Pro-China NSC Staff Delaying Patriot Sale to Taiwan
November 9, 2004 :: East Asia Intel :: News
Pro-Chinese staff members of the White House National Security Council are said to be delaying the sale of Patriot missile defense interceptors to Taiwan—systems essential to the island’s deterrence of China’s rapid missile buildup. East Asia Intel reports that the “pro-China faction,” argues that since Taiwan’s military is infiltrated by Chinese agents, China could acquire additional classified technology. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Allies, China, Taiwan
» Missile system details for: Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3)
Russian Estimate of Chinese Strategic Arsenal
November 4, 2004 :: Interfax :: News
Interfax recently quoted Russian specialist Pavel Kamennov as estimating that China has some 252 strategic nuclear missiles, including 120 silo-based missiles, and 12 submarine-based missiles, notes East-Asia-Intel. China was also said to have 120 H-6 strategic bombers. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: China
New Chinese Missile, B-611
November 1, 2004 :: Reuters :: News
Citing Reuters, The New Zealand Herald reports that a new Chinese short-range ballistic missile was revealed November 1. The missile’s stated range is 80-150km makes it possibly sufficient to strike Taiwan (~160km distant), according to information distributed at the Zhuhai air show. The missile is given the appellation “B-611.” the B-611 was further described as “an effective weapon in the battlefield for fire support and an important attacking force in modern conventional wars.”
Update: November 11: East Asia Intel reports that Chinese descriptions of the missile at the airshow compared it to the Russian SS-X-26, also known as Stone, Tender, or Iskander. The missile is also said to have a payload capacity of 480kg, and an accuracy (Circular Error of Probability) of 150 meters. (Article, Link)
» Oct. 30: Chinese airshow to sport new military equipment
» Nov. 2: AFP: Display is first of Chinese surface-to-surface missiles
» More stories on: China, Taiwan
» Missile details: B-611, SS-26
China Denies Galileo Satellites’ Military Purpose
October 26, 2004 :: China Daily :: News
A spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry, Zhang Qiyue, responded to a recent report that the United States had the capability to disarm the E.U-China program, if it should be used in a war against the U.S.
Zhang Qiyue denied that there were any but peaceful, non-military purposes for the program. She added that, “We hope certain people to abandon the Cold War mentality.”
As it is used here, one may understand a “Cold War mentality” as that which is concerned with major, strategic threats—or which looks toward strategic advantages and strategic defenses.
China is no doubt sincere in its wish that the United States cease to be concerned with the strategic threat posed by China. China, meanwhile, will continue to pursue its strategic interests, at the expense of the United States. (Article, Link)
» Oct. 25: U.S. can disable Chinese-European Galileo GPS satellites
» More stories on: China, Space-Based Systems
Report: U.S. Can Down Sino-European Galileo Satellites
October 25, 2004 :: AFP :: News
Missilethreat.com has before noted the potential threat to American strategic interests in space posed by the Chinese-European joint space program called “Galileo.” The program is similar to the American Global Positioning System (GPS). Today, however, the AFP reports that the U.S. may acquire the capability to destroy such satellites should they be used against the United States by, for example, China.
The Galileo program would consist of a constellation of 30 satellites and ground stations, and could become operational in 2008. The design for the network may have included at one point the capability to interfere with America’s own GPS satellites’ ability to communicate with each other. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: China, Space-Based Systems
China to Purchase Additional S-300 Interceptors
October 13, 2004 :: Jane's Information Group :: News
China is proceeding with the planned purchase of 4-8 battalions of S-300 systems from Russia, reports Jane’s. The S-300 (SA-10/20) purchase confirms an earlier report noted here over a month ago. It is unclear whether the purchase would be the S-300PMU1 or the more advanced S-300PMU2, which has a longer range missile and better radar. (Link)
» Aug. 12: Russia ships China four S-300PMU1 systems
» More stories on: China, Chinese Missile Defenses, Russia, Russian Missile Defenses
» Missile system details for: S-300P (SA-10 Grumble)
Taiwan: 800 Chinese Missiles Targeting Island by 2006
September 30, 2004 :: Spacewar.com :: News
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.” (Article, Link)
» More stories on: China, Taiwan
» Missile details: CSS-6, CSS-7 Mod 2, CSS-7
Superpower Proliferation to Iran: Seven Chinese Companies Sanctioned; Three from Former Soviet Union
September 27, 2004 :: Washington Times :: News
The State Department imposed sanctions on fourteen firms or individuals today for illicit proliferation, seven of which were on Chinese companies. The Chinese companies were sanctioned for the proliferation of unconventional weapons and missile technology to Iran.
In addition, one Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian companies were also sanctioned, as well as one from North Korea. Each of these entities was charged with selling materials to Iran.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher commented on the Chinese companies that “There was credible evidence that these entities had transferred one of several categories of items to Iran” since January 1999. “That would be equipment listed on multilateral export lists, items that have a potential of making a contribution to weapons of mass destruction or cruise or ballistic missiles.” (More »»»)
» VOA: Fourteen firms or individuals sanctioned
» Sep. 29, 2004: 100 tons of S. Korean dual-use sodium cyanide reached N. Korea by way of China
» More stories on: China, Iran, North Korea, Proliferation, Russia
U.S. Sanctions Chinese Firm Proliferating WMD Technology
September 21, 2004 :: News
The U.S. State Department has ordered sanctions on the Chinese state-owned company, Xinshidai, for proliferating material and technical expertise useful to produce weapons of mass destruction. A U.S. official is quoted as saying that Xinshidai “provided material assistance to a country for programs capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction,” but did not name the country to which they sold such materials.
On August 23, The Washington Times reported transfer of missile technology from China to Iran.
Such reports only confirm that the proliferation of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction to so-called “rogue regimes” is a problem which must be seen within the bigger picture of superpower politics. Russia and China indisputably remain the real sources of such proliferation, and the primary, strategic, threats to the United States. (Article, Link)
» Aug. 23: China selling missile technology to Iran
» More stories on: China, Iran, Proliferation
China Source for Missile Technology to Iran
August 23, 2004 :: Washington Times :: News
Bill Gertz of the Washington Times reports that according to U.S. officials, a Chinese company has supplied missile technology to Iran, despite Chinese treaty obligations and promises to the contrary.
Gertz reports that “the transfers took place within the past six months and represent a continuation of past Chinese covert arms transfers to countries such as Iran and Pakistan.”
Gertz cites the recent report by the congressional U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission as naming a number of Chinese ballistic and cruise missiles which have been sold to Iran. These included “a number CSS-8 and DF-15 ballistic missiles to Iran, along with cruise missiles identified as HY-1, HY-2 Silkworm, C-201, C-601, C-801 and C-802.” (Article, Link)
» More stories on: China, Iran, Proliferation
