China's recent activities regarding the dispute over territory and resources in oceans in Asia, from the East China Sea to the South China Sea have endangered regional security among Asian states, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said yesterday, as he visited the disputed Pratas Islands, also called the Dongsha Islands (東沙島).
Taiwan will adopt peaceful means to negotiate with China over maritime issues in a bid to avoid possible armed conflict or war, Chen said.
Escorted by the Coast Guard Administration (CGA), Chen yesterday inspected the main island in the chain, Dongsha Island, which is at the center of a dispute over territory and natural resources with nearby countries, including China. It was Chen's second time visiting the remote islets -- which are located to the southwest of Taiwan -- as the nation's leader. In December, 2000, he made his first inspection tour of the Pratas Islands.
PHOTO: SU YUNG-YAO, TAIPEI TIMES
Chen yesterday prayed at a local temple and planted trees on the island, saying that both national security and ecological preservation can be ensured by appropriate management of the Pratas Islands.
Chen said that Taiwan's national security had been threatened by an invasion of Chinese fishing boats and "oil exploration" vessels. In May, coast guard ships expelled Chinese research vessels twice within 20 days.
"With its recent rise in both economic power and military forces, China's intention to expand its oceanic territories and natural resources from the East China Sea to the South China Sea has become more obvious and caused regional tension among neighboring countries. This scenario deserves to be seriously taken into account," Chen said.
Chen said that such dispute is not unique to Taiwan, and that Taiwan will follow international law and codes of conduct to resolve problems like other oceanic countries.
"We will take peaceful means to negotiate with China on oceanic issues in a bid to avoid possible armed `intervention' or war," Chen said.
According to the CGA's information, fishing boats that invade the waters of the Pratas Islands are mostly from China's Hainan Island, Guangdong Province and Hong Kong. The ecological system in the area had become more fragile because of inappropriate activities carried out by Chinese fishing boats, such as using explosives and poison for fishing.
According to Chen, using peaceful means to resolve disputes over sovereignty and resources illustrates the government's responsibility to ensure sustainable development in the region.
Chen yesterday stressed the importance of preserving the natural resources, including fishing grounds and coral reefs, of the Pratas Islands.
Chen said he would like to promote the establishment of an oceanic national park at the Pratas Islands, turning the place to an international research center for ecological studies on tropical oceanic creatures and plants.
Taiwanese scientists have observed what they call an ecological catastrophe in the area, which could be attributed to inappropriate activities involving fishermen from neighboring countries. Used batteries dumped in the area have caused serious environmental pollution in waters. A scientific survey by the Kaohsiung-based National Sun Yat-sen University suggests that the number of types of coral in the area has dropped sharply from 137 in 1998 to 63 now.
Scientists from the Academia Sinica's Institute of Zoology said they have recorded more than 300 kinds of fish, but believe that there are more than 1,000 kinds. Although the Ministry of the Interior plans to turn the waters near the Pratas Islands into an oceanic national park, scientists said that more comprehensive ecological surveys need to be carried out as soon as possible.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
A white king snake that frightened passengers and caused a stir on a Taipei MRT train on Friday evening has been claimed by its owner, who would be fined, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday. A person on Threads posted that he thought he was lucky to find an empty row of seats on Friday after boarding a train on the Bannan (Blue) Line, only to spot a white snake with black stripes after sitting down. Startled, he jumped up, he wrote, describing the encounter as “terrifying.” “Taipei’s rat control plan: Release snakes on the metro,” one person wrote in reply, referring
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
An inauguration ceremony was held yesterday for the Danjiang Bridge, the world’s longest single-mast asymmetric cable-stayed bridge, ahead of its official opening to traffic on Tuesday, marking a major milestone after nearly three decades of planning and construction. At the ceremony in New Taipei City attended by President William Lai (賴清德), Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) and New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜), the bridge was hailed as both an engineering landmark and a long-awaited regional transport link connecting Tamsui (淡水) and Bali (八里)
RSS