Seven legislators from across the political spectrum flew to the Dongsha Islands (東沙群島, known as the Pratas Islands in English) in the South China Sea yesterday as part of efforts to highlight Taiwan’s sovereignty amid growing tensions in the disputed area.
The trip came on the heels of a visit late last month by several other lawmakers to Taiping Island (太平島), the main island of the Spratley Islands in the simmering region, for a similar purpose.
The latest trip was led by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Mark Chen (陳唐山), a co-convener of the legislature’s Foreign and National Defense Committee.
The other members of the group were DPP legislators Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯), Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and Hsueh Ling (薛凌), as well as their Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) colleagues Chan Kai-chen (詹凱臣) and Chen Cheng-hsiang (陳鎮湘), and People First Party Legislator Chang Show-foong (張曉風).
Chang said prior to the group’s departure from Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) that she was very pleased to join the group on the tour of the Dongsha Islands, which are located about 450km off Taiwan’s southwestern coast.
“This is my first trip to Dongsha and I hope to look into the ecological and fishery protection measures in place there,” Chang said.
Tsai said the Dongsha and Taiping islands are Taiwanese sovereign territory.
“As tensions in the South China Sea have been escalating recently, we want to reassert our country’s claim to the region through our visit,” Tsai said, adding that the group would also help boost the morale of military and coast guard personnel stationed on the islands.
The South China Sea is seen as a flashpoint because Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei claim all or part of the 3.5 million square kilometer area, which includes the Spratly, Paracel and Pratas islands, the Macclesfield Bank and the Scarborough Shoal.
A standoff between armed Chinese and Philippine vessels has continued since April 10 near the Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island (黃岩島) in Taiwan, over conflicting sovereignty claims.
Taiwan occupies Dongsha, the largest island in the South China Sea, as well as Taiping Island, the largest island in the Spratlys.
One of two tropical depressions that formed off Taiwan yesterday morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The weather system is expected to move northwest as it builds momentum, possibly intensifying this weekend into a typhoon, which would be called Mitag, Lee said. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is forecast to approach the southeast of Taiwan on Monday next week and pass through the Bashi Channel
NO CHANGE: The TRA makes clear that the US does not consider the status of Taiwan to have been determined by WWII-era documents, a former AIT deputy director said The American Institute in Taiwan’s (AIT) comments that World War-II era documents do not determine Taiwan’s political status accurately conveyed the US’ stance, the US Department of State said. An AIT spokesperson on Saturday said that a Chinese official mischaracterized World War II-era documents as stating that Taiwan was ceded to the China. The remarks from the US’ de facto embassy in Taiwan drew criticism from the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, whose director said the comments put Taiwan in danger. The Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday reported that a US State Department spokesperson confirmed the AIT’s position. They added that the US would continue to
The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency as well as long-term residency in Taiwan has decreased, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday, adding that the reduction of Chinese spouses staying or living in Taiwan is only one facet reflecting the general decrease in the number of people willing to get married in Taiwan. The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency last year was 7,123, down by 2,931, or 29.15 percent, from the previous year. The same census showed that the number of Chinese spouses applying for long-term residency and receiving approval last year stood at 2,973, down 1,520,
EASING ANXIETY: The new guide includes a section encouraging people to discuss the threat of war with their children and teach them how to recognize disinformation The Ministry of National Defense’s All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency yesterday released its updated civil defense handbook, which defines the types of potential military aggression by an “enemy state” and self-protection tips in such scenarios. The agency has released three editions of the handbook since 2022, covering information from the preparation of go-bags to survival tips during natural disasters and war. Compared with the previous edition, released in 2023, the latest version has a clearer focus on wartime scenarios. It includes a section outlining six types of potential military threats Taiwan could face, including destruction of critical infrastructure and most undersea cables, resulting in
RSS