31 March 2017

News Story: China says weapons won't stop unification with Taiwan

By: Ben Blanchard

BEIJING — China's Ministry of National Defense said Thursday it was futile for Taiwan to think it could use arms to prevent unification, as the self-ruled democratic island looks to fresh arms sales by the United States amid what it sees as a growing Chinese threat. 

China has never renounced the use of force to bring under its control what it deems a wayward province, and Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense says China has more than 1,000 missiles directed at the island. 

The Trump administration is crafting a big new arms package for Taiwan that could include advanced rocket systems and anti-ship missiles to defend against China, U.S. officials said earlier this month, a deal sure to anger Beijing. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews