Most Taiwanese fishing vessels have a GPS system installed, which means that determining their position should be easy.
In the recent incident involving the Taiwanese fishing boat Kuang Ta Hsing No. 28, which came under fire from personnel aboard a Philippine Coast Guard vessel on Thursday last week, killing one of its crewmembers, the actions of the Philippine vessel did not follow international maritime conventions.
Even if the fishing boat was engaging in illegal fishing, the Philippine vessel should still have to first gone through a series of actions appropriate to the situation: issuing a warning, demanding that the boat stop, approaching it and then boarding to check the vessel’s documentation.
If the fishing boat increased speed and tried to leave instead of heeding the warnings, the Philippine vessel should have fired warning shots into the water.
The behavior of the Philippine vessel was no different from the behavior of pirates or bandits.
Although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately filed a strong protest with the Philippines, condemning its actions and requiring that the Philippine government offer an official apology and arrest the perpetrators, it is important to keep in mind that this was not the first incident of its kind between Taiwan and the Philippines.
Judging from the attitude and the actions of the Philippine government in past incidents, it is likely that these protests will not result in anything unless Taiwan continues to take a tough stance.
This incident has quickly developed from an event at sea and the need to protect fishermen to a diplomatic incident.
If it turns out to be impossible to find a quick and unambiguous solution to handle the issue, it could set public opinion against Taiwan’s government, and the government’s authority and ability to handle to the issue would come under considerable pressure.
In addition, when it comes to the Philippines, Taiwan clearly does not lack the capabilities to protect and enforce the safety of Taiwanese fishermen at sea.
We should use this incident as an opportunity to turn the situation to our advantage by initiating patrols from a fixed patrol station in the area.
If the Coast Guard Administration’s vessels are too few and too small, the navy should shoulder its responsibility and start providing practical assistance.
It is necessary to understand that dispatching vessels to a station for patrols is not a provocation aimed at the Philippines.
Rather, it is a way to tell the Philippines in a firm and stern manner that these waters are part of Taiwan’s sovereign territory and an expression of our firm determination and capability to protect our sovereignty.
This incident may seem to be unrelated to China, but if Beijing were to take the initiative to send ocean surveillance or fisheries vessels to the area before Taiwan reacts, it would be an embarrassment to Taiwan’s government.
Let us not forget the arguments in recent years over whether Taiwan should send ships to the Gulf of Aden to protect Taiwanese ships in the area, which were raised following the rising levels of unchecked piracy there.
It would be much better to begin by protecting the 200 nautical mile (370km) exclusive economic zone around Taiwan.
If we are incapable of protecting our fishermen in our own waters, why would we even consider sending ships to patrol distant seas?
Wang Jyh-perng is a reserve navy captain.
Translated by Perry Svensson
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) challenges and ignores the international rules-based order by violating Taiwanese airspace using a high-flying drone: This incident is a multi-layered challenge, including a lawfare challenge against the First Island Chain, the US, and the world. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) defines lawfare as “controlling the enemy through the law or using the law to constrain the enemy.” Chen Yu-cheng (陳育正), an associate professor at the Graduate Institute of China Military Affairs Studies, at Taiwan’s Fu Hsing Kang College (National Defense University), argues the PLA uses lawfare to create a precedent and a new de facto legal
In the first year of his second term, US President Donald Trump continued to shake the foundations of the liberal international order to realize his “America first” policy. However, amid an atmosphere of uncertainty and unpredictability, the Trump administration brought some clarity to its policy toward Taiwan. As expected, bilateral trade emerged as a major priority for the new Trump administration. To secure a favorable trade deal with Taiwan, it adopted a two-pronged strategy: First, Trump accused Taiwan of “stealing” chip business from the US, indicating that if Taipei did not address Washington’s concerns in this strategic sector, it could revisit its Taiwan
Chile has elected a new government that has the opportunity to take a fresh look at some key aspects of foreign economic policy, mainly a greater focus on Asia, including Taiwan. Still, in the great scheme of things, Chile is a small nation in Latin America, compared with giants such as Brazil and Mexico, or other major markets such as Colombia and Argentina. So why should Taiwan pay much attention to the new administration? Because the victory of Chilean president-elect Jose Antonio Kast, a right-of-center politician, can be seen as confirming that the continent is undergoing one of its periodic political shifts,
Taiwan’s long-term care system has fallen into a structural paradox. Staffing shortages have led to a situation in which almost 20 percent of the about 110,000 beds in the care system are vacant, but new patient admissions remain closed. Although the government’s “Long-term Care 3.0” program has increased subsidies and sought to integrate medical and elderly care systems, strict staff-to-patient ratios, a narrow labor pipeline and rising inflation-driven costs have left many small to medium-sized care centers struggling. With nearly 20,000 beds forced to remain empty as a consequence, the issue is not isolated management failures, but a far more
RSS