Taiwan PM urges China to withdraw missiles
Posted: 21 November 2009 1315 hrs

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TAIPEI: Taiwan's Premier Wu Den-yih has urged China to remove missiles targeting the island to pave the way for peace talks between the formal arch-rivals, according to a report.

Beijing needed to build deeper trust with Taiwan by removing the rockets as well as allowing the island greater space in the international community, Wu was quoted on Saturday by the United Daily News as saying.

"We can only begin talks on a peace agreement when the two sides accumulate more mutual trust and mutual benefits, and when there is a strong consensus in Taiwan and more concrete goodwill by China.

"It is not the time to rush into any peace talks now," he said.

China has nearly 1,500 missiles pointed at Taiwan, with no signs that the build-up is about to stop anytime soon, according to the island's defence officials.

Taiwan's missile capability is not known. It has been test-firing weapons such as the Hsiungfeng 2E surface-to-surface missile, with a range of 600 kilometres, but it remains unclear how effective it is.

Although Taiwan has been governed separately since the civil war ended in 1949, China still claims the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.

Relations have improved markedly since Beijing-friendly Ma Ying-jeou became president of Taiwan last year. However, Ma has repeatedly said the missiles remain a major obstacle to improved relations.

- AFP/yb