Bowing to pressure from the pan-blue camp, the Ministry of National Defense yesterday sent a naval vessel to an area near the disputed Diaoyutais in what one observer dubbed a "political performance piece."
A number of high-profile officials and politicians joined the trip, including Minister of National Defense Lee Jye (
The Knox-class frigate Feng Yang was assigned to take the delegation to a location near the Diaoyutais that the military described as the border of Taiwan's "air defense identification zone" -- the point at which aircraft are considered to have entered Taiwanese airspace and therefore must identify themselves to the authorities.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
The Feng Yang is a 3,855-tonne frigate designed primarily to protect sea lanes beyond the range of coastal aircraft.
It is one of eight Knox-class frigates operated by the navy, and is the only one of its class armed with Hsiung Feng-II anti-ship missiles.
The ship is assigned to the navy's 168th Patrol Squadron.
The Feng Yang and its delegation of officials, accompanied by more than 70 journalists, left Suao Naval Base at 9:30am yesterday and traveled to a point approximately 70km from the nearest island in the Diaoyutais, according to a GPS receiver brought aboard by reporters.
The vessel was joined at 11am by another Knox-class frigate, the Hai Yang, and shortly thereafter by two Coast Guard Administration patrol boats.
As the Feng Yang neared its destination, Wang and a group of pan-blue legislators joined the media on the aft flight deck for a press conference. The group, wearing navy-issued caps and windbreakers, waved plastic Republic of China flags.
"For reasons of history, geography and the law, the Diaoyutais are the territory of the Republic of China," Wang said, before leading the group in chanting "Protect national sovereignty! Long live the Republic of China!"
The defense minister and the pan-green legislators did not take part in the press conference, and generally avoided interaction with the media and their pan-blue counterparts.
DISAPPOINTED
For their part, the pan-blues said they were disappointed with the defense ministry's handling of the trip.
Chou, who recently defected from the PFP and plans to run for Taipei County commissioner in the year-end elections, was asked by the Taipei Times if he was satisfied with the results of the voyage.
"No, I'm not satisfied. Not at all," he said. "There is ... nothing close to what we wanted to achieve. For example, getting closer to the Diaoyu islands, or even having [Lee Jye] stand with us and declare that we will defend our territory," he said.
Chou said that the purpose of the trip was supposed to be to take a hard line with Japan to convince the country that Taiwan was serious about the issue.
"If the Japanese cross that line [the Exclusive Economic Zone], then we should arrest [their fishermen]. We should take similar actions as to what the Japanese do to us," Chou said. "These are things that we are supposed to do, so as to push them to the negotiating table."
SIMPLE SOLUTION
The legislator said there was a simple, long-term solution to the problem.
"Sit down and talk. Basically I believe everyone can accept it if we draw a center line between their shore and our shore," he said.
Meanwhile, a military official at Hualien Air Base told the Central News Agency that F-16 fighters were conducting "training missions" in the area, but refused to comment on whether the flights were connected to the trip.
However, before setting sail yesterday morning, one senior military officer told the Taipei Times that "F-16s are standing by" to support the voyage of the Feng Yang.
Japan was cautious in its response to the trip. Japanese Defense Agency Director-General Yoshinori Ono told reporters in Tokyo that "Japan must act calmly in this matter, and Taiwan must also act calmly."
He said that Japan had taken no action in regard to the voyage.
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