A top Taiwan Defense Ministry official has warned that China has nearly 1,000 missiles deployed in its territory that could be used to target the island.
Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, Major General Wang Cheng-hsiao said China's arsenal of missiles has increased from nearly 200 in 1996 to 980 this year.
Major General Wang said China has deployed 880 ballistic missiles and 100 cruise missiles that can target the island.
Still, Taiwan defense officials say China's missiles are not as precise as some believe. Taiwan's military estimates that if 70 percent of China's missiles were used in a conflict situation, Taiwan could retain over 50 percent of its combat capacity.
China claims self-ruled Taiwan is part of its own territory, and has threatened to use force against the island if it makes any formal moves toward independence.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP.