Taiwan said to develop graphite bomb to counter China

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Taiwan is to develop a non-lethal graphite bomb to paralyze the power supply system of rival China in the event of a cross-strait war between the two rival sides of the Taiwan Strait, local news media reported Sunday.

"The parliament's defence committee is to review next week a budget proposed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology in developing the non-lethal graphite weapon whose major function is to paralyze the enemy's major cities," cable news network TVBS said.

Quoting unnamed military sources, TVBS said the so-called "blackout" bomb, used by the United States during the war with Iraq in 2003, can effectively disable 85 per cent of power supply of a major city.

The local United Daily News said the development of the bomb development project, to cost about 22 million dollars, would start in 2008. The daily also said the military planned to use its recently developed Hsiung Feng 2E crucial missile, which has a range of at least 600 kilometres, to carry the bomb.

The defence ministry declined to comment on both reports. Taiwan and China have remained at loggerheads since the two sides split at the end of a civil war in 1949. dpa le gma