An Executive Yuan spokesman yesterday ruled out the possibility of Premier Frank Hsieh (
Discounting media reports that Hsieh would probably board a Knox-class frigate today to inspect the situation in disputed waters where Taiwan's boundary overlaps with that of Japan, Cabinet spokesman Cho Jung-tai (
Although Hsieh will not board the frigate, the resolve of the premier and the government to protect the rights and interests of the country's fishermen is unwavering, Cho said.
The frigate is scheduled to sail to waters near a disputed part of the East China Sea today to allow lawmakers to view how the administration is protecting Taiwan's fishermen operating there.
The spokesman stressed that it is not necessary for the premier sail to the disputed area to demonstrate the administration's determination in protecting the fishermen.
He added that having Hsieh join the voyage would blur the focus of the government's efforts to protect fishermen in the area and would raise tensions, which he said the premier wishes to avoid.
Taiwanese fishing ships have repeatedly been expelled or detained by Japanese patrol vessels over the past two years after Japan readjusted and expanded its exclusive economic zone to as close as some 37km off the coasts of Ilan and Hualien counties.
The Cabinet has filed a protest against Japan over the controversy via Taiwan's liaison office in Tokyo and has asked that Taiwan and Japan seek to resolve their fishing disputes through dialogue in line with international law.
Ahead of the 15th round of Taiwan-Japan fishery talks, Taiwanese fishermen have been asked by the Coast Guard Administration to operate within the area temporarily demarcated by the government.
Meanwhile, the Suao Fishermen's Association reported recently that 13 Suao fishing boats have been seized by Japan since 2001 while operating in Taiwan's economic zone, and the boat owners or families of the fishermen have had to pay for their release.
An association official said that overlapping economic zones and fishing rights being encroached upon are long-standing problems, and if the government is unable to solve them, the fishermen could stage a bigger protest next time.
Weather conditions across Taiwan are expected to remain stable today, but cloudy to rainy skies are expected from tomorrow onward due to increasing moisture in the atmosphere, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). Daytime highs today are expected to hit 25-27°C in western Taiwan and 22-24°C in the eastern counties of Yilan, Hualien, and Taitung, data on the CWA website indicated. After sunset, temperatures could drop to 16-17°C in most parts of Taiwan. For tomorrow, precipitation is likely in northern Taiwan as a cloud system moves in from China. Daytime temperatures are expected to hover around 25°C, the CWA said. Starting Monday, areas
A Taiwanese software developer has created a generative artificial intelligence (AI) model to help people use AI without exposing sensitive data, project head Huang Chung-hsiao (黃崇校) said yesterday. Huang, a 55-year-old coder leading a US-based team, said that concerns over data privacy and security in popular generative AIs such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek motivated him to develop a personal AI assistant named “Mei.” One of the biggest security flaws with cloud-based algorithms is that users are required to hand over personal information to access the service, giving developers the opportunity to mine user data, he said. For this reason, many government agencies and
The National Fire Agency on Thursday said a series of drills simulating a magnitude 8.5 earthquake would be held in September to enhance the government’s emergency response capabilities. Since earthquakes cannot be predicted, only by continuously promoting disaster prevention measures could Taiwan enhance its resilience to earthquakes, agency Director-General Hsiao Huan-chang (蕭煥章) said in a news release. The exercises would be held to mark annual National Disaster Prevention Day on Sept. 21, the aim of which is to test Taiwan’s preparedness and improve its earthquake resilience in case of a major temblor, Hsiao said. As part of those drills, an earthquake alert would
STRICTER ENFORCEMENT: Taipei authorities warned against drunk cycling after a sharp rise in riding under the influence, urging greater public awareness of its illegality Taipei authorities have issued a public warning urging people not to ride bicycles after consuming alcohol, following a sharp rise in riding under the influence (DUI) cases involving bicycles. Five hundred and seven people were charged with DUI last year while riding YouBikes, personal bicycles, or other self-propelled two-wheelers — a fourfold increase from the previous year, data released by the Taipei Police Department’s Traffic Division showed. Of these, 33 cases were considered severe enough to be prosecuted under “offenses against public safety,” the data showed. Under the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例), bicycles — including YouBikes and other
RSS