Goodwill doesn’t mean peace: defense minister

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Minister of National Defense Chen Chao min said yesterday that goodwill gestures by China do not mean lasting peace across the Taiwan Strait and that Taiwan’s defense buildup will have to continue as scheduled.

“Defense buildup is still necessary, because it is the basic (action we must take) to brace for possible wars,” Chen said.

Chen said that if Beijing agrees not to launch missiles, the military would see that as a goodwill gesture, and would welcome it, but would not take it to mean lasting peace.

Asked by KMT legislator Fu Kun-chi how Taiwan will respond if Beijing withdrew its hundreds of missiles deployed on its coastal provinces aimed at Taiwan, Chen said that if China indeed withdrew the missiles, then “the ministry will make adjustments on military procurement and research and development based on the actual situation.”

Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here
Write a Comment
CAPTCHA Code Image
Type in image code
Change the code
 Receive China Post promos Respond to this email
Subscribe  |   Advertise  |   RSS Feed  |   About Us  |   Career  |   Contact Us
Sitemap  |   Top Stories  |   Taiwan  |   China  |   Business  |   Asia  |   World  |   Sports  |   Life  |   Arts & Leisure  |   Health  |   Editorial  |   Commentary
Travel  |   Movies  |   TV Guide  |   Classifieds  |   Bookstore  |   Getting Around  |   Weather  |   Guide Post  |   Student Post  |   English Courses  |   Terms of Use  |   Sitemap