President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday vowed that the nation would not “concede one step” in defending itself as she inaugurated two frigates purchased from the US.
The two Perry-class guided missile frigates were commissioned in a ceremony at the Zuoying naval base in Kaohsiung.
Built in the 1980s, the frigates were originally named USS Taylor and USS Gary, and were part of a US$1.8 billion arms deal to Taiwan announced in 2015 under then-US president Barack Obama. They have been renamed Ming Chuan (銘傳) and Feng Chia (逢甲).
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
They have “high mobility, high sea resistance and low noise,” and are fitted with the SQR-19 sonar system currently used by the US Navy, the Republic of China Navy said.
The ships are to patrol the Taiwan Strait, it added.
Navy Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Lee Tsung-hsiao (李宗孝) had previously said that the warships’ anti-submarine capabilities are more advanced than the nation’s eight Cheng Kung-class frigates and could have a “deterrent effect” against Chinese submarines.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
“We want to send a clear and firm message from Taiwanese to the international community that we will not concede one step in defending ... Taiwan and protecting our free and democratic way of life,” Tsai said after inspecting the ships.
Beijing’s “military actions in the region not only attempt to weaken Taiwan’s sovereignty, but also damage regional peace and stability,” Tsai said.
She highlighted the unconventional “three warfare” threats from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army: psychological, public opinion and legal warfare.
The global security situation is undergoing rapid change and the nation is facing a new array of security challenges, including China’s military exercises near the nation’s periphery, she said.
Beijing deploys conventional and unconventional military methods against Taiwan, including leveraging information technology, the Internet and new media to flood Taiwan with disinformation, she said.
Incessant cyberattacks on the nation’s government and enterprises are a national security threat that Taiwan must confront by self-strengthening — its unchanging principle to protect its place in the world, she said.
“It is my solemn hope that the armed forces will follow three noes: no forgetting the mission to defend Taiwan, no giving up on safeguarding regional peace and stability, and no forgetting the threat of foreign forces,” she said.
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) in a news release said that the sale of the warships contributes to the military balance in the Indo-Pacific region.
“This sale is consistent with US commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide military articles that support Taiwan’s self-defense,” the institute said.
The frigates “will improve Taiwan’s capability in current and future defensive efforts, and further Taiwan’s continuing work to modernize its armed forces,” it said.
The AIT said it sent representatives to yesterday’s ceremony, including AIT Kaohsiung head Matthew O’Connor and members of the AIT team “to signify our enduring support to Taiwan’s defense under the provisions of the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979.”
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS