The navy’s “Friendship Flotilla,” which reported a COVID-19 cluster infection after returning from a visit to Palau last month, sailed in the South China Sea near Singapore, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday, amid speculation that it was engaged in a “confidential mission.”
After drawing heated criticism for providing inconsistent information about the infection cluster onboard the supply ship Panshih (磐石), one of the three vessels making up the flotilla, the ministry said it would hold a daily news conference to clarify related problems.
A total of 29 cases have been confirmed among Panshih crew members, while the source of infection is still being investigated.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
The flotilla at one point was sailing in an area near the equator — with the coordinates of 0° north latitude and 106° east longitude, the ministry said, without revealing the content of the confidential mission.
Such information sparked speculation that the area was where the navy conducted the so-called “confidential mission” — which it previously said was part of the purpose of the voyage — amid public queries on why the navy had set sail after the WHO had already declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.
Navy Commander Admiral Liu Chih-pin (劉志斌) yesterday made his first public appearance on a military-related TV show since the controversy erupted, apologizing for arousing public concern.
Photo: CNA
While thanking front-line medical staff for their contributions, Liu called on military personnel and the public to pray for the naval personnel infected with the coronavirus.
As the commander, Liu said he takes full responsibility for the incident, and pledged to carry the navy through such a difficult time, restore society’s trust in the military, and defend the pride and confidence of soldiers.
Minister of National Defense Yen De-fa’s (嚴德發) decision to transfer Rear Admiral Chen Tao-hui (陳道輝) and Vice Admiral Kao Chia-pin (高嘉濱) — the captain and commander respectively of the flotilla — to different posts following the release of the initial investigation reports demonstrated the navy’s responsible attitude, he said.
The enemy of Taiwan, which is the Chinese Communist Party, is disseminating propaganda that the Taiwanese military has suffered a severe blow, in an attempt to undermine the military’s morale and combat readiness, he said.
However, Taiwan, in the face of the enemy’s threats, is resolved to maintain the highest alert, with all combat operations remaining normal to ensure optimal national defense, he said.
The military will neither shrink back nor lose hope, despite the setback, Liu said, urging the public to remove their doubts about the military’s capabilities.
In related news, the ministry released a surveillance photograph it took of a Chinese aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, as it monitored the passage of a Chinese carrier battle group in waters south of Taiwan on Wednesday.
The black-and-white photograph shows an aerial view of the Liaoning, but the ministry did not say where or when the photograph was taken, other than that it was taken by the air force.
The ministry has been closely monitoring the battle group, including the dispatch of eight navy vessels, but nothing out of the ordinary was observed, it said.
This is the second time this month the aircraft carrier battle group was seen operating in waters near Taiwan.
Additional reporting by Aaron Tu
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