Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) yesterday emphasized the importance of strengthening national defense in the country’s pursuit of peace and prosperity, as she oversaw the delivery of the fourth 1,000-tonne class patrol cutter Hualien to the Coast Guard Administration (CGA).
Speaking at a handover ceremony at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣中船) Keelung shipyard, Hsiao highlighted the need for a modernized coast guard fleet in an era of geopolitical uncertainty.
“In the face of global uncertainty, from the war in Ukraine to conflicts in the Middle East, we are reminded that peace has never been something to take for granted, but rather something that must be safeguarded together,” she said.
Photo: RITCHIE B. TONGO, EPA
“For Taiwan to ensure steady economic growth and the well-being of its people, it must also strengthen its own security and defense,” she added.
Hsiao also christened the CGA’s fifth 1,000-tonne cutter, Penghu, which is to be delivered later.
Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said the name “Hualien” was chosen shortly after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the county on April 3 last year, adding that she hoped the vessel would embody the same resilience and courage displayed by residents in the disaster’s aftermath.
The Hualien is one of six advanced vessels commissioned under a CGA procurement program, with the final ship scheduled for delivery in 2027, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Jeng-horng (陳政宏) said.
The vessel measures 98.5m in length, 13.2m in width and has a maximum speed of 24 knots (44kph), Chen said.
The vessel is armed with the Zhenhai rocket system, which can be fitted with 42 2.75-inch rockets or flares, enabling it to carry out nighttime search-and-rescue operations, he said.
The larger size of the current generation of patrol cutters allows them to better withstand high winds and rough seas, keeping their helicopter decks operational in wind speeds of up to 38kph, he added.
The new 1,000-tonne cutters are also equipped with two lifeboats capable of reaching speeds of 35 knots, which can be deployed for maritime law enforcement and anti-smuggling missions, Chen said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
Taiwan’s exports soared to an all-time high of US$61.8 billion last month, surging 49.7 percent from a year earlier, as the global frenzy for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and new consumer electronics powered shipments of high-tech goods, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. It was the first time exports had exceeded the US$60 billion mark, fueled by the global boom in AI development that has significantly boosted Taiwanese companies across the international supply chain, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing. “There is a consensus among major AI players that the upcycle is still in its early stage,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
RSS