Taipei, Nov 16, SPA -- China is developing the means toelectronically blockade rival Taiwan with attacks to theisland's vital utilities, the Internet and othercommunications networks, a high-ranking U.S. defenseofficial has said. The stern warning was issued by Richard P. Lawless _deputy undersecretary of defense _ during a closed-doormeeting with business leaders last month in America. A copyof Lawless' speech was obtained by The Associated Press onTuesday under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act. Lawless cautioned that if a war broke out between Taiwanand China _ which split amid civil war in 1949 _ the firstcasualties might not be "brave men and women in uniform."He said China might first target things that keep Taiwan'shigh-tech society running. "China is actively developing options to create chaos onthe island, to compromise components of Taiwan's criticalinfrastructure: telecommunications, utilities, broadcastmedia, cellular, Internet and computer networks," Lawlesssaid on Oct. 4 to the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council. "Taiwan could be electronically blockaded, isolated fromthe world, creating a kind of perfect storm in which theU.S. could not communicate with Taiwan or Taiwan with theworld," Lawless said during the council's meeting in thesouthwestern city of Scottsdale, Arizona.--more1236 Local Time 0936 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/217600