President Chen Shui-bian (
The Pratas are Taiwan's second southernmost territory, next to Itu Abu (太平島), otherwise known as Taiping island, in the Spratly Islands (南沙).
Accompanied by CGA director Wang Chun (
It was the first time that Chen had visited the Pratas since taking office. Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh (
The Pratas used to be guarded by regular troops, but at the end of last year the newly established CGA took over defense of the archipelago.
Chen expressed concern during the half-day trip over matters ranging from the preservation of natural resources in the region to the defense of the small outpost and the would-be full-scale opening of the island for tourism, the CGA said.
Chen said that Taiwan's South China Sea policy is to solve disputes in the region through peaceful means and to share and jointly cultivate natural resources with neighboring countries.
"The replacement of regular troops with the coast guard as the defenders of the island has effectively reduced tensions in the region. It also contributes a lot to the interests of the country," Chen said.
As to the preservation of natural resources in Taiwan's territorial seas off the Pratas, Chen wanted the coast guard stationed on the island to drive away fishing boats from China or boats from other countries that illegally enter Taiwan's territorial waters.
In a briefing to Chen, the local coast guard commander highlighted the frequent illegal entry into waters off the Pratas by Chinese fishing boats as well as the damage Chinese fishermen have done to the natural resources around the island.
According to research published by the Kaohsiung-based National Chungshan University, illegal fishing practices by Chinese fishermen have caused the number of species of coral in the region to drop from 137 to 64 in recent years.
Chen also said that without sufficient preparation by local residents, tourism on the island would not live up to expectations.
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
OBJECTS AT SEA: Satellites with synthetic-aperture radar could aid in the detection of small Chinese boats attempting to illegally enter Taiwan, the space agency head said Taiwan aims to send the nation’s first low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite into space in 2027, while the first Formosat-8 and Formosat-9 spacecraft are to be launched in October and 2028 respectively, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council laid out its space development plan in a report reviewed by members of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee. Six LEO satellites would be produced in the initial phase, with the first one, the B5G-1A, scheduled to be launched in 2027, the council said in the report. Regarding the second satellite, the B5G-1B, the government plans to work with private contractors
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
RSS