The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday confirmed that a dredging project to allow larger vessels to dock at a wharf serving Taiwan-controlled Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島) has been completed.
However, the coast guard did not respond when asked if President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) would preside over a planned opening ceremony for the renovated wharf.
The CGA’s confirmation came following a report in the Chinese-language United Daily News earlier yesterday, which included a call from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Charles Chen (陳以信) for Tsai to reaffirm the nation’s sovereignty by visiting the disputed island.
Photo courtesy of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang’s office
Chen, a member of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, said that Tsai should follow the examples of former presidents Chen Shiu-bian (陳水扁) and Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and travel to the island for the opening ceremony.
The NT$1.7 billion (US$54.4 million) project to dredge sediment and deepen navigation channels would allow 4,000-tonne coast guard vessels to make routine patrols in the waters around the island, the CGA said in a statement.
The renovation, which was completed on Oct. 30 last year and passed the required inspections on Jan. 20, also included reinforced typhoon-related disaster prevention measures, it said.
Itu Aba Island is the largest of the naturally occurring Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島) in the South China Sea, 1,600km southwest of Kaohsiung, and is administered as part of the city’s Cijin District (旗津).
The island hosts about 200 members of the coast guard trained by the Marine Corps, who regularly hold drills.
The island is also claimed by Vietnam, China and the Philippines.
It is one of two territories controlled by Taiwan in the South China Sea, the other being the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), which lie 450km southwest of Kaohsiung.
Lawmakers on the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee and Internal Administration Committee in November last year said that they plan to visit Itu Aba Island to reassert the nation’s sovereignty.
The last time a trip to Itu Aba Island was made by lawmakers was in 2016.
Visiting the island requires the lawmakers to take an air force C-130 transport plane and to plan a backup airport in case of an emergency, they said.
PATROL PARTNERS: The ‘Chiayi’ and the ‘Penghu’ departed for a two-day joint patrol of Palau’s exclusive economic zone, the CGA’s second diplomatic visit to the country The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) set a record for its southernmost deployment of a coast guard vessel as the vessels Chiayi and the Penghu reached Palau’s Pulo Anna Island on Saturday in a cooperative exercise between the two countries. The island, about 217 nautical miles (401km) southwest of Koror in the Palauan state of Sonsorol and 1,220 nautical miles from Taiwan’s southernmost point, Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), is the furthest south a CGA vessel has sailed. The two vessels are in Palau for the coast guard’s second diplomatic visit to the country. They docked at Malakal Harbor on Tuesday last week. The coast guard
BATCH 1: The military has plans to assign the weapons to the army to defend Taiwan proper, as well as outlying islands and the navy for the Marine Corps, the official said Taiwan is to receive 500 Stinger missiles and 178 launchers from the US by the end of the year, the first batch under a planned two-stage acquisition totaling 2,621 missiles and 763 launchers, a defense official said yesterday on condition of anonymity. The portable missiles would play a vital role in the nation’s air defense capabilities, the source said. The army plans to deploy 2,235 missiles and 657 launchers to defend Taiwan proper and outlying islands, they said, citing military documents. The navy is allotted 295 missiles and 85 launchers to arm the Marine Corps and some surface vessels that lack air defense
The European Parliament on Wednesday adopted a recommendation on EU-China political relations that rejected China’s efforts to restrict Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and exchanges. The recommendation, addressed to the European Council, the European Commission and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, includes several references to EU-Taiwan relations and expresses support for closer ties, saying they would bring positive benefits and have strategic importance. Describing Taiwan as a valuable partner in trade and technology, the European Parliament said it “rejects China’s attempts to coerce international organizations, third countries and other actors into restricting Taiwan’s international participation and
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday arrived in San Francisco, receiving a warm welcome from hundreds of overseas Taiwanese as she launched a week-long visit. Accompanied by Representative to the US Alexander Yui (俞大?), and head of Taiwan’s San Francisco office Wu Chih-hsiang (伍志翔), Tsai arrived at her hotel, waving, smiling and giving high-fives to Taiwanese compatriots amid cheers of “Taiwan’s democracy involves you and me” to welcome her to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is Tsai’s first visit to the US since she left office in May 2024 after serving two four-year terms as president. Tsai is today to deliver
RSS