Deputy Minister of National Defense Tsai Ming-hsien (
During a meeting of the Legislative Yuan's National Defense Committee, Tsai told lawmakers that it would take only five to 10 minutes for China's missiles and military aircraft to fly across the 200km Taiwan Strait to reach Taiwan.
Against this backdrop, it will be very helpful if Taiwan can expand its strategic depth and improve its early warning capability by setting up a base in the South China Sea, which is an international thoroughfare for airplanes and ships, Tsai said.
The Spratly Islands, which consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs surrounded by rich fishing grounds and oil deposits, are claimed either entirely or partially by Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Taiwan now occupies Taiping Island (太平島). China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam have also stationed small numbers of military forces on some other islands.
Ministry of National Defense (MND) officials had previously emphasized that the airstrip to be located on Taiping Island is not intended for military use but instead for humanitarian purposes, such as emergency rescue efforts by the Coast Guard of sick or injured sailors or fishermen.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Tuesday rejected Vietnam's demand that it cease building airstrips on the disputed Spratly archipelago.
Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung warned last Thursday that construction on Taiping Island, also known as Itu Aba (Malay for "What's that?"), would violate Vietnamese sovereignty and create a "negative impact" on peace, stability and regional cooperation.
In response, MOFA Spokesman Michel Lu (呂慶龍) said that the island is part of Taiwan's territory and that the defense ministry's building of a landing strip on the island is therefore in accordance with the nation's sovereignty, adding that it is based on the need for coastal security as well as safeguarding the country's territory.
Also during yesterday's meeting, Liang Kung-kai (梁功凱), head of the MND's Department of Strategic Planning, denied a media report that the ministry is planning to set up two submarine ambush zones in the South China Sea.
Liang dismissed the report as mere speculation.
However, Liang said that if war broke out between Taiwan and China, Taiwan's submarines would definitely have the ability to make ambush attacks against China's oil tankers in the South China Sea.
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
RSS