of the test, however, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao refused to comment, stating only that “China has made some efforts in the field of stepping up its national defense.” (Article, Link)
» June 22, 2005: The Washington Times: Bill Gertz on JL-2 launch
» More stories on: China, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: CSS-NX-5 (JL-2)
China Tests JL-2 SLBM
June 20, 2005 :: News
China on Thursday, June 16, test-fired a new long-range ballistic missile from a nuclear submarine in the Pacific Ocean according to a report by The Daily Yomiuri. The missile traveled from a submarine located near the city of Qingdao which is located in the Shandong Peninsula, some several thousand miles toward a western Chinese desert. Japanese government sources were quoted as saying that the missile tested was the Ju Lang 2 (JL-2), a sea-launched modified version of the Dong Feng-31 ICBM with a range of roughly 8,000 kilometers. China tested another sea launched ballistic missile in 2001.
The Washington Times quotes “a U.S. official familiar with reports of the test” as calling China’s test “a significant milestone in their effort to develop strategic weapons.” The Air Force’s National Air Intelligence Center is also quoted as reporting that the JL-2 missile “will, for the first time, allow Chinese [missile submarines] to target portions of the United States from operating areas located near the Chinese coast.” (Article, Link)
» June 22, 2005: The Washington Times: Bill Gertz on JL-2 launch
» More stories on: China, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: CSS-NX-5 (JL-2)
Gertz on Chinese Buildup
June 9, 2005 :: Washington Times :: News
A highly classified report concludes that U.S. intelligence agencies failed to recognize key military developments in China over the past decade, reports Bill Gertz in The Washington Times. The report was created by current and former intelligence officials, and describes U.S. failures to anticipate or discover such developments as: a new long-range cruise missile; new surface-to-surface missiles for targeting U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups; new air-to-ground missiles with more accurate warheads; and a new warship equipped with a stolen Chinese version of the U.S. Aegis battle management system. According to the Times, the study was produced by the intelligence contractor Centra Technologies. Its main author was Robert Suettinger, a National Security Council staff member for China during the Clinton administration and the U.S. intelligence community’s top China analyst until 1998. (Article, Link)
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Rumsfeld on China Buildup
June 7, 2005 :: AFP :: News
Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld warned on Saturday that China’s military spending threatens Asia’s security balance. Speaking in Singapore, Rumsfeld particularly emphasized China’s growing ballistic missile arsenal: “China appears to be expanding its missile forces, allowing them to reach targets in many areas of the world while also expanding its missile capabilities within this region.” The Secretary of Defense also asked why China has so many ballistic missiles aimed at Taiwan.
In a recent column, Cal Thomas underscores the reason for China’s military expansion: “[R]ather than feeling threatened, China intends to threaten others, especially the United States.” He cites Constantine Menges’ new book, China: The Gathering Threat, which argues persuasively that the U.S. must deploy a reliable missile defense system that can defend against a possible Chinese attack. Such a system could make the cost of China’s missile buildup prohibitive, or at least less cost-effective. China is expected to add 400 new warheads capable of reaching U.S. territory by 2008, against which the United States, absent any serious missile defenses, will be defenseless. (Article, Link)
» June 7, 2005: Cal Thomas on China Buildup
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Glick: U.S. Could Suspend Arrow and THEL Collaboration with Israel
May 18, 2005 :: News
Caroline Glick writes in The Jerusalem Post that the U.S. has reportedly suspended its cooperation with Israel on the Arrow and Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) missile defense projects. Ms. Glick references an official source quoted by Middle East Newsline as saying of the pullback from military cooperation, “It’s all about China.”
Israel is the largest exporter of high-tech weapons to China. The Pentagon fears that China could, among other things, use its Israeli weapons against U.S. forces in a future Taiwan conflict. Glick notes that Israel should stop arming the Chinese or risk damaging its strategic relationship with the U.S. She also notes that by arming China, Israel is actually helping its regional enemies. China of course also exports weapons to Iran and Pakistan. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Allies, China, Israel, Proliferation
» Missile system details for: Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL)
1,000 Chinese Missiles Near Taiwan by 2006
April 24, 2005 :: Taipei Times :: News
An official from Taiwan’s National Security Bureau told the Liberty Times, a sister publication of the Taipei Times, that China is expected to deploy some 200 additional land-attack cruise missiles within striking distance of Taiwan in the coming year, with more to follow in subsequent years. With these and other cruise missiles, and some 600 ballistic missiles, the number of missiles China will have deployed within range of Taiwan will rise to one thousand. China’s deployed land-attack cruise missiles forces are said to include the HN-1A, HN-2A/B, HN-3A, C-301, C-802, and HY-4 missiles. In addition, the official said that China has two types of submarine-launched cruise missiles, the HN-2C and HN-3B, both of which can travel more than 1,200kph. China’s ship-launched cruise missiles include advanced SS-N-22 and CTF-1 type missiles. The SS-N-22 is an advanced supersonic cruise missile, and the CTF-1 can be launched from warships 1,200km away from its target. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: China, Taiwan
China Upgrading Nuclear Forces
April 12, 2005 :: Washington Post :: News
The Washington Post reports on China’s upgrades to its nuclear forces, which it finances with a growing military budget, kept at a high percentage of its GDP. Improvements have been and are being made to its nuclear submarines, its intercontinental missile forces (such as the DF-31, the JL-2, and the DF-41): (More »»»)
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Chinese Weapons Designer: “Magic Weapons” To Prevent Taiwan Independence; Willing to Set Economy Back 20 Years if Necessary
March 14, 2005 :: News
The Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao issued a story on March 11 citing a Chinese weapons designer, Chief Designer Xu Zhongxin of the 203 Institute of the Ministry of Weaponry Industry and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference [CPPCC], disclosing that China possesses unique “magic” weapons and equipment which even Russia and the United States do not have, for the purpose of smashing the “Taiwan independence” separatists. An excerpt:
In recent years, there has been one report after another about Taiwan’s secret development of offensive missiles. The international military magazine “Jane’s Missiles and Rockets” once disclosed that the Taiwan troops are seizing the time to develop and equip themselves with offensive short-range and middle-rage ground-to-ground missiles. Various signs have indicated that the Taiwan authorities are stepping up the implementation of their “defensive countermeasures” strategic plan and are striving to increase their chips for rejecting reunification by force.
Regarding Taiwan’s “countermeasures”, Xu Zhongxin said that the information about Taiwan’s developing missiles on its own is believable, but it is doubtful whether or not their performance is as good as it has boasted. As an old saying goes: Where there is a spear, there is a shield. Taiwan has missiles that can reach the coastal areas or even further to the hinterland, but the mainland has already established the early warning system, the ground-based intercept system, and the super short range anti-missile system, which are more than sufficient to deal with those missiles.
Xu Zhongxin said that the Chinese armed forces have the confidence and capability to smash any scheme attempting to separate Taiwan from China and have the capability to win a local war. If Chen Shui-bian and his like are bent on having their own way, the outcome will be war. War is a tragedy to both sides of the strait. It may cause China’s economy to fall back by 20 years, but the Taiwan people will suffer grievous losses. Such an outcome is something none of us wishes to see.
(Article, Link)
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