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.
‘NON-RED’: Taiwan and Ireland should work together to foster a values-driven, democratic economic system, leveraging their complementary industries, Lai said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday expressed hopes for closer ties between Taiwan and Ireland, and that both countries could collaborate to create a values-driven, democracy-centered economic system. He made the remarks while meeting with an Irish cross-party parliamentary delegation visiting Taiwan. The delegation, led by John McGuinness, deputy speaker of the Irish house of representatives, known as the Dail, includes Irish lawmakers Malcolm Byrne, Barry Ward, Ken O’Flynn and Teresa Costello. McGuinness, who chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, is a friend of Taiwan, and under his leadership, the association’s influence has grown over the past few years, Lai said. Ireland is
A saleswoman, surnamed Chen (陳), earlier this month was handed an 18-month prison term for embezzling more than 2,000 pairs of shoes while working at a department store in Tainan. The Tainan District Court convicted Chen of embezzlement in a ruling on July 7, sentencing her to prison for illegally profiting NT$7.32 million (US$248,929) at the expense of her employer. Chen was also given the opportunity to reach a financial settlement, but she declined. Chen was responsible for the sales counter of Nike shoes at Tainan’s Shinkong Mitsukoshi Zhongshan branch, where she had been employed since October 2019. She had previously worked
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity
TRANSPORT DISRUPTION: More than 100 ferry services were suspended due to rough seas and strong winds, and eight domestic flights were canceled, the ministry said Tropical Storm Wipha intensified slightly yesterday as it passed closest to Taiwan, dumping more than 200mm of rain in Hualien and Taitung counties, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 11am, Wipha was about 210km southwest of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) and was moving west-northwest at 27km per hour (kph). The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 101kph and gusts reaching 126kph, with a 150km radius of strong winds, CWA data showed. Wipha’s outer rainbands began sweeping across Taiwan early yesterday, delivering steady rainfall in the east and scattered showers in other regions, forecasters said. More heavy rain was expected, especially in the eastern
RSS