China has developed a complete system of long, medium and short-range nuclear missiles and was capable of launching nuclear missiles from sea, by submarine or from land-based mobile launchers, the report said.

It praised the ability of China's nuclear submarines, saying they had succeeded in high-speed cruising and were capable of launching nuclear missiles in very deep waters.

Dozens of models of tactical missiles had reached internationally advanced levels, the article said while stressing that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has achieved a qualitative leap forward with emphasis put on effectiveness and technology.

Recently, China openly acknowledged for the first time mastering neutron bomb technology which was developed indigenously. There are unconfirmed reports that China may soon test a long rangeintercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), DF-31, that could reach the United States.

The report is seen by military analysts as part of the PLA's psychological warfare against Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui's redefining Taipei-Beijing relations as `state-to-state'.

The army, navy and air force had developed comprehensive equipment systems enabling them to fight in all types of warfare, the report said.

According to a report by Xinhua news agency yesterday, the PLA recently held an exercise using a newly developed plane for airborne troops and a new type of parachute in the Dabie mountain area.

Airborne troops, large artillery pieces, ammunition, vehicles and material were airdropped to various points during the five-hour exercise and the new planes does not need to refuel during flights to any part of the country, it said.

Also taking part in the exercise were personnel from the infantry, engineering corps, armoured forces, chemical warfare corps and ten other branches, the official news agencysaid.

Meanwhile, according to a report in Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, the Guangzhou military region in southern China and one of the three facing Taiwan, has announced it has developed China's first comprehensive automatic war zone commanding system.

The new system will greatly strengthen the PLA's ability in fighting a modern war, the report said.

The system combines the functions of command, control, surveillance, communications and electronic warfare, as well as tighter liaison among the regions forces, the report said.

Although lagging behind in commercial computer technology, China has developed the galaxy military computer, capable of carrying out 10 billion calculations per second, making China one of the few countries capable of designing and making high speed computers independently.