A key component of Taiwan's most advanced anti-ship missile has been sent to China, causing calls for greater safeguards in the former nation. A report by the South China Morning Post on Wednesday (January 4) said that a theodolite- which is an optical instrument- from the Hsiung-Feng III anti-ship missile was sent to China's Shandong province for repair.&nbsp;

Issuing a statement on Wednesday, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST)- a Taiwanese-state-owned corporation- said that the optical instrument was bought from Swiss company Leica last year and it was sent back to the manufacturer for repair&nbsp;recently.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-incursions-into-taiwan-air-defence-zone-almost-doubled-in-2022-548723">China’s incursions into Taiwan air defence zone almost doubled in 2022</a>

The NCSIST said the unit's memory cards were removed before sending it back and it asked the agent to send the part to Switzerland, the South China Morning Post report said.&nbsp;

However, before the repaired optical instrument was returned, it was discovered the unit was sent to Taiwan from an airport in the Shandong province.&nbsp;

According to the NCSIST, Leica said its maintenance centre for Asia was in Qingdao city (in Shandong province) and hence the theodolite had been sent for repair.&nbsp;

The NCSIST added on Wednesday that it quickly ran a security check on the device and ensured that no malware was installed. The Taiwanese agency also pointed out it was discussing measures to ensure that similar devices would not be sent to China for repairs in future for national security reasons, the report said.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Dr Su Tzu-yun from Taiwan's Institute of Defence Security Research told BBC on Wednesday that optical instruments were not direct missile components but the Taiwanese government had to be more careful. Dr Tzu-yun highlighted that the government must be "more strict and careful" in its contract management.&nbsp;

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This news comes just days after news agency AFP reported that China's air incursions into Taiwan's air defence zone nearly doubled in 2022. China sent more than 1,700 warplanes into Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in 2022, compared to 960 air incursions in 2021 and 380 in 2020.&nbsp;

China has claimed Taiwan as its own and has been ramping up pressure in the democratic island to assert its sovereignty. On Thursday, former NATO general secretary Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged democratic countries to show China "severe economic consequences" if it attacks Taiwan.&nbsp;

"Any attempt by China to change the status quo in Taiwan by force should spark an equally unified response and we must make this clear to China now," Rasmussen told reporters in a news conference in Taipei, news agency Reuters reported.&nbsp;

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A key component of Taiwan's most advanced anti-ship missile has been sent to China, causing calls for greater safeguards in the former nation. A report by the South China Morning Post on Wednesday (January 4) said that a theodolite- which is an optical instrument- from the Hsiung-Feng III anti-ship missile was sent to China's Shandong province for repair.

A key component of Taiwan's most advanced anti-ship missile has been sent to China, causing calls for greater safeguards in the former nation. A report by the South China Morning Post on Wednesday (January 4) said that a theodolite- which is an optical instrument- from the Hsiung-Feng III anti-ship missile was sent to China's Shandong province for repair. Issuing a statement on Wednesday, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST)- a Taiwanese-state-owned corporation- said that the optical instrument was bought from Swiss company Leica last year and it was sent back to the manufacturer for repair recently. ALSO READ | China’s incursions into Taiwan air defence zone almost doubled in 2022 The NCSIST said the unit's memory cards were removed before sending it back and it asked the agent to send the part to Switzerland, the South China Morning Post report said. However, before the repaired optical instrument was returned, it was discovered the unit was sent to Taiwan from an airport in the Shandong province. According to the NCSIST, Leica said its maintenance centre for Asia was in Qingdao city (in Shandong province) and hence the theodolite had been sent for repair. The NCSIST added on Wednesday that it quickly ran a security check on the device and ensured that no malware was installed. The Taiwanese agency also pointed out it was discussing measures to ensure that similar devices would not be sent to China for repairs in future for national security reasons, the report said. Meanwhile, Dr Su Tzu-yun from Taiwan's Institute of Defence Security Research told BBC on Wednesday that optical instruments were not direct missile components but the Taiwanese government had to be more careful. Dr Tzu-yun highlighted that the government must be "more strict and careful" in its contract management. ALSO READ | Taiwan extends mandatory military service to one year after Beijing's Christmas 'strike drills' This news comes just days after news agency AFP reported that China's air incursions into Taiwan's air defence zone nearly doubled in 2022. China sent more than 1,700 warplanes into Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in 2022, compared to 960 air incursions in 2021 and 380 in 2020. China has claimed Taiwan as its own and has been ramping up pressure in the democratic island to assert its sovereignty. On Thursday, former NATO general secretary Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged democratic countries to show China "severe economic consequences" if it attacks Taiwan. "Any attempt by China to change the status quo in Taiwan by force should spark an equally unified response and we must make this clear to China now," Rasmussen told reporters in a news conference in Taipei, news agency Reuters reported. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Key component of Taiwan's anti-ship missile sent to China for repair: Report

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Key component of Taiwan's anti-ship missile sent to China for repair: Report

Harpoons and SLAM-ER missiles: Why China fears the types of weapons sold by US to Taiwan