The Ministry of National Defense (MND) yesterday dismissed as “groundless” and “pure speculation” a newspaper report that Taiwan’s navy could offer humanitarian assistance if a war were to break out between the US and North Korea.
The Chinese-language Apple Daily yesterday published a report citing an unidentified military official as saying that the US military has sent a team to Taiwan to evaluate the nation’s ability to set up field hospitals during wartime.
The US team boarded the locally built Panshih (磐石), the navy’s only supply vessel with a small hospital on board, to see if it could be used as a field hospital in wartime, the report said.
The official was cited as saying that the nation’s military could offer humanitarian assistance to the US if an all-out war broke out between the US and North Korea, resulting in heavy casualties.
The ministry released a statement dismissing the report, saying it was “fictitious” and “far from the truth.”
It called on media outlets to verify their information with authorities before publishing groundless reports that could mislead the public.
The Panshih was built by CSBC Corp Taiwan, the nation’s only listed shipbuilder, at a cost of NT$4.09 billion (US$136 million at the current exchange rate) and christened in November 2013.
It is used to transport fuel, ammunition and other supplies to warships in wartime, the navy said.
In peacetime, it is used to carry supplies, conduct maritime rescue operations and provide humanitarian assistance, it said.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost