Vietnam said it resolutely opposes a temporary Chinese ban on fishing in parts of the Gulf of Tonkin, the latest in a series of sovereignty disputes in and around the South China Sea.
China’s move came as the two neighbors seek to patch up ties since a bilateral row erupted in May last year when China deployed a US$1 billion oil rig in waters claimed by Taiwan, Vietnam and China. That led to confrontations at sea between rival vessels and violent anti-Chinese protests in Vietnam.
The ban on all fishing activities between Saturday last week and Aug. 1 violates international law and Vietnam’s sovereignty and jurisdictional rights, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement posted on its Web site late on Saturday.
China launched the annual fishing ban in 1999 “to promote the sustainable development of the fishing industry in the South China Sea and protect the fundamental interests of fishermen,” according to state news agency Xinhua. Authorities have threatened violators with fines, license revocations, confiscations and possible criminal charges.
Taiwan, China and Vietnam have overlapping claims to large parts of the South China Sea and various remote islands and reefs. Tensions rose in 2012 and last year after Beijing detained several Vietnamese fishermen for fishing in disputed waters. Both sides accused the other of intimidation and intentionally ramming rival vessels.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said that the rules are meant to protect marine resources in the area.
“This is China’s international responsibility and obligation,” ministry spokesman Hong Lei (洪磊) told reporters.
On Sunday, Chinese Minister of Defense Chang Wanquan (常萬全) told Vietnamese Minister of Defense Phung Quang Thanh that both countries have “the wisdom and capability to achieve success in tackling maritime issues,” the state-run China Daily newspaper reported. The meeting, the first between the two countries’ defense ministers, took place in China’s southwestern Yunnan Province.
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
COGNITIVE WARFARE: Chinese fishing boats transmitting fake identification signals are meant to test Taiwan’s responses to different kinds of perceived incursions, a report said Chinese vessels are transmitting fake signals in Taiwan’s waters as a form of cognitive warfare, testing Taipei’s responses to various types of incursions, a report by the Institute for the Study of War said on Friday. Several Chinese fishing vessels transmitted fake automatic identification system (AIS) signals in Taiwan’s waters last month, with one mimicking a Russian warship and another impersonating a Chinese law enforcement vessel, the report said. Citing data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the report said that throughout August and last month, the Chinese fishing boat Minshiyu 06718 (閩獅漁06718) sailed through the Taiwan Strait while intermittently transmitting its own AIS
CHINESE INFILTRATION: Medical logistics is a lifeline during wartime and the reported CCP links of a major logistics company present a national security threat, an expert said The government would bolster its security check system to prevent China from infiltrating the nation’s medical cold chain, a national security official said yesterday. The official, who wished to stay anonymous, made the remarks after the Chinese-language magazine Mirror Media (鏡周刊) reported that Pharma Logistics (嘉里醫藥物流) is in charge of the medical logistics of about half of the nation’s major hospitals, including National Taiwan University Hospital and Taipei Veterans General Hospital. The company’s parent, Kerry TJ Logistics Co (嘉里大榮物流), is associated with the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the
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