Chen's call came after the opposition-dominated parliament again rejected a controversial 10-billion-dollar arms bill that would see Taiwan buy weapons and military hardwear from the United States.

"Taiwan has been shadowed by China's military threat over the past half-century ... over the past 18 years, China's military spending has increased at a double-digit rate," Chen said.

"What's more, China has declined to give up its attempt to use force against Taiwan," he said.

"According to the information we have gathered, China has worked out a plan for three-stage preparations... which call for the completion of combat capabilities in a war overwhelming Taiwan by 2015."

China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has said it is prepared to use force if the island declares formal independence. The two split in 1949 after a civil war.

To highlight what he believed to be the increasing threat that China poses to Taiwan, Chen cited a Pentagon 2005 report indicating that the military balance has begun to tip balance in Beijing's favor.

China currently has at least 800 short-range ballistic missiles aimed at Taiwan, and that number is increasing by 100 a year, the defence ministry said.

Against that backdrop, Chen vowed to honour his previous commitments to build up a sufficient self-defense force as part of Taipei's efforts to help maintain peace in the region.

The president, who is from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, accused the opposition of blocking the arms deal in what he alleged was a conspiracy with Beijing.

Taiwan's two major opposition, Kuomintang (KMT, or Nationalist) and People First Party who favor closer ties with Beijing, rejected the allegations and boycotted the reading of the 2007 defense budget at parliament.

Chen made the comments four days after the de facto US ambassador to Taipei, Stephen Young, pushed Taiwan to approve the arms package.

In what Taiwanese legislators described as an "ultimatum" to Taipei, Young said: "Taiwan needs to pass the robust defense budget in this fall's legislative session."

"The United States is watching closely and will judge those who take responsible position as well as those who play politics on this critical issue," said Young, director of the America Institute in Taiwan.

US President George W. Bush in 2001 offered the sale of six PAC-3 Patriot anti-missile systems, eight conventional submarines and 12 P-3C aircraft.

However, the arms package has repeatedly been blocked by Taiwan's legislature even after it was scaled down from the original 16 billion dollars.

The latest version of the arms bill called for the purchase of eight conventional submarines and 12 P-3C aircraft. The budget for the Patriots will be set aside on a year-on-year basis.

Some opposition lawmakers have said Taiwan could not afford the arms, while others said the submarines would be delivered too slowly to enable the island to keep pace with China's military build-up.

Military analysts said as the P-3C deal is the least controversial, it is expected to receive the nod from parliament within the next few months.

The US is the leading arms supplier to Taiwan, despite switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.

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