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The Republic of China (ROC) maintains a large military establishment, which will account for 16.8 % of the central budget in FY 2003. The military is historically continuous with the forces that fled to Taiwan with the Kuomintang at the end of the Chinese Civil War.

The military's current foremost mission is the defense of Taiwan, a defense primarily against the People's Republic of China, which is seen as the predominant threat and which has not renounced the use of force against the ROC. Until the 1970s, the military primary mission was to retake the Mainland.

Strength

The ROC's armed forces number approximately 430,000, and reserves reportedly total 3,870,000. The ROC has implemented a force reduction program to scale down its military to a level of 400,000 by FY 2001. Conscription remains universal for qualified males reaching age 18.

The ROC's armed forces are equipped with weapons obtained primarily from the United States which has supplied it with F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters and Oliver Hazard Perry class destroyers. The United States has also authorized the sale of eight diesel submarines although it is not clear if and how these subs are to be delivered since the United States does not build diesel submarines and other nations are unlikely to sell these weapons because of PRC pressure.

The ROC also has procured submarines from the Netherlands and fighter jets from France. These sales were made in the late 1980s and because of PRC pressure, future sales from Europe appear unlikely.

The military has also stressed military "self-reliance," which has resulted in the growth of indigenous military production in certain fields most notably the Indigenous Defense Fighter. The ROC's efforts at arms purchases have consistently been blocked by PRC. In addition the PRC has consistently attempted to block communications between the ROC military and other militaries and this has led some observers to fear that this is causing ROC's military to fall behind doctrinally.

Because of the historical legacy having once controlled Mainland China, the army has traditionally been the most important of Taiwan's military forces, although with the realization that the army's role in defending against a PRC invasion is limited.

ROC Air Force

Units

• Air wing equipped with Mirage 2000-5 fighters and F-16

Bases

• Jeou-Peng, on southeastern coast

Aircraft

• Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighter: 60

Weapons

• MICA air to air missiles: 960
• Magic air to air missiles: 480

Nuclear weapons program

The development of nuclear weapons by the ROC has been a contentious issue, as it is one of the reasons over which the PRC has pledged to attack Taiwan. The U.S., hoping the avoid escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait, has continually opposed arming Taiwan with nuclear weapons. Accordingly, the ROC adheres to the principles of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has stated that it does not intend to produce nuclear weapons. Past nuclear research by the ROC makes it a 'threshold' nuclear state.

In 1967, a nuclear weapons program began under the auspices of the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER) at the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology. The ROC was able to acquire nuclear technology from abroad (including a research reactor from Canada and low-grade plutonium from the United States) allegedly for a civilian energy system, but in actuality to develop fuel nuclear weapons.

After the International Atomic Energy Agency found evidence of the ROC's efforts to produce weapons-grade plutonium, Taipei agreed in September 1976 under U.S. pressure to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. Though the nuclear reactor was soon shut down and the plutonium mostly returned to the U.S., work continued secretly.

A secret program was revealed again when Colonel Chang Hsien-yi, deputy director of nuclear research at INER, defected to the U.S. in December 1987 and produced a cache of incriminating documents. General Hau Pei-tsun claimed that scientists in Taiwan had already produced a controlled nuclear reaction. Under pressure from the U.S., the program was halted yet again.

During the 1995-1996 Taiwan Strait crisis, Lee Teng-hui proposed to reactivate the program, but was forced to back down a few days later after drawing intense criticism.

See also: Taiwan and weapons of mass destruction

See also

• People's Liberation Army
• Military history of China

External link

• Ministry of Defense (Traditional Chinese)

• Militaries