What Is The Criterion For The Judgment Of Taiwan's Participation In The Tmd Plan?
by KWIC

(KWIC news Jan.14 Toronto) At present, the focus of controversy that merits attention is by what criterion Taiwan can be considered a member of the TMD system. The possible choices Taiwan may take include 1. Taiwan will make a direct investment, participate in the relevant research, purchase the whole set of NTMD operational system, and rely on the intelligence service provided by the satellite of the US army; 2. Taiwan will not participate in any relevant research, but will eventually purchase the whole set of NTMD system, and link it to the C3I system of the US army for the purpose of the military operations; 3. Taiwan will purchase part of the NTMD system and the other relevant operational systems, including the Patriot 3 missiles and sea-based phased array radar, and will receive the intelligence service from the US satellite in the time of war; and 4. Taiwan will purchase part of the NTMD system and will accomplish the operational missions all on its own.

Professor Hiramatsu Sigeo of Japan and the Chinese security experts all agree that if Taiwan participates in the relevant TMD programs in the form of direct investment and purchases the whole set of system, China will make an extremely strong response. According to the above Chinese source, China will make an appropriate response if Taiwan purchases only part of the system such as the ground-to-air interceptive missiles, depending on the specific situations. Especially from the previous experience, they believe that the USA will still hold itself back to a certain degree as it does not want to let the actual military strength between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait out of balance. It is evident that at this time, China remains in the process of evaluating the situation. The KWIC believes that the possibility can not be ruled out that China will take some preventative measures at an appropriate time in the form of military maneuvers. In the meantime, with the consideration of the defensive nature of the TMD system, it is impossible for the Chinese military authorities to mention in the same breath Taiwan’s development of the TMD and its development of nuclear weapons. The latter has become a factor that may contribute to the possible Chinese military solution to the issue of Taiwan ( Kanwa news ).