China steps up military drills

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Wednesday 26 April 2000

China steps up military drills

TAIPEI: China has stepped up military drills for bombers and other warplanes on its eastern coast across from Taiwan, a possible warm-up for a new intimidation campaign against the island, a Taiwanese military spokesman said Tuesday.

Chinese H-6 bombers have been flying long-range sorties off China's coasts in recent weeks, and the planes have often been escorted by other aircraft, Defense Ministry spokesman Kung Fan-ding said. The sorties were part of exercises involving naval vessels off China's eastern Zhejiang province, Kung said. In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi told reporters that the military exercises were routine and "aimed at enhancing the capability of the Chinese military."

China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949, and Beijing has repeatedly threatened to use force to reunify the two sides. China often holds threatening war games to remind Taiwan that Beijing is serious about blocking any Taiwanese attempts to seek formal independence. Kung said intelligence gathered by Taiwan's military indicated China might mount an intimidation campaign when the island's newly elected president, Chen Shui-bian, takes office May 20.

Chen has offered to hold talks with Chinese leaders, but Beijing wants him to first agree that there is only one China and Taiwan is an inseparable part of it. Chen has refused to do this, and has proposed the two sides discuss the issue. Taiwan's current government has been willing to agree that there is one China but has insisted both sides should be free to have their own definitions.

On Tuesday, Chen urged China to rely on goodwill rather than harsh rhetoric to improve relations. He said Beijing should set aside "sensitive political issues" so the two sides can cooperate more on trade and technology issues. Meanwhile, a leading Taiwanese newspaper reported that a top Chinese official for Taiwan affairs, Tang Shubei, warned that refusing to agree that the island is an inseparable part of China would create a "very unstable situation."

The China Times reported that Tang said if Taiwan refuses to accept Beijing's principle, "of course, relations between the two sides could see a very unstable situation." When asked if he was referring to possible war, Tang said, "This is something I really can't discuss." Also on Tuesday, a former US ambassador to China, Winston Lord, wrapped up a three-day trip to Taiwan and spoke to reporters before traveling to China. Lord said he was visiting as a private citizen and not involved in US diplomatic efforts. He said that it was not up to the United States to resolve the differences between China and Taiwan. "It (America) should encourage the two sides to make the arrangements and work things out," he said. Lord said when he meets with Chinese officials in Shanghai and Beijing, he will "emphasize the need for calm, patience and statesmanship." (AP)

http://www.timesofindia.com/today/26worl6.htm

-- - (x@xxx.com), April 25, 2000

Answers

Clinton can't, and won't do anything, if you don't believe me ask Castro.

Clinton is owned by the Chinese, again ask Castro.

-- - (x@xxx.com), April 25, 2000.


What happened to the invasion that was supposed to take place on the weekend of the elections in Taiwan?

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), April 25, 2000.

and well they should. Vietnam has already defeated them one time.

Best wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), April 25, 2000.


FS:

Yes, it does seem that the invasion was a little underreported, doesn't it? :^)

The "bomber" refered to is actually the JH-7, an attempt by the Chinese to produce an aircraft in the same class as the British Tornado. Unfortunately for them, it has been a total failure. The aircraft uses 70's technology and the engines (license-built copies of Rolls Royce Spey turbofans) are underpowered and unreliable. The JH-7 has a ordinance load of only 11,000 pounds at short combat radius and less than 5,000 pounds at the maximum combat radius of 559 miles. It has no air-to-air refueling capability and thus has to operate from Chinese bases close to Taiwan, leaving it vulnerable to counterattack from Taiwan. It would need an escort by fighters since it has almost no self-defense capability and would make an easy target for Taiwanese F-16's. The JH-7 is so bad that the Chinese, who have been trying to sell them for export, have yet to sell one, even at half the price of comparable western aircraft.

The Chinese will have to better than this to scare Taiwan.

-- Jim Cooke (JJCooke@yahoo.com), April 26, 2000.


jj, have to do more of what to scare Taiwan. Their stock market dropped 4.3% on wed. and this is what is being blamed, I doubt china will ever scare Tiawan enough to make Tiawan reunite. Tiawan is happy with the status qou. China will have to take tiawan by force if it ever wants it back and china knows this.I think it will heat up at the end of may when the new Tiawan president takes over. dont think it will lead to war. China wont attack, because there afraid of the US. Now if we got into fighting with russia, or had problames with Iraq, N Korea, and serbia at once then they may take the oppurtunity to attack then.

-- boo (boo@home.com), April 26, 2000.


boo:

The market drop is being blamed on these military maneuvers? By who? You don't think that the fact the US markets dropped on Tuesday had anything to do with it?

The Chinese have to develop a credible air force and amphibious assualt capability before they are a real threat to Taiwan. Until then, they are just posturing. We've discussed this before and, for some reason, you think China is always on the brink of invasion. Why are you falling for this Chinese propaganda?

-- Jim Cooke (JJCooke@yahoo.com), April 27, 2000.


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