SAMPLES OF TAIWAN'S SKY BOW SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILES, 1997-12-22 (photo)

Samples of Taiwan's locally developed Sky Bow I and Sky Bow II surface-to-air missiles are displayed December 19 at the island's Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology, a weapons development laboratory financed by the defence ministry. Taiwan on Monday reiterated that it was not developing nuclear weapons, responding to a recent private U.S. study that said the island might be able to develop a nuclear bomb with a one or two-year crash programme. Mindful of rival China's longstanding vow to use force if necessary to bring the island under mainland sovereignty, Taiwan has invested heavily to develop a wide range of missiles, fighter plans and other indigenous defensive systems. jkp/Photo by C.C. NUCLEAR TAIWAN