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.
BUSY DAY: The same day the USS ‘Barry’ passed through the Strait, Taiwan was ending its Han Kuang military exercises, while China said it conducted an exercise near Taiwan A US Navy ship on Friday sailed through the Taiwan Strait, marking the ninth time a US military vessel has transited the Strait since US President Joe Biden took office in January. The USS Barry, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, conducted a “routine” transit through the Strait, the US Navy said in a statement, adding that the journey through international waters was conducted “in accordance with international law.” “The ship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the US Navy said. “The United States military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows.” The Ministry
CLOSED FOR DISINFECTION: Two of the three local cases were linked to a cluster infection at a kindergarten, while the other case works at a McDonald’s restaurant The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported three new local COVID-19 infections and 11 imported cases, but no deaths. The local cases are two men and a woman aged between 20 and 80 who reside in Taipei, New Taipei City and Taoyuan, the CECC said in a news release. Two of them are linked to a cluster infection at a kindergarten in New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋), said Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the CECC’s spokesman. He said they are both associated with the mother of a kindergarten student, who was earlier confirmed to have
BIOLOGICAL AGENT: A containment exercise was held in southern Tainan, in response to a mock assault where troops were assumed to be attacked by bioweapons The live-fire component of this year’s annual Han Kuang military exercises, Taiwan’s major war games involving all military branches, began yesterday morning and is to run until Friday to test the armed forces’ capability to fend off a Chinese invasion. The 37th edition of the annual event officially began after the Ministry of National Defense’s Joint Operations Command Center, also known as the Hengshan Command Center, announced the initiation of the five-day live-fire drills. Yesterday’s drills were focused on testing the military’s preservation and maintenance of combat capabilities in the event of a full-scale Chinese invasion. As part of the drills, air force
WELCOME BACK: Foreign spouses or minor children of Taiwanese can now directly apply for a visa with representative offices overseas, the CECC said Regulations on applications for entry to the nation by foreign spouses or minor children of Taiwanese have been relaxed effective immediately, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday, as it reported two new local and three imported cases of COVID-19. Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥), deputy head of the center, said the relaxation meant that such applications would be treated as general cases, instead of special ones that are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. “Considering the recent local COVID-19 situation and the needs of foreign spouses and children to visit their family in Taiwan, we are allowing Taiwan’s
RSS