China’s military chief was to tour US warships yesterday at the start of a four-day visit to the US that comes amid heightened tensions between Beijing and its Southeast Asian neighbors over territorial disputes.
An escalating maritime feud between China and Vietnam is expected to come up when General Fang Fenghui (房峰輝), chief of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army general staff, holds talks this week with his US counterpart, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Martin Dempsey, officials said.
Tensions between China and Vietnam spiked after Beijing said it would relocate a deep-water oil rig to a disputed area of the South China Sea, with Hanoi saying Chinese vessels rammed its patrol ships and fired water cannons at them.
China has rejected criticism from Washington over its dispute with Vietnam as “irresponsible” while a US diplomat has voiced concern about “dangerous conduct at sea.”
China’s clash with Vietnam is the latest in a series of disagreements between Beijing and its Asian neighbors over territory in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety.
The US, anxious about Beijing’s growing military might in the strategic area, has suggested China engaged in intimidation of its neighbors and has bolstered its defense ties in the region.
The Pentagon said Fang’s visits was aimed at deepening ties between the two countries’ militaries, as it comes after a similar visit to China last year by Dempsey.
Fang’s trip begins in San Diego, California, where he will visit an aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan, a new littoral combat ship, the USS Coronado, and a US Marine Corps recruitment depot.
Tomorrow, the US military is to roll out the red carpet for Fang with a full honors ceremony at the Pentagon, where he will hold talks with Dempsey and then take part in a joint press conference.
The Chinese officer is also due to travel to Fort Bragg, North Carolina before wrapping up his trip in New York.
The visits came as China’s state-run media called for Beijing’s territorial challengers to be made to pay an “unaffordable price.”
The state-run China Daily accused Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam of worsening situations in the region, encouraged by “malicious third parties.”
“Beijing must make sure that every claimant knows blackmail and extortion will not work, and that it will not compromise its territorial integrity,” it said.
“A rat will not be pacified when we hesitate to pelt it for fear of smashing the vase beside it,” the newspaper added.
A Chinese freighter that allegedly snapped an undersea cable linking Taiwan proper to Penghu County is suspected of being owned by a Chinese state-run company and had docked at the ports of Kaohsiung and Keelung for three months using different names. On Tuesday last week, the Togo-flagged freighter Hong Tai 58 (宏泰58號) and its Chinese crew were detained after the Taipei-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable was severed. When the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) first attempted to detain the ship on grounds of possible sabotage, its crew said the ship’s name was Hong Tai 168, although the Automatic Identification System (AIS)
An Akizuki-class destroyer last month made the first-ever solo transit of a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship through the Taiwan Strait, Japanese government officials with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. The JS Akizuki carried out a north-to-south transit through the Taiwan Strait on Feb. 5 as it sailed to the South China Sea to participate in a joint exercise with US, Australian and Philippine forces that day. The Japanese destroyer JS Sazanami in September last year made the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s first-ever transit through the Taiwan Strait, but it was joined by vessels from New Zealand and Australia,
SECURITY: The purpose for giving Hong Kong and Macau residents more lenient paths to permanent residency no longer applies due to China’s policies, a source said The government is considering removing an optional path to citizenship for residents from Hong Kong and Macau, and lengthening the terms for permanent residence eligibility, a source said yesterday. In a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment, an official familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said. The move was part of “national security-related legislative reform,” they added. Under the amendments, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
RSS