Most Taiwanese fishing vessels have a GPS system installed, which means that determining their position should be easy.
In the recent incident involving the Taiwanese fishing boat Kuang Ta Hsing No. 28, which came under fire from personnel aboard a Philippine Coast Guard vessel on Thursday last week, killing one of its crewmembers, the actions of the Philippine vessel did not follow international maritime conventions.
Even if the fishing boat was engaging in illegal fishing, the Philippine vessel should still have to first gone through a series of actions appropriate to the situation: issuing a warning, demanding that the boat stop, approaching it and then boarding to check the vessel’s documentation.
If the fishing boat increased speed and tried to leave instead of heeding the warnings, the Philippine vessel should have fired warning shots into the water.
The behavior of the Philippine vessel was no different from the behavior of pirates or bandits.
Although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately filed a strong protest with the Philippines, condemning its actions and requiring that the Philippine government offer an official apology and arrest the perpetrators, it is important to keep in mind that this was not the first incident of its kind between Taiwan and the Philippines.
Judging from the attitude and the actions of the Philippine government in past incidents, it is likely that these protests will not result in anything unless Taiwan continues to take a tough stance.
This incident has quickly developed from an event at sea and the need to protect fishermen to a diplomatic incident.
If it turns out to be impossible to find a quick and unambiguous solution to handle the issue, it could set public opinion against Taiwan’s government, and the government’s authority and ability to handle to the issue would come under considerable pressure.
In addition, when it comes to the Philippines, Taiwan clearly does not lack the capabilities to protect and enforce the safety of Taiwanese fishermen at sea.
We should use this incident as an opportunity to turn the situation to our advantage by initiating patrols from a fixed patrol station in the area.
If the Coast Guard Administration’s vessels are too few and too small, the navy should shoulder its responsibility and start providing practical assistance.
It is necessary to understand that dispatching vessels to a station for patrols is not a provocation aimed at the Philippines.
Rather, it is a way to tell the Philippines in a firm and stern manner that these waters are part of Taiwan’s sovereign territory and an expression of our firm determination and capability to protect our sovereignty.
This incident may seem to be unrelated to China, but if Beijing were to take the initiative to send ocean surveillance or fisheries vessels to the area before Taiwan reacts, it would be an embarrassment to Taiwan’s government.
Let us not forget the arguments in recent years over whether Taiwan should send ships to the Gulf of Aden to protect Taiwanese ships in the area, which were raised following the rising levels of unchecked piracy there.
It would be much better to begin by protecting the 200 nautical mile (370km) exclusive economic zone around Taiwan.
If we are incapable of protecting our fishermen in our own waters, why would we even consider sending ships to patrol distant seas?
Wang Jyh-perng is a reserve navy captain.
Translated by Perry Svensson
In the event of a war with China, Taiwan has some surprisingly tough defenses that could make it as difficult to tackle as a porcupine: A shoreline dotted with swamps, rocks and concrete barriers; conscription for all adult men; highways and airports that are built to double as hardened combat facilities. This porcupine has a soft underbelly, though, and the war in Iran is exposing it: energy. About 39,000 ships dock at Taiwan’s ports each year, more than the 30,000 that transit the Strait of Hormuz. About one-fifth of their inbound tonnage is coal, oil, refined fuels and liquefied natural gas (LNG),
To counter the CCP’s escalating threats, Taiwan must build a national consensus and demonstrate the capability and the will to fight. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) often leans on a seductive mantra to soften its threats, such as “Chinese do not kill Chinese.” The slogan is designed to frame territorial conquest (annexation) as a domestic family matter. A look at the historical ledger reveals a different truth. For the CCP, being labeled “family” has never been a guarantee of safety; it has been the primary prerequisite for state-sanctioned slaughter. From the forced starvation of 150,000 civilians at the Siege of Changchun
The two major opposition parties, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), jointly announced on Tuesday last week that former TPP lawmaker Chang Chi-kai (張啟楷) would be their joint candidate for Chiayi mayor, following polling conducted earlier this month. It is the first case of blue-white (KMT-TPP) cooperation in selecting a joint candidate under an agreement signed by their chairpersons last month. KMT and TPP supporters have blamed their 2024 presidential election loss on failing to decide on a joint candidate, which ended in a dramatic breakdown with participants pointing fingers, calling polls unfair, sobbing and walking
In the opening remarks of her meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) framed her visit as a historic occasion. In his own remarks, Xi had also emphasized the history of the relationship between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Where they differed was that Cheng’s account, while flawed by its omissions, at least partially corresponded to reality. The meeting was certainly historic, albeit not in the way that Cheng and Xi were signaling, and not from the perspective
RSS