Taiwan: Official responsible for doubling missile production capacity succumbs to heart attack

The Central News Agency reported that the Taiwanese official responsible for doubling missile production capacity has succumbed to a heart attack.

Ruling out signs of any 'intrusion', the authorities found Ou Yang Li-hsing died of a heart attack during a business trip to the southern county of Pingtung.

Li-hsing, the deputy head of the military-owned National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, was discovered unconscious.

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After assuming the post early this year, he was asked to supervise various missile production projects.

According to his autopsy report, the 57-year-old had a history of heart disease and had a cardiac stent.

As Taiwan boosts its combat power amid what it sees as China's growing military threat, the military-owned body is working to more than double its yearly missile production capacity to close to 500 this year.

Pushing for various defence projects including putting into service a new class of stealthy warships and developing its own submarines, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has made modernising the military a top priority.

Vowing to defend the island's freedom and democracy, she told an American delegation visiting Taipei that China's military threat is growing.

(With inputs from agencies)

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