Taiwan does not seek to escalate tensions or provoke conflict with China, but will resolutely defend its national sovereignty, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday on a visit to troops in Hsinchu.
Tsai made the comment after observing an exercise by a battalion of the 542nd Armored Brigade at the army’s Northern Joint Testing Center, which she visited as part of a tour of northern military bases ahead of the Lunar New Year.
Tsai also toured the Second Tactical Fighter Wing and the Hsinchu branch of Taoyuan Armed Forces General Hospital.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE
The military thoroughly monitors and calmly responds to Chinese military activity in the waters and airspace surrounding the nation, while continuing to train and prepare for its defense, she said.
The government’s position is to not escalate or provoke conflict with China, while resolutely defending the nation’s sovereignty and security, she said.
Responsibility for maintaining regional peace and stability falls on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, she added.
The battalion-level tactical gunnery exercise utilized the army’s new laser-based engagement simulation system, which has significantly increased the effectiveness of unit training and wargaming, she said.
The military is updating training methods and equipment to match current military preparedness requirements, she said, adding that the reforms would be applied to the training of conscripts after mandatory military service is restored to one year.
The Ministry of National Defense is increasing the facilities, capacity and quality of military training to boost the effectiveness of the armed forces, she said.
Separately, the defense ministry has filed a request for the Executive Yuan to activate a secondary reserve fund of NT$917.34 million (US$30.19 million) to pay for soaring fuel and maintenance costs due to frequent deployments of Taiwanese ships and warplanes in response to Beijing’s military drills.
Continual probing of Taiwan’s sea and air defenses by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has strained military resources, especially ship and airplane fuel, a defense official familiar with the matter said yesterday on condition of anonymity.
The navy responds to suspicious movements of Chinese warships by approaching with an equal number of ships, a policy that puts the entire fleet on constant alert, the person said.
Beijing has sent warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone nearly every day for the past year, and the PLA Air Force has become more brazen in approaching or crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the source said.
Chinese jets additionally conducted menacing flights from the north using air lanes Taiwan reserves for special purposes, the person added.
As the air force scrambles fighter jets to repel or intercept the Chinese aircraft, the number of flight hours have surged, resulting in pilot exhaustion and accelerated wear on the planes, they said.
These factors have led to skyrocketing fuel expenditures that exceeded the army’s fuel budget, while price hikes by energy exporters has worsened the situation, the source said.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old