A US Navy guided missile destroyer yesterday arrived in the northern Chinese port of Qingdao in the first visit by a US warship to the nation since Beijing responded angrily to an arbitration panel’s ruling that its expansive South China Sea maritime claims had no basis in law.
Arriving in the home port of China’s northern fleet, the USS Benfold held a signals exercise with the People’s Liberation Army Navy.
Speaking briefly to media, US Navy Commander Justin Harts said the visit aimed to “build relationships” with counterparts from the Chinese navy, but referred questions on tensions in the South China Sea to US Pacific Command in Hawaii.
Photo: AP
US Admiral Scott Swift, the top US naval officer in Asia, is to meet the media tomorrow in Qingdao.
China rejected last month’s ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration the The Hague, Netherlands, in a case initiated by the Philippines, and refused to take part in the arbitration.
It has strongly criticized the US for encouraging its treaty partner in taking legal action and calling for Beijing to respect the ruling.
Last week, Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi’s (王毅) said the US, Japan and Australia were “fanning the flames” of regional tensions after they released a joint statement urging China not to construct military outposts or reclaim land in the disputed waters.
Since the ruling, China has repeatedly reasserted its historical claim to the virtually the entire strategically vital water body, its islands, reefs, plentiful fish stocks and other resources.
It has also begun flying air patrols, with one announced on Saturday featuring bomber and fighter aircraft, in the airspace around the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) and surrounding areas.
The Spratlys and Scarborough Shoal are claimed by Taiwan, China and the Philippines.
Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam also claim the Spratlys.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source