A small number of cruise missiles, the Hsiung Feng II-E (Brave Wind), will go into production this month, the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister paper) reported yesterday.
"The Hsiung Feng II-E cruise missiles would be swiftly deployed on Taiwan's west coast. Cities in southeastern China and more than 20 of China's main military bases in southwestern China" would be within range of the missiles, the paper said.
It said the Hsiung Feng II-E missile would be able to be launched from land, sea or air. If the missiles were deployed on outlaying islands, Shanghai would be within range, it said.
Meanwhile, other Chinese-language newspapers reported yesterday the nation's first national security report will suggest the military adjust its strategy by buying and developing more offensive weapons to deter China's military threat against Taiwan, the newspapers said.
The report will say that given that the US is willing to consider selling Taiwan offensive weapons, the military should adjust its arms-procurement lists, the papers said. The report will say that the country will never develop nuclear, biochemical weapons or weapons of mass destruction.
A Chinese-language newspaper reported last month that the military had successfully tested a 1,000km-range cruise missile, the Hsiung Feng II-E.
The Liberty Times, however, said the military would initially produce 600km-range missiles because more work was needed on turbo-generators capable of powering longer-range missiles.
According to the paper, the Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology, which is in charge of missile-production programs, estimated it would produce advanced turbo-generator-equipped cruise missiles with a 1,000km-range by next year.
The paper said the military decided to quickly deploy the shorter-range missiles because of the increasing threat from China.
The paper said the new cruise missile still needs to have its guidance system enhanced. It said the US has yet to agree to sell a global positioning system (GPS) for military use to Taiwan. As a result, the new missiles would initially be equipped with a GPS system designed for businesses and with Russia's GLONESS positioning system to enhance their positioning capability, it said.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday said it is fully aware of the situation following reports that the son of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai (薄熙來) has arrived in Taiwan and is to marry a Taiwanese. Local media reported that Bo Guagua (薄瓜瓜), son of the former member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is to marry the granddaughter of Luodong Poh-Ai Hospital founder Hsu Wen-cheng (許文政). The pair met when studying abroad and arranged to get married this year, with the wedding breakfast to be held at The One holiday resort in Hsinchu
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon this morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan between Friday and Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The storm, which as of 8am was still 1,100km southeast of southern Taiwan, is currently expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, the CWA said. Because of its rapid speed — 28kph as of 8am — a sea warning for the storm could be issued tonight, rather than tomorrow, as previously forecast, the CWA said. In terms of its impact, Usagi is to bring scattered or
An orange gas cloud that leaked from a waste management plant yesterday morning in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音) was likely caused by acidic waste, authorities said, adding that it posed no immediate harm. The leak occurred at a plant in the district’s Environmental Science and Technology Park at about 7am, the Taoyuan Fire Department said. Firefighters discovered a cloud of unidentified orange gas leaking from a waste tank when they arrived on the site, it said, adding that they put on Level A chemical protection before entering the building. After finding there was no continuous leak, the department worked with the city’s Department
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