Taipei says its forces could hit the Three Gorges Dam, but do not plan to

Taiwanese Vice-Defence Minister Tsai Ming-hsien yesterday said the island had no plan to attack the mainland's Three Gorges Dam, although it has the ability to do so. But he warned that a mainland attack on Taiwan was possible in 2006 or 2008 as Beijing would have gained air and naval superiority.

Taiwan has announced that it will hold a referendum in 2006 on changes to the constitution, which could be implemented in 2008.

Mr Tsai's comments came after a Pentagon report suggested Taiwan should consider targeting urban populations or high-value infrastructure on the mainland, such as the Three Gorges Dam.

'The Defence Ministry does not have a plan to attack the Three Gorges Dam,' Mr Tsai said in response to a question from opposition Kuomintang legislator Chiang Chi-wen. But he later said it would not be necessary to send a warplane to demolish the dam and that a 'short-range surface-to-air or surface-to-surface missile could do'.

The Pentagon's annual report on the mainland's military capabilities said: 'Since Taipei cannot match Beijing's ability to field offensive systems, proponents of strikes against the mainland apparently hope that merely presenting credible threats to China's urban population or high-value targets, such as the Three Gorges Dam, will deter Chinese military coercion.'

Mr Tsai said the intelligence information cited by the Pentagon's report on the PLA's military capabilities indicated Beijing was likely to launch an attack on Taiwan in 2006 or 2008.