The Ministry of National Defense (MND) was noncommittal yesterday in the face of demands from lawmakers to send troops to Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島), the the largest of the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島) in the South China Sea.
Lawmakers, including Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lu Yu-ling (呂玉玲), proposed at a budget review that the government should send marines to the island in the wake of an international court ruling earlier this year that refused to recognize the nation’s sovereignty and downgraded the island to a rock.
The ministry declined to support the proposal, saying that the Coast Guard Administration is responsible for patrolling the island, though the military could do more to improve its supply capabilities.
The ministry said that decisions on troop deployments are a matter of policymaking at the highest level of government.
In July, The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration declared the “nine-dash line” that underpins Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea to be invalid.
The court also declared all high-tide features in the Spratly Islands, including Taiwan-controlled Itu Aba, to be “rocks” and not islands, a difference in terminology that denies them the right to an exclusive economic zone.
Taipei rejected the ruling and said it is not legally binding, and reiterated its sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and their surrounding waters.
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
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