Bowing to pressure from the pan-blue camp, the Ministry of National Defense yesterday sent a naval vessel to an area near the disputed Diaoyutais in what one observer dubbed a "political performance piece."
A number of high-profile officials and politicians joined the trip, including Minister of National Defense Lee Jye (
The Knox-class frigate Feng Yang was assigned to take the delegation to a location near the Diaoyutais that the military described as the border of Taiwan's "air defense identification zone" -- the point at which aircraft are considered to have entered Taiwanese airspace and therefore must identify themselves to the authorities.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
The Feng Yang is a 3,855-tonne frigate designed primarily to protect sea lanes beyond the range of coastal aircraft.
It is one of eight Knox-class frigates operated by the navy, and is the only one of its class armed with Hsiung Feng-II anti-ship missiles.
The ship is assigned to the navy's 168th Patrol Squadron.
The Feng Yang and its delegation of officials, accompanied by more than 70 journalists, left Suao Naval Base at 9:30am yesterday and traveled to a point approximately 70km from the nearest island in the Diaoyutais, according to a GPS receiver brought aboard by reporters.
The vessel was joined at 11am by another Knox-class frigate, the Hai Yang, and shortly thereafter by two Coast Guard Administration patrol boats.
As the Feng Yang neared its destination, Wang and a group of pan-blue legislators joined the media on the aft flight deck for a press conference. The group, wearing navy-issued caps and windbreakers, waved plastic Republic of China flags.
"For reasons of history, geography and the law, the Diaoyutais are the territory of the Republic of China," Wang said, before leading the group in chanting "Protect national sovereignty! Long live the Republic of China!"
The defense minister and the pan-green legislators did not take part in the press conference, and generally avoided interaction with the media and their pan-blue counterparts.
DISAPPOINTED
For their part, the pan-blues said they were disappointed with the defense ministry's handling of the trip.
Chou, who recently defected from the PFP and plans to run for Taipei County commissioner in the year-end elections, was asked by the Taipei Times if he was satisfied with the results of the voyage.
"No, I'm not satisfied. Not at all," he said. "There is ... nothing close to what we wanted to achieve. For example, getting closer to the Diaoyu islands, or even having [Lee Jye] stand with us and declare that we will defend our territory," he said.
Chou said that the purpose of the trip was supposed to be to take a hard line with Japan to convince the country that Taiwan was serious about the issue.
"If the Japanese cross that line [the Exclusive Economic Zone], then we should arrest [their fishermen]. We should take similar actions as to what the Japanese do to us," Chou said. "These are things that we are supposed to do, so as to push them to the negotiating table."
SIMPLE SOLUTION
The legislator said there was a simple, long-term solution to the problem.
"Sit down and talk. Basically I believe everyone can accept it if we draw a center line between their shore and our shore," he said.
Meanwhile, a military official at Hualien Air Base told the Central News Agency that F-16 fighters were conducting "training missions" in the area, but refused to comment on whether the flights were connected to the trip.
However, before setting sail yesterday morning, one senior military officer told the Taipei Times that "F-16s are standing by" to support the voyage of the Feng Yang.
Japan was cautious in its response to the trip. Japanese Defense Agency Director-General Yoshinori Ono told reporters in Tokyo that "Japan must act calmly in this matter, and Taiwan must also act calmly."
He said that Japan had taken no action in regard to the voyage.
Also see stories:
ONE LAST TALK: While Xi said that Taiwan was a ‘red line,’ Biden, in what is likely his last meeting with Xi as president, called for an end to China’s military activity around Taiwan China’s military intimidation and economic coercion against Taiwan are the main causes of tensions that are destabilizing peace in the Taiwan Strait, Taipei said yesterday while thanking US President Joe Biden for expressing Washington’s firm stance of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met on Saturday for their third meeting and their first talks in seven months on the sidelines of the APEC forum in Lima, Peru. It was likely Biden’s last meeting as president with Xi. During their conversation, Biden reiterated the US’ opposition to any unilateral change to the “status quo” from either
Taiwan would participate in the 2026 APEC summit to be hosted by China after Beijing promised it would ensure the personal safety of attendees, Taiwanese national security sources said yesterday. The APEC Leaders’ Machu Picchu Declaration announced yesterday said that China would host the APEC summit in 2026. Beijing proposed hosting the summit shortly before this year’s gathering began on Friday, a national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Many APEC members expressed concerns about China hosting the event and said that prior communication over the decision was insufficient, the official said. Taiwan brought up concerns about legal “guidelines” China announced in
SUPPORT: Arms sales to NATO Plus countries such as Japan, South Korea and Israel only have to be approved by the US Congress if they exceed US$25m The US should amend a law to add Taiwan to the list of “NATO Plus” allies and streamline future arms sales, a US commission said on Tuesday in its annual report to the US Congress. The recommendation was made in the annual report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), which contained chapters on US-China economic and trade ties, security relations, and Taiwan and Hong Kong. In the chapter on Taiwan, the commission urged the US Congress to “amend the Arms Export Control Act of 1976 to include Taiwan on the list of ‘NATO Plus’ recipients,” referring to
MEET AND GREET: The White House, which called the interaction ‘just a handshake,’ did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Biden planned to visit Taiwan’s envoy to the APEC summit, Lin Hsin-i (林信義), on Friday invited US President Joe Biden to visit Taiwan. During the APEC Leaders’ Informal Dialogue, Lin, who represented President William Lai (賴清德) at the summit, spoke with Biden and expressed gratitude to the outgoing US president for his contribution to improving bilateral ties between Taipei and Washington over the past four years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Lin and Biden exchanged views during the conversation, with Lin extending an invitation to Biden to visit Taiwan, it said. Biden is to step down in January next year, when US president-elect Donald Trump is
RSS