AFP / AFX, TAIPEI: Taiwan's pro-independence activists will rally on Sunday to support a proposed 340-bln twd (or 10 bln usd) arms purchase from the US aimed at strengthening defenses against mainland China, organizers said.
'We urge all Taiwanese citizens to join the rally to show their determination in defending our country, as China is targeting Taiwan with 800 missiles,' said Peter Wang, head of The 908 Taiwan Republic Campaign organizing the event.
Wang said he expects some 50,000 people to rally outside the Presidential Office in Taipei.
A senior Pentagon official this week bluntly warned Taiwan it must invest in its own defenses against a growing threat from China if it expects the US to come to its aid in a crisis.
Lawmakers from Taiwan's two main opposition parties last week blocked the controversial package even though the total cost has been scaled back from the original amount of twice as much, with some opposition lawmakers saying Taiwan could not afford the arms deal while others said the equipment would be delivered too slowly to enable the island to catch up with China's military build-up.
The latest version of the arms bill calls for the purchase of eight conventional submarines and 12 P-3C submarine-hunting aircraft from the United States over a 15-year period for around 340 bln twd.
The six PAC-3 Patriot anti-missile systems included in the original bill would be financed by the government's yearly budgets.
China has deployed up to 730 ballistic missiles opposite the island which it sees as part of its territory. It threatens to invade if Taiwan declares formal independence.
