Taiwan boosts its defences as long-range missile goes into mass production

Three other long-range missiles are in development, deputy head of research institute says

Taiwan is keen to bolster its strike capabilities in the event of it coming under attack from mainland China

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Taiwan’s armed forces are in the middle of a modernisation programme to offer a more effective deterrent against attack. Photo: Handout

Published: 3:01pm, 25 Mar 2021Updated: 3:01pm, 25 Mar 2021

Taiwan has begun mass production of a long-range missile and is developing three other models, a senior official said on Thursday, in a rare admission of efforts to develop strike capacity amid growing pressure from mainland China.

The island’s armed forces are in the middle of a modernisation programme to offer a more effective deterrent, including the ability to hit back at bases deep within mainland China in the event of a conflict.

Beijing regards Taiwan as its own territory and has never ruled out the use of military force to “reunify” the island.

Taking questions in parliament, Taiwan’s Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said developing a long-range attack capability was a priority.

“We hope it is long-range, accurate and mobile,” he said, adding research on such weapons by the state-owned National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology had “never stopped”.

The institute’s deputy director Leng Chin-hsu said one long-range, land-based missile had already entered production and three other long-range missiles were in development.

He said it was “not convenient” for him to provide details on how far the missile could fly.