China expanded its arsenal last year even as tensions eased after the election of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛) said.

“In this period of warmth, a war won’t break out, but don’t forget China still has 1,500 missiles aimed at Taiwan — more than 1,500 — and that’s not right,” Lai said. “They’re always adding [missiles].”

The Ministry of National Defense estimated early last year that there were 1,300 missiles pointing at Taiwan.

“This is something that we keep appealing about to mainland China, to take the missiles offline,” Lai said. “If you take so many missiles and aim them at a neighbor, will he feel comfortable?”

Beijing added missiles every year as a deterrent and to update its arsenals, said Andrew Yang (楊念祖), secretary-general with the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies, a Taipei think tank.

Dong Feng 11 and Dong Feng 15 short-range ballistic missiles are believed to be based in southeast China, about 160km away.

Meanwhile, Taiwan has cut annual live-fire military drills to once every two years and reduced its defense budget for this year.

China’s defense budget for this year has not been released. Last year, the government said it would spend 418 billion yuan (US$61 billion) on defense, up 17.6 percent from the previous year.

Taipei Times – archives

Wo Weihan’s family had appealed for clemency, saying that the scientist was tortured into admitting that he was a spy. He was sentenced last year.

The 59-year-old man, who ran his own medical research company in Beijing, was arrested in early 2005.

Among other things, he was convicted of passing Chinese military secrets to Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province.

Court documents said he spied for an organisation called The Grand Alliance for the Reunification of China under the Three Principles of the People between 1989 and 2003.

This group is under the auspices of Taiwan’s new ruling party, the Kuomintang, according to China.

His daughter, Ran Chen, who holds an Austrian passport, said her father’s death had been confirmed by the Austrian embassy in Beijing.

Mr Wo’s family alleged that he had been denied access to a lawyer for a year.

A spokeswoman for the United States’ embassy in Beijing condemned the execution.

Susan Stevenson told the AFP news agency that the US was “deeply disturbed and dismayed”.

BBC NEWS

About 2,000 protesters venting their anger at Chen’s visit to the island had gathered outside the hotel since late Wednesday as the banquet was being held, with about the same number of police attempting to restore order.

As of 1:45am Thursday (1745 GMT Wednesday), Chen, the most senior Chinese official to visit the self-ruled island in 60 years, was still inside as police attempted to ensure him a safe passage back to the hotel where he is staying.

At least one policeman was injured in scuffles with the protesters, said the TVBS news channel.

Television footage also showed angry demonstrators surrounding a Chinese television reporter late Wednesday in an attempt to prevent her from leaving the hotel before the police intervened.

Taiwan’s ruling Kuomintang (KMT), which hosted the banquet for Chen, blamed the pro-independence opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

“We condemn the DPP for mobilising the protesters… who were engaged in violent acts that have seriously damaged Taiwan’s international image,” the party said in a statement.

DPP chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen appeared at the scene late Wednesday and chanted anti-China slogans with the protesters.

Officials say more than 7,000 police have been deployed to ensure Chen’s safety, after his deputy Zhang Mingqing was jostled and knocked to the ground by anti-China protesters during a visit to Taiwan last month.

Chen, head of China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, on Tuesday signed historic economic deals with Chiang Pin-kung, his local counterpart.

Their meeting, the second between the two envoys and the first in Taiwan, has sparked widespread and vocal protests that Taipei is making too many concessions to its once sworn enemy.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war but Beijing still regards the island as part of its territory, to be retaken by force if necessary.

AFP: