A top national security official yesterday said China had begun deploying a new long-range ballistic missile aimed at Taiwan, adding that the missile’s destructive capacity went beyond that of the current missiles in China’s arsenal.
National Security Bureau (NSB) Director Tsai Der-sheng (蔡得勝) told the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee that in addition to deploying the Dong Feng-16 (DF-16), the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was also now fielding the DF-21, also known as the “aircraft carrier killer,” which could put any US Navy vessels coming to Taiwan’s assistance at great risk.
Asked by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) whether the DF-16 was a completely new type of missile or a derivative of earlier Dong Feng types, Tsai said it was a whole new type.
“It’s more powerful, advanced and has a greater range than older types of Dong Feng missiles,” he said.
POTENTIAL TARGETS
Tsai said that while the DF-16 targeted Taiwan, it could also be used against other countries in the region. Those comments echoed a recent report by the non-profit global policy think tank Rand Corp on the Chinese ballistic missile threat, which listed Okinawa and Guam as potential targets. Both are home to large US military bases.
Testing of the DF-16 has been completed and the missile has been deployed, he said.
At present, China’s main arsenal threatening Taiwan consists of DF-11 and DF-15 short-range ballistic missiles based in Southeast China, with a range of 300km and 800km respectively.
Asked to comment on the possibility of the new deployment, Wendell Minnick, Asia Bureau chief for Defense News, said he suspected the DF-16 may be a DF-15 with extended range, adding that he found it very hard to believe that the US would not have noticed such a deployment.
SURPRISED
Turning to the DF-21, Lin said he was surprised to hear Tsai claim the DF-21 had been deployed.
Western countries have assessed that the PLA would need at least a decade before it could deploy the DF-21, because the technology required to hit a moving target at sea represents a substantial challenge, Lin said, adding that he was not aware of the DF-21 having been tested.
Tsai said that while Western countries relied on surveillance satellites to gather information on China’s weapons development, the bureau had a long-term focus on the development of human intelligence — that is, spies — to gather information.
US defense analysts estimate the DF-21 has a range of between 1,995km and 2,993km. Many commentators have called it a potential “game changer” that could threaten the US carrier fleet’s supremacy in the Pacific, a contention that remains disputed.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY J. MICHAEL COLE AND CNA
GEARING UP: An invasion would be difficult and would strain China’s forces, but it has conducted large-scale training supporting an invasion scenario, the report said China increased its military pressure on Taiwan last year and took other steps in preparation for a potential invasion, an annual report published by the US Department of Defense on Wednesday showed. “Throughout 2023, Beijing continued to erode longstanding norms in and around Taiwan by employing a range of pressure tactics against Taiwan,” the report said, which is titled “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China (PRC) 2024.” The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) “is preparing for a contingency to unify Taiwan with the PRC by force, if perceived as necessary by Beijing, while simultaneously deterring, delaying or denying
PEACEFUL RESOLUTION: A statement issued following a meeting between Australia and Britain reiterated support for Taiwan and opposition to change in the Taiwan Strait Canada should support the peaceful resolution of Taiwan’s destiny according to the will of Taiwanese, Canadian lawmakers said in a resolution marking the second anniversary of that nation’s Indo-Pacific strategy on Monday. The Canadian House of Commons committee on Canada-Chinese relations made the comment as part of 34 recommendations for the new edition of the strategy, adding that Ottawa should back Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, first published in October 2022, emphasized that the region’s security, trade, human rights, democracy and environmental protection would play a crucial role in shaping Canada’s future. The strategy called for Canada to deepen
QUICK LOOK: The amendments include stricter recall requirements and Constitutional Court procedures, as well as a big increase in local governments’ budgets Portions of controversial amendments to tighten requirements for recalling officials and Constitutional Court procedures were passed by opposition lawmakers yesterday following clashes between lawmakers in the morning, as Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members tried to block Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators from entering the chamber. Parts of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法) and Constitutional Court Procedure Act (憲法訴訟法) passed the third reading yesterday. The legislature was still voting on various amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) as of press time last night, after the session was extended to midnight. Amendments to Article 4
‘ONE BRIDGE’: The US president-elect met with Akie Abe on Dec. 15 in Florida and the two discussed a potential Taiwan-China conflict’s implications for world peace US president-elect Donald Trump has described Taiwan as “a major issue for world peace” during a meeting with Akie Abe, the widow of late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, Japanese newspaper the Yomiuri Shimbun quoted sources as saying in a report yesterday. Trump met with Akie Abe on Dec. 15 at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where the two discussed the Russo-Ukrainian war and the situation in the Taiwan Strait. During the meeting, Trump spoke on the implications for world peace of a potential Taiwan-China conflict, which “indicated his administration’s stance of placing importance on dealing with the situation in
RSS