Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) today underscored the importance of strengthening national defense in the nation's pursuit of peace and prosperity, while overseeing 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 shipyard in Keelung, Hsiao underlined the importance of a modernized coast guard fleet amid geopolitical uncertainties.
Photo: Wu Sheng-ju, Taipei Times
"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.
"For Taiwan to ensure stable economic growth and the well-being of its people, it must also strengthen its own security and defense," she added.
At the ceremony, Hsiao also christened the fifth 1,000-tonne patrol cutter the CGA Penghu, which is to be delivered at a later date.
In her remarks, CGA Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said the name "Hualien" was decided shortly after the magnitude 7.1 Hualien earthquake struck on April 3 last year in the hope that the CGA would demonstrate the same resilience and courage displayed by Hualien residents in coping with the aftermath of the disaster.
CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Jeng-horng (陳政宏) said the Hualien was contracted under a program to supply the CGA with six advanced vessels, with the sixth expected to be completed and delivered in 2027.
The vessel is 98.5m long, 13.2m wide, and has a maximum speed of 24 knots (44.4kph), Chen said.
It is equipped with the Zhenhai rocket system that can be fitted with 42 2.75-inch rockets or flares, allowing it to conduct night-time search and rescue missions, he said.
Due to their larger size compared with previous models, the current generation of patrol cutters can better withstand stronger winds and waves, allowing its helicopter deck to remain operational in wind speeds of up to 38kph, Chen said.
The new generation of 1,000-tonne patrol vessels is equipped with two lifeboats which have a maximum speed of 35 knots and can be deployed in maritime law enforcement and anti-smuggling missions, Chen added.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
REWRITING HISTORY: China has been advocating a ‘correct’ interpretation of the victory over Japan that brings the CCP’s contributions to the forefront, an expert said An elderly Chinese war veteran’s shin still bears the mark of a bullet wound he sustained when fighting the Japanese as a teenager, a year before the end of World War II. Eighty years on, Li Jinshui’s scar remains as testimony to the bravery of Chinese troops in a conflict that killed millions of their people. However, the story behind China’s overthrow of the brutal Japanese occupation is deeply contested. Historians broadly agree that credit for victory lies primarily with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-led Republic of China (ROC) Army. Its leader, Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a
RSS