Minister of National Defense Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬) yesterday said Taiwan would not recognize any designation of an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) that Beijing reportedly plans to establish over the South China Sea.
If China proceeds with its reported plan to declare an ADIZ over the South China Sea, Taiwan will not comply with a requirement for flights to identify themselves in that airspace, Feng said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign and National Defense Committee.
Citing sources close to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post on Wednesday last week reported that China was preparing to declare an ADIZ over the South China Sea, two years after it established one over the East China Sea.
At yesterday’s hearing, Feng said Taiwan does not recognize the East China Sea ADIZ and would not accept the rules of any similar demarcation by Beijing over the South China Sea.
China drew condemnation from the US, Japan, South Korea and other nations when it imposed the East China Sea ADIZ, in which aircraft are supposed to identify themselves to Chinese authorities.
Feng, a former fighter pilot, said he would “never recognize the ADIZ, nor report to China” when flying in that airspace.
In his briefing to the committee about Taiwan’s plans to deal with the latest reported development in the South China Sea, Feng also said that Taiwan would ship 40,000 rounds of ammunition for its 40mm guns on Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島) in the area sometime between late this month and early next month.
Military vessels are to help the Coast Guard Administration transport the ammunition to Taiping, he said.
The guns are reportedly used to prevent vessels from sailing too close to the island.
Taiwan-controlled Taiping is the largest island in the disputed Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), which are claimed by Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.
It is currently guarded by the administration.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
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The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
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