Taiwan to increase missile production amid China tensions

The Taiwanese defense ministry has announced that the country will more than double its annual missile production capacity amid increasing tensions with China.

In a report sent to parliament on Wednesday and reviewed by Reuters, it was revealed that the island nation plans to increase missile production from 207 to 497 per year.

The new initiative covers the development of Wan Chien air-to-ground missiles, Hsiung Feng IIE missiles, and the long-range Hsiung Sheng land-attack missile, reportedly capable of reaching China.

Taiwan has already approved an extra 240 billion Taiwanese dollars ($8.6 billion) in military spending over the next five years to increase its defense capabilities amid pressure from China, which insists that the southeast Asian nation is part of its territory.

More than 60 percent of the country’s total military spending will go toward producing or acquiring anti-ship weapons such as land-based missile systems.