Defense ministry releases report on anniversary of missile crisis

This article was published by the Taiwan News on March 8, 2006. It reports that on the 10th anniversary of the 1996 cross-strait missile crisis, the Ministry of National Defense recently made public a report that details the Chinese People's Liberation Army's seven military manuevers between 1995 and 1996.

The first of China's seven military operations was held between July 21 and 28 in 1995, when the People's Liberation Army test-fired six Dongfeng-15 ballistic missiles in its coastal Jiangxi Province. During the fifth drill, between March 8 and 15 in 1996, four Dongfeng-15 missiles were fired across the Taiwan Strait.

Officials said that due to the increase in China's military spending, the production volume of its tactical missiles has soared from 50 per year to between 75 and 100 per year. The accuracy of the missiles has also improved from within 600 meters to within 50 meters.

China recently unveiled a 14.7 percent jump in defense spending in 2006, or a total of 283.8 billion yuan (US$35.3 billion). The rise is the latest of a succession of double-digit increases in China's military spending.

U.S. defense officials and many analysts point out that Beijing in fact spends much more on military equipment and forces than the official budget shows. Much of that spending is aimed at boosting a force numerically large but lacking in modern equipment and professionalism.

Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of National Defense, China recently planed a ballistic missile command in Jiangxi Province, where more than 140 ballistic missiles are located. The missile command is the Second Artillery unit which has the most combat experience. So far, China has deployed 784 ballistic missiles in its south-eastern coast, with Taiwan well within their range. China can launch five waves of intensive bombings for 10 hours, targeting most military commands, communication centers, airports and harbours on the island.