Missile misfire shows lack of trust hurts

TAIWAN'S NEW LEADER Tsai Ing-wen has called for strict military discipline and a full explanation to the Chinese mainland and neighboring states, after the island's navy "accidentally" fired a missile on Friday morning that hit a Taiwan fishing boat in waters off the island, killing one and injuring three. People's Daily Overseas Edition commented on Monday:

The firing of the anti-ship missile on Friday was blamed on a failure to follow proper procedures during a test. Such an explanation is hardly convincing, because the use of such a weapon is not simply about pressing a button.

Even Tsai admitted that it was "unimaginable" that the supposedly "foolproof" system failed to work.