Chinese missiles could
hit U.S. forces
By Bill Gertz
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
New Chinese air-defense missiles near Taiwan
could be used against U.S. forces, as well as
Taiwan's warplanes, defense officials said yesterday.
The Chinese "have learned the lessons of Kosovo
— air defenses are incredibly important," said one
official in response to a report on the missile activity
in yesterday's editions of The Washington Times.
U.S. intelligence agencies recently discovered that
two new bases are being built opposite Taiwan for
Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air missiles, officials
told The Times. An existing base at Longtian already
deploys S-300 batteries.
Meanwhile, White House National Security
Adviser Samuel R. Berger arrived in Beijing
yesterday for talks with Chinese leaders. An
administration official said Mr. Berger would not
discuss U.S. plans to sell arms to Taiwan with the
Chinese.
Mr. Berger's meetings come shortly after the
election of a new Taiwanese president, Chen
Shui-bian, whose Democratic Progressive Party has
advocated independence in the past.
The defense officials said U.S. intelligence
agencies believe the decision to build the new bases
was prompted by NATO air strikes last year on
Serbian forces in Kosovo province and other parts
of Serbia.
The Chinese military, as it did during the 1991
Persian Gulf war, closely monitored the 78-day
Balkan war and saw the need to increase its
air-defense posture opposite Taiwan, specifically
against U.S. air power, they said.
The S-300 batteries are highly capable
air-defense missile systems with radar and tracking
equipment. They can shoot down aircraft and some
short-range ballistic and cruise missiles from as far as
45 miles.
The Taiwan Relations Act stipulates that "it is the
policy of the United States to consider any effort to
determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful
means . . . of grave concern to the U.S."
One likely scenario for U.S. forces in such a
conflict would be to use aircraft carrier-based
warplanes and cruise-missile attacks from ships and
submarines. China's current push to buy and develop
its own version of advanced air-defense missiles
would increase its capability to attack U.S. forces,
the officials said.
"It suggests they are doing this not just to counter
Taiwanese forces," said one defense official.
China began issuing new threats against Taiwan in
the weeks before the March 18 presidential elections
there.
Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon declined to
comment directly on The Times report yesterday.
But he seemed to support the contention of other
defense officials about China's priority for building
advanced air defenses.
Mr. Bacon said new site construction for air
defense is not limited to areas near Taiwan. It is
happening in other parts of the country and includes
some deployments of Russian S-300s. "They've been
building air defenses throughout the country," he said
in an interview.
Asked if the Pentagon is worried that the defense
missiles will undermine the military balance across the
Strait, Mr. Bacon said he would not "interpret" what
the construction means.
At the State Department yesterday, spokesman
James Foley played down the deployment of the
S-300s as part of a gradual Chinese military buildup.
Mr. Foley said the Chinese began a "slow but
steady" military-modernization process under
then-President Deng Xiaoping.
"We have not seen a fundamental shift in the
balance of power in that region," he said.
As for China-Taiwan tensions, "we monitor the
situation in the Taiwan Strait very closely, and we
continue to uphold our one-China policy, insisting
that there be a peaceful resolution of cross-Strait
differences and, of course, we continue to urge both
sides to engage in dialogue," Mr. Foley said.
Asked if the new air-defense missile activity could
lead to sales by the Clinton administration of
advanced arms to Taiwan, Mr. Foley said the
administration has provided Taiwan what it needs.
"Under the Taiwan Relations Act, we have a
commitment to provide Taiwan with its legitimate
defense requirements," Mr. Foley said. "And I think
the record, especially of this administration, has been
extraordinarily strong in that regard."
Administration critics say the White House has
imposed a de facto arms-sales moratorium on
Taiwan under policies that favor Beijing.
China opposes all sales of U.S. weapons to the
island, which it views as a breakaway province.
This year, Taiwan has requested four Aegis
battle-management-equipped warships and made
appeals to buy U.S. HARM anti-radar missiles and
advanced air-to-air missiles, as well as
long-range-warning radar. A decision on the arms
request is expected next month.
"The new Taiwan leadership has not made its
own arms-sales request, and does not know the
requests of past governments," said Michael
Pillsbury, a former Pentagon official who was an
election observer for the incoming Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP).
Mr. Pillsbury said the new government could take
a harder line toward the mainland because its party
platform has called for possible pre-emptive missile
strikes against China.
A DPP defense white paper issued in November
states that Taiwan should develop the forces to
"deter or pre-empt potential aggression by
blockading the ports of the enemy and precision
strikes against inland enemy targets," Mr. Pillsbury
said.
Under new DPP leaders, Taiwan could develop
land attack missiles — both air-launched and
surface-to-surface — to carry out such strikes
because its weapons technology base is fairly
advanced, Mr. Pillsbury said.
The DPP opposes development of nuclear
weapons.
A prominent DPP legislator, Parris Chang, who
may become the new foreign minister, has said that
as long as the United States provides conventional
arms needed for Taiwan's defense, there is no need
for nuclear weapons, Mr. Pillsbury said.
