Taiwan’s Leader Warns of China Missile Threat

Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui on Thursday accused China of threatening the island with missiles, in one of his most extensive speeches in months against the country’s longtime rival.

Lee also said Taiwan would be willing to negotiate the removal of more trade barriers--such as a ban on shipping and air links--after the two sides join the World Trade Organization, which could occur within the next year.

The speech to business leaders came amid expectations that Lee would try to make China a bigger issue ahead of Taiwan’s presidential election in March.

A new focus on relations with Beijing might give the ruling Nationalist Party candidate, Vice President Lien Chan, a desperately needed boost in the polls.

Referring to recent reports that China plans to deploy 100 new ballistic missiles across from Taiwan, Lee said such military buildups encourage some Taiwanese to support formal independence.

A spokesman at China’s Ministry of Defense, who gave his name only as Wang, refused to comment Thursday on the missile reports.

China, which considers Taiwan a renegade province, says it would only use military force if the island appeared ready to scrap all possibility of reunifying peacefully with the mainland. But Taiwanese Defense Minister Tang Fei said Thursday that Beijing might invade the island to divert attention from a domestic crisis.

China and Taiwan separated amid civil war in 1949, and Beijing has repeatedly threatened to use force to bring the island back into the fold. Taiwan favors reunification after China becomes more democratic and economically developed.