The United States opposes Taiwan's development of missiles that could hit targets in mainland China, the de facto US ambassador to Taiwan said today.
Washington supports Taiwan's efforts to counter an arms build-up in China over the past decade, but it believes offensive weapons in China or Taiwan threaten overall security, said Stephen Young, director of the American Institute in Taiwan.
"The US view is that the focus should be on defensive weapons, not on offensive weapons," he said.
Bush special assistant Dennis Wilder said in Washington recently that offensive weaponry in China or Taiwan - enemies since they split after civil war in 1949 - would be "destabilising.".
China still regards self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and sometimes threatens to attack it. Taipei says Beijing has aimed 988 missiles at the island, which lies 160 km off the Chinese coast.
Taiwan last month said for the first time it would fire missiles at Chinese airfields and missile launch sites if China attacked. Previous plans were mostly defensive.