Participants at the 17th South China Sea Conference held in Da Nang, Vietnam, called on ASEAN to reduce its reliance on China, advance the globalization and institutionalization of the South China Sea issue, and support a global effort to maintain regional safety and stability.
The annual event, hosted by the Hanoi-based Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam on Monday and Tuesday, brought together policymakers, national defense officials and security policy experts from 40 countries.
Philippine Coast Guard Commodore Jay Tarriela said that other nations could take a page from how Taipei and Manila resolved their differences over a deadly incident in 2013 and signed the Agreement Concerning the Facilitation of Cooperation on Law Enforcement in Fisheries Matters in 2015.
Photo coutesy of Jin Shi-yi via CNA
On May 9, 2013, a Philippine Coast Guard vessel opened fire on a Pingtung County-based Taiwanese fishing boat, killing 65-year-old fisherman Hung Shih-cheng (洪石成) and injuring crew members.
German Ambassador to Vietnam Helga Margarete Barth quoted German Minister of Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul as saying that “China’s increasingly aggressive behavior in the Taiwan Strait, and the East and South China seas also has implications for us in Europe. Fundamental principles of our global coexistence are at stake here.”
The standards for actions in the South China Sea should not be determined solely by China and ASEAN, and countries in other regions with interests in the sea should also devote more attention to the ASEAN Regional Forum and related activities, EU Ambassador to Vietnam Julien Guerrier said.
The international community must stand together to ensure that those who observe international law are rewarded, and those who contravene it are punished, Guerrier said.
Europe’s overreliance on Russia, the US and China should be a lesson for ASEAN, Guerrier said, adding that the bloc should develop strategic and economic autonomy.
National Taiwan University professor Jin Shi-yi (金士懿) said during the “(Un)interruption of Maritime Techno-politics” section of the forum that uncrewed platforms would redefine the future of scientific monitoring, search and rescue operations, maritime patrols and national defense.
However, the development of such systems also challenges existing international legal frameworks, Jin said.
Taiwan’s strength in artificial intelligence and semiconductor chip manufacturing, and its adherence to international law, show that it can contribute significantly to achieving the sustainable ocean goal, and to fostering peace and prosperity in the region, he said.
National Cheng Kung University academic Kuo Cheng-yuan (郭正元) presented research he conducted with Chen Tzong-yueh (陳宗嶽) on how the algae-bacterial symbiotic system helped sustain maritime biodiversity, and what challenges the Taiwanese and Vietnamese marine production sectors face when attempting to strike a balance between production and maintaining the ecosystem.
Taiwan has great technical innovation, and is among the leading nations in automation, biotech and renewable energy management, Kuo said.
The nation can play a key role in regional collaboration and maritime technology innovation, he added.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
RSS