The Ministry of National Defense yesterday announced plans to demilitarize six islands of the Kinmen group, but vowed not to withdraw all the troops from the region until China retracts its threat to use force against Taiwan.
The six islands -- Tatan, Erhtan, Tungting, Peiting, Menghuyu and Shihyu -- will be opened for tourism after they are taken over by the coast guard and Kinmen police.
The ministry did not make public the timetable for the demilitarization of the six islands but some defense officials said privately that it should happen in the coming months.
"The demilitarization of these six islands does not mean that we are to withdraw all the troops from the Kinmen island group or the Matsu region," said Major General Chao Ching-ho (
"To prepare for possible scenarios in the Kinmen region following the demilitarization of the six islands, we will strengthen our fire power, mobility and intelligence monitoring and gathering capabilities," Chao said.
Chao made the remarks yesterday at a ministry press conference.
"Our arms buildup is focused on the enhancement of defense technology," he said. "We do not need to deploy tens or hundreds of thousands of troops on the Kinmen island group as in the past.
"After being demilitarized, the six islands are to taken over by the coast guard and the Kinmen government," he said. "They will be responsible for the security of these islands in the future."
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) has said it may not be able to take over the six islands because it does not have enough personnel and equipment to safeguard so many islands at the same time.
The military currently deploys around 50 troops on the Tungting island, one of the six to be demilitarized. That number is the lowest in recent years. At its peak, the island had over 500 soldiers.
Even on the smaller Peiting island, there are some 30 troops. Peitung and Tungting are the only two islands of the Kinmen island group which have lighthouses dating back to the Ching dynasty.
The CGA does not have as many troops to maintain the same level of security as the military.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese