TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) -- Taiwan plans to spend about $9 billion in the next decade to develop a low-altitude missile defense shield against attacks from China, the defense ministry said Thursday.
The announcement, contained in a report delivered on Wednesday to the Legislature, comes amid speculation over Taiwan's possible inclusion in a regional anti-missile defense umbrella being developed by the United States and Japan.Though that system is years away from being ready, talk of Taiwan's inclusion has already brought strong warnings from China, which claims Taiwan as a breakaway province to be reunified with the mainland by force if necessary.
Radar warning systems, command centers and missile launch bases will be constructed to form a protective net that could provide protection against missile attack for 70 percent of Taiwan's land, the ministry said.