CNN - Taiwan says China fired 2 missiles

Taiwan says China fired 3 missiles

March 7, 1996
Web posted at: 9:15 p.m. EST (0215 GMT)

TAIPEI, Taiwan (CNN) - China began its planned week-long series of missile tests early Friday, firing three unarmed rockets into waters off Taiwan.

Taiwan's defense ministry said China fired three surface-to-surface guided missiles that fell off two busy Taiwanese ports less than 50 nautical miles from the island country's coast.

China, which views Taiwan as a renegade province, has said it will continue the missile tests until March 15.

Taiwan's military fortified its defenses in advance of the tests and has not ruled out retaliation if the missiles violate its territorial boundaries, including a 12-nautical mile fringe around its coast.

Friday's tests were China's third since June, but the missiles landed closer to the island than ever before.

The war games are widely viewed as an attempt to thwart Taiwan's forays toward independence and wither support for front-runner and incumbent president Lee Teng-hu. Taiwan plans to hold its first direct presidential elections on March 23.

Beijing accuses Lee of paying lip-service to reunification while pursuing independence. China began flexing its muscles across the narrow Taiwan Strait last summer when Lee paid a controversial, private visit to the United States.

China brushes off Taiwan elections

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Shen Guofang said China was attaching minimal importance to Taiwan's elections.

"No matter what happens in the elections, the fact remains that Taiwan is a part of China and Taiwan's leaders are but the leaders of a part of China," Shen said Thursday.

For the first time Thursday, China acknowledged that the purpose behind the tests is to intimidate Taiwan's pro-democracy forces. Earlier, China had claimed the tests were routine exercises.

"The current tension across the Taiwan straits has been entirely caused by the perverse acts of some leaders in Taiwan to preach an independent Taiwan," Shen said.

Shen nevertheless stressed that the tests were not directed against the Taiwanese people and tried to reassure them they were not in danger.

Criticizing the United States for encouraging Taiwan's pro-independence forces, Shen said the United States acted improperly in urging that the missile tests be called off.

"Actually, it is China who should be protesting, because the question of Taiwan is entirely China's internal affair, in which no other country has the right to interfere," he said.

U.S. calls tests 'reckless'

In Washington, the United States swiftly condemned the missile tests as "provocative and reckless."

The missile launches prompted heavy U.S. dollar and gold buying by nervous Taiwanese. In Japan, the Transport Ministry announced it was rerouting all commercial flights away from Taiwan.

Beijing is concerned that Taiwan is leaning away from eventual reunification with the mainland and toward independence.

The province has lived under a separate government since 1949, when Chinese Nationalists fled to Taiwan and built it into an offshore island fortress.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Taiwan says China fired 3 missiles

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