Minister of National Defense Lee Tien-yu (李天羽) said at a luncheon with reporters yesterday that the president has the authority to visit any part of the nation's territory at any time and the military was obliged to facilitate any such visit.
"He [the president] has the authority to do that," Lee said. "It is our job to make sure that any trip the president makes is as safe as possible."
Lee's comments referred to speculation that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was planning to visit the newly completed airstrip on Taiping Island (太平島), the biggest atoll of the Spratly Islands (南沙群島), located 1,600km southwest of Kaohsiung.
The Spratly Islands, which consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs surrounded by fishing grounds and oil deposits, are claimed either entirely or partially by Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Lee said the runway, which is 1,198m long and 7m wide, can accommodate aircraft as large as a C-130 Hercules. It takes approximately seven to eight hours to reach Taiping Island from Kaohsiung.
The minister confirmed that the runway is now ready and that Air Force Commander-in-chief Peng Sheng-chu (
If the president was planning to visit the island, the ministry would help organize a trip for reporters as well, Lee said.
Meanwhile, Marshall Islands President Litokwa Tomeing yesterday reassured Vice President Annette Lu (
Tomeing, who had earlier voiced support for forging ties with Beijing, pledged to Lu in a speech that the Marshall Islands -- one of only 23 countries that recognizes Taiwan -- would not forsake Taipei. He also said his country would continue to support Taiwan's efforts to join the UN and the WHO.
Lu arrived in the Marshall Islands yesterday at the start of a three-nation Pacific tour that also includes stops in Nauru and the Solomon Islands. All three Pacific island nations have changed government in the past two months.
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a southwestern extension of the Sanying MRT Line from New Taipei to Bade District (八德) in Taoyuan, with a goal of starting construction by late 2026. The 4.03-kilometer extension, featuring three new stations, will run from the current terminus at Yingtao Fude Station (LB12) in New Taipei City to Dannan Station (LB14), where it will connect with Taoyuan’s Green Line, New Taipei City Metro Corp said in a statement. This extension will follow the completion of core Sanying Line, a 14.29-kilometer medium-capacity system linking Tucheng (土城), Sansia (三峽)
CARGO LOSS: About 50 containers at the stern of the ‘Ever Lunar’ cargo ship went overboard, prompting the temporary closure of the port and disrupting operations Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest container shipper, yesterday said that all crew members aboard the Ever Lunar (長月) were safe after dozens of containers fell overboard off the coast of Peru the previous day. The incident occurred at 9:40am on Friday as the Ever Lunar was anchored and waiting to enter the Port of Callao when it suddenly experienced severe rolling, Evergreen said in a statement. The rolling, which caused the containers to fall, might have been caused by factors including a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Russia, poor winter sea conditions in South America or a sudden influx of waves,
The Ministry of Culture yesterday officially launched the “We TAIWAN” cultural program on Osaka’s Nakanoshima sandbank, with the program’s mascot receiving overwhelming popularity. The cultural program, which runs from Aug. 2 to 20, was designed to partner with and capitalize on the 2025 World Expo that is being held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to Oct. 13, the ministry said. On the first day of the cultural program, its mascot, a green creature named “a-We,” proved to be extremely popular, as its merch was immediately in high demand. Long lines formed yesterday for the opening
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
RSS