Presidential Office spokesperson Charles Chen (陳以信) yesterday blasted president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) for calling President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) barbs against those criticizing his trip to Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島) “inappropriate.”
Ma on Thursday was upset after Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) and others condemned his one-day trip to Itu Aba as an unnecessary provocation, saying they should not “hold him back by dragging his feet” when he tried to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty over the island.
Before Ma made the retort, the DPP said that Chao’s remarks were his personal views and the DPP’s official stance originates with Tsai, who maintains Taiwan’s sovereignty over the region and supports freedom of navigation by either airplanes or naval vessels.
Nevertheless, in response to Ma’s comments, Tsai on Friday said that Ma should “face serious issues with a serious attitude; the way he commented on the issue is very inappropriate.”
“If Tsai thought that a DPP lawmaker’s criticism of Ma was right, why did the DPP have to claim that it was Chao’s personal view to distance itself from the remarks? And if Tsai believes [Ma’s trip to the island] should not be condemned, why did she say that Ma’s call for the nation’s support was ‘inappropriate’?” Chen said, adding that Tsai’s self-contradictory logic is hard to understand or support.
Chen said Itu Aba is the territory of the Republic of China and is the largest island with drinkable fresh water among the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), but the island’s legal status is now being seriously challenged by the Philippines, which has attempted to relegate the island’s status to that of a “rock” before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, the Netherlands, and thereby strip its 200 nautical mile (370km) exclusive economic zone.
The “ridiculous claims” made by the Philippines would deal significant damage to the nation’s rights and interests if acceded, Chen said.
“So was it not the perfect time for President Ma to make a trip in order to voice our deep concerns to the international community and the PCA?” he asked.
“Should President Ma just sit and watch the PCA make a ruling that is against our interests and later be slammed as the president who ‘neglected his duty and humiliated his nation?’” Chen asked.
The challenge by another nation to Itu Aba’s legal status is an extremely serious issue, Chen said, adding that the ruling and opposition parties should present a united front to face the challenge.
“Why does Tsai not condemn inappropriate criticism made from within the DPP? Why does she not, along with Ma, publicly assert to the international community that Itu Aba is an island rather than a rock in her capacity as president-elect?” Chen asked.
TYPHOON: The storm’s path indicates a high possibility of Krathon making landfall in Pingtung County, depending on when the storm turns north, the CWA said Typhoon Krathon is strengthening and is more likely to make landfall in Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said in a forecast released yesterday afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the CWA’s updated sea warning for Krathon showed that the storm was about 430km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point. It was moving in west-northwest at 9kph, with maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts of up to 155kph, CWA data showed. Krathon is expected to move further west before turning north tomorrow, CWA forecaster Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said. The CWA’s latest forecast and other countries’ projections of the storm’s path indicate a higher
SLOW-MOVING STORM: The typhoon has started moving north, but at a very slow pace, adding uncertainty to the extent of its impact on the nation Work and classes have been canceled across the nation today because of Typhoon Krathon, with residents in the south advised to brace for winds that could reach force 17 on the Beaufort scale as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecast that the storm would make landfall there. Force 17 wind with speeds of 56.1 to 61.2 meters per second, the highest number on the Beaufort scale, rarely occur and could cause serious damage. Krathon could be the second typhoon to land in southwestern Taiwan, following typhoon Elsie in 1996, CWA records showed. As of 8pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 180km
TYPHOON DAY: Taitung, Pingtung, Tainan, Chiayi, Hualien and Kaohsiung canceled work and classes today. The storm is to start moving north this afternoon The outer rim of Typhoon Krathon made landfall in Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) at about noon yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, adding that the eye of the storm was expected to hit land tomorrow. The CWA at 2:30pm yesterday issued a land alert for Krathon after issuing a sea alert on Sunday. It also expanded the scope of the sea alert to include waters north of Taiwan Strait, in addition to its south, from the Bashi Channel to the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島). As of 6pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 160km south of
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is set to issue sea and land warnings for Tropical Storm Krathon as projections showed that the tropical storm could strengthen into a typhoon as it approaches Taiwan proper, the CWA said yesterday. The sea warning is scheduled to take effect this morning and the land warning this evening, it said. The storm formed yesterday morning and in the evening reached a point 620 nautical miles (1,148km) southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, moving west-southwest at 4 kph as it strengthened, the CWA said. Its radius measured between 220km and 250km, it added. Krathon is projected
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