The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday denied reports that a joint military drill was held with the US off the coast of Hualien County, saying that the activity that took place was part of regular exercises to familiarize new vessels with sea conditions around Taiwan.
The Liberty Times (sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) reported that sources said a joint exercise with the US was carried out yesterday morning 28 nautical miles (52km) off Hualien.
If there had been a drill, it would have been the first since the two nations on March 25 signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a joint coast guard working group.
Photo: Yu Tai-lang, Taipei Times
Involved in the exercise were the 4,000-tonne Chiayi (嘉義) heavy patrol vessel, the 1,000-tonne Taitung (台東) patrol vessel, the 600-tonne Chengkung (成功) medium patrol vessel and a 100-tonne coast guard vessel, the Liberty Times reported.
The ships arrived in Hualien on Monday for exercises starting at 8am the next day, it said, adding that the US vessels did not send out signals or disclose the number or type of ships participating.
The paper reported that a CGA official confirmed there was a joint exercise with the US, but refused to comment further as the matter involves sensitive information.
The two sides preferred to maintain a low profile, as it was their first joint exercise, carried out ostensibly for rescue and counterterrorism purposes, the paper said.
However, the CGA in a statement yesterday afternoon denied that the vessels were dispatched to conduct a joint exercise with the US.
New vessels are regularly sent on training missions to familiarize the crew with sea conditions and routes around Taiwan, it said.
As for the MOU, its main goal is to create a platform for dialogue and cooperation between the Taiwanese and US coast guards regarding the protection of marine resources; illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; search and rescue missions; and maritime environmental response, it said.
The agency added that it does not rule out interactive cooperation, which would only be disclosed with consent from both parties.
US President Donald Trump said "it’s up to" Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) what China does on Taiwan, but that he would be "very unhappy" with a change in the "status quo," the New York Times said in an interview published yesterday. Xi "considers it to be a part of China, and that’s up to him what he’s going to be doing," Trump told the newspaper on Wednesday. "But I’ve expressed to him that I would be very unhappy if he did that, and I don’t think he’ll do that," he added. "I hope he doesn’t do that." Trump made the comments in
NOT AN OPENING: Trump’s violation of international law does not affect China’s consideration in attacking Taiwan; Beijing lacks capability, not precedent, an official said Taiwanese officials see the US’ capture of the president of Venezuela as a powerful deterrent to Beijing’s aggression and a timely reminder of the US’ ability to defeat militaries equipped with Chinese-made weapons. The strikes that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signaled to authoritarian leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), US President Donald Trump’s willingness to use military might for international affairs core to US interests, one senior official in Taipei’s security circle said. That reassured Taiwan, the person said. Taipei has also dismissed the idea that Trump’s apparent violation of international law could embolden Beijing, said the official, who was not
A cold surge advisory was today issued for 18 cities and counties across Taiwan, with temperatures of below 10°C forecast during the day and into tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. New Taipei City, Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu, Miaoli and Yilan counties are expected to experience sustained temperatures of 10°C or lower, the CWA said. Temperatures are likely to temporarily drop below 10°C in most other areas, except Taitung, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, CWA data showed. The cold weather is being caused by a strong continental cold air mass, combined with radiative cooling, a process in which heat escapes from
Snow this morning fell on Alishan for the first time in seven years, as a strong continental cold air mass sent temperatures plunging across Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The Alishan weather station, located at an elevation of about 2,200m in central Taiwan, recorded snowfall from 8:55am to 9:15am, when the temperature dropped to about 1°C, the CWA said. With increased moisture and low temperatures in the high-altitude Alishan area, the conditions were favorable for snow, CWA forecaster Tsai Yi-chi (蔡伊其) said. The last time snow fell at the Alishan weather station was on Jan. 10, 2018, while graupel fell there
RSS