Taiwan and Palau should conduct monthly joint coast guard patrols to enhance deterrence in the western Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said yesterday, crediting Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr with the idea, after the agency completed its first-ever “fleet of friendship” visit to the Pacific island nation.
The flotilla, comprising the CG-5005 Taipei, a 4,000-tonne patrol vessel, and the CG-1006 Hualien, a 1,000-tonne patrol and rescue vessel, departed the Port of Taipei on Sept. 11 and returned yesterday, the CGA said in a statement.
The delegation, led by CGA Fleet Branch Director Huang Hsuan-kai (黃宣凱), was warmly received by Whipps at Palau’s One Stop Shop building on Wednesday last week, the statement said.
Photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Administration
Whipps expressed hope that similar visits could be made regularly, perhaps monthly, it said, adding that Whipps emphasized that such an arrangement would project the idea that “presence is deterrence.”
A flag-raising ceremony was held the next day on the deck of the Taipei, with staff of Taiwan’s diplomatic mission in Palau and members of the World Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce attending, the statement said.
Ambassador to Palau Jessica Lee (黎倩儀), Palauan Minister of State Gustav Aitaro and Palauan Minister of Justice Jennifer Olegeriil presided over the ceremony, during which the Taiwanese and Palauan flags were raised as the two countries’ national anthems played.
Aitaro and Olegeriil called for stronger joint maritime law enforcement measures to crack down on smuggling, and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, the CGA said.
Lee said that the presence of the two ships was a testament to the firm diplomatic ties between the two nations and expressed hope that both sides would continue to work together to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
The CGA said that the visit marked a “new chapter” for the agency and that it plans to expand exchanges with Taiwan’s diplomatic allies to demonstrate a shared commitment to regional peace.
As both vessels are new, with the Hualien delivered earlier this month and the Taipei completed last month and awaiting commissioning, the CGA conducted a range of drills during the voyage to test equipment, providing valuable training opportunities for Central Police University students interning on the ships, it added.
NEW AGREEMENT: Malaysia approved imports last year after nearly two years of negotiations and inspections to meet quarantine requirements, officials said Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia. Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added. The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
Tigerair Taiwan and China Airlines (CAL) today announced that several international flights were canceled or rescheduled due to Typhoon Ragasa. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has maintained sea and land warnings for the typhoon. Its storm circle reached the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) on Taiwan's southern tip at 11am today. Tigerair Taiwan said it canceled Monday's IT551/IT552 Taoyuan-Da Nang, IT606/IT607 Taoyuan-Busan and IT602 Taoyuan-Seoul Incheon flights. Tomorrow, cancelations include IT603 Seoul Incheon-Taoyuan, as well as flights between Taoyuan and Sapporo, Osaka, Tokyo Narita, Okinawa, Fukuoka, Saga, Tokyo Haneda, Nagoya, Asahikawa and Jeju. On Wednesday, the IT321/IT322 Kaohsiung-Macau round-trip would also be canceled. CAL announced that today's
Three tropical depressions yesterday intensified into tropical storms, with one likely to affect Taiwan as a typhoon, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The three storms, named Mitag, Ragasa and Neoguri, were designated as storms No. 17 to 19 for this year, the CWA said. Projected routes indicate that Ragasa is most likely to affect Taiwan, it said. As of 2am today, Ragasa was 1,370km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) on the southernmost tip of Taiwan. It was moving west-northwest before turning northwest, slowing from 11kph to 6kph, the agency said. A sea warning for Ragasa is unlikely before Sunday afternoon, but its outer rim
RSS