The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it would reward people who report the presence of foreign military ships, including those from China, in waters around the nation, as it seeks the public’s help with monitoring “abnormal” activity.
China regularly deploys fighter jets, navy ships and coast guard vessels around Taiwan.
“The coast guard’s personnel are limited, but the people power at sea is unlimited,” the CGA said in a statement announcing the rewards.
Photo: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, REUTERS
The coast guard called on people, including fishers, to “stay vigilant to abnormal maritime activities” to help counter the growing “threats from the sea” and “all kinds of gray zone harassment tactics” — actions that fall short of an act of war.
People who report homicide, piracy, arson or kidnapping to the coast guard could receive up to NT$200,000, while reports of Chinese “stowaways” would be rewarded with NT$50,000 and NT$10,000 for other foreign stowaways.
Verified reports to the coast guard about foreign military ships and other vessels would be rewarded with NT$3,000, it said.
China maintains a near-daily presence of naval vessels and warplanes around Taiwan.
China Coast Guard ships have also been spotted around Taiwan’s outlying islands, at times briefly entering its restricted waters.
Meanwhile, government announcements said test rocket launches are scheduled for this month in Pingtung County.
Feng Chia University plans to conduct a test launch of a small research rocket tomorrow in Mudan Township (牡丹), with the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) also scheduling test launches between Thursday next week and Nov. 21.
The university’s rocket launch is set for 6am to 8am, with backup dates scheduled for Monday or Sunday next week at the same time.
The NCSIST launch is scheduled for Thursday next week, as well as on Nov. 19, 20 and 21 at the Jiupeng military base in Manjhou Township (滿州).
Several NCSIST launches have been canceled for reasons such as bad weather or due to Chinese intelligence vessels patrolling the waters near the base.
To avoid espionage, the NCSIST has shifted its launch times and requested military assistance to remove Chinese vessels.
Additional reporting by Lo Tien-pin
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