Taiwan warns of growing China threat

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian says the island faces a "battle of knowledge and technology"

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan's president has said the island will seek new advanced weapons to ward off the threat posed by China's military.

President Chen Shui-bian warned Monday that China's military will pose a serious threat to the island's security in three years as it gains more advanced weapons and technology.

Taiwan, regarded as a renegade province of the mainland by Beijing, fears threats to take the island by force.

Chen told military officers at the start of a training session that China "has continued to bolster its war capability against Taiwan" thanks to double-digit increases in its annual defense budget, reported the Associated Press.

Chen added he would seek to acquire more advanced weapons for the island's self-defense. "We must engage in a self-defensive act to prevent and deter a war," he said.

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He also urged the officers to improve their war command systems and integrate various weapons systems. Taiwan is not facing a traditional war, but a "battle of knowledge and technology" that requires better-trained troops, Chen said.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 following the communist takeover on the mainland. Beijing has repeatedly threatened to use force if the island declares formal independence.

Big spenders

Both sides have sought to improve and modernize their militaries in recent years. Taiwan traditionally devotes much of its annual budget to defense spending, and Beijing announced in March a 17.6 percent rise in defense spending to $20 billion.

China has also pressured foreign governments not to sell weapons to Taiwan, saying arming the island would help it resist reunification with the mainland.

But the United States, reluctant to see China's military expansion in the Asia-Pacific region go unchecked, is the only country that risks Beijing's ire by supplying Taiwan with advanced weapons.

Recent news reports that China plans to buy eight Russian-made Kilo-class submarines equipped with long-range Klub-S missiles has unnerved the Taiwanese. The submarines, with a price tag of $1.6 billion, will reportedly be delivered in five years.