Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Taiwan tests missiles capable of hitting Shanghai, Hong Kong

TAIPEI, Taiwan - aiwan has tested missiles that are capable of hitting Shanghai or Hong Kong, a newspaper reported Tuesday, amid renewed tensions between the island and China triggered by strong pro-independence remarks by Taiwan’s leader.

President Chen Shui-bian attended the secret test of the Hsiungfeng 2E missiles early last month, the United Daily News reported, citing unidentified sources. The missiles have a range of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), enough to strike Shanghai and Hong Kong, China’s most important financial centers, the newspaper said.

Taiwan’s military declined to comment on the report, published two days after China announced it will increase its military spending by 17.8 percent this year.

The report also came after Chen made some of his more provocative comments about Taiwanese independence. He told a pro-independence group on Sunday that the island should be independent and have a new constitution.

No comments: