US military officials allegedly recently inspected the Republic of China Navy’s fast combat support ship Panshi to evaluate its capacity for battlefield medical support in the event of combat with North Korea, local media reported yesterday.
Ministry of National Defense spokesman Major General Chen Chung-chi (陳中吉) refused to comment on a report by the Chinese-language Apple Daily when asked for details.
The newspaper said a small contingent of US military officials boarded the Panshi to inspect its facilities and make inquiries regarding its capacity for surgical operations.
The report cited a military source as saying that if the US were to enter into combat with North Korea, it would result in a significant number of casualties, at which time the US would call upon allies to provide humanitarian aid.
However, the report quoted an anonymous ministry source as confirming that the US contingent did visit Taiwan, but saying that their purpose was to attend a forum regarding military medical treatment.
The ministry said the forum was a routine event.
The report also indicated that the US might be interested in the Panshi due to the capability of the ship to accomodate a Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion — the largest and heaviest helicopter in the US military — on each of its decks.
Japan’s major allies in the region lack hospital ships similar to the USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort, and the Panshi could therefore play an important role should military conflict with North Korea occur.
The Panshi’s primary uses include providing logistical support, including fuel and ammunition, during battle, as well as providing international assistance. The ship is designed with low radar visibility and is equipped with a hangar for marine patrol helicopters.
It is equipped with a clinic, an operating room, X-ray equipment, a sterilization room and three wards with a total of 15 beds.
Taiwanese could risk being extradited to China when traveling in countries with close ties to Beijing, Taiwan Association of University Professors deputy chairman Chen Li-fu (陳俐甫) said on Friday. Chen’s comments came after China on Friday last week announced new judicial guidelines targeting Taiwanese independence advocates. Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Djibouti are among the countries where Taiwanese could risk being extradited to China, he said. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday elevated the travel alert for China, Hong Kong and Macau to “orange” after Beijing announced its guidelines to “severely punish Taiwanese independence diehards for splitting the country and inciting secession.” Extradition treaties
Taiwan and Thailand have signed an agreement to promote and protect bilateral investment and trade, the Executive Yuan’s Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN) said on Friday. The agreement on “Promotion and Protection of Investments” was signed by Representative to Thailand Chang Chun-fu (張俊福) and Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei executive director Narong Boonsatheanwong on Thursday, the OTN said in a news release. Thailand has become the fifth trading partner to sign an investment agreement with Taiwan since 2016, following earlier agreements with the Philippines, India, Vietnam and Canada, the OTN said. The deal marks a significant milestone in the development of
The entire Alishan Forest Railway line is to reopen for the first time in 15 years on Saturday, with tickets to go on sale at 2pm today. The historic railway from Chiayi to Alishan (阿里山) is finally set to reopen after the completion of the final No. 42 tunnel, Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office Deputy Director-General Chou Heng-kai (周恆凱) said. It is to run on a new timetable, with four trains daily, he said. The 9am train is to depart from Chiayi Railway Station bound for Shizilu Station (十字路), while the 10am train departing from Chiayi is to go all the
CROSS-BORDER CRIME: The suspects cannot be charged with cybercrime in Indonesia as their targets were in Malaysia, an Indonesian immigration director said Indonesian immigration authorities have detained 103 Taiwanese after a raid at a villa on Bali, officials said yesterday. They were accused of misusing their visas and residence permits, and are suspected of possible cybercrimes, Safar Muhammad Godam, director of immigration supervision and enforcement at the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights told reporters at a news conference. “The 103 foreign nationals stayed at the villa and conducted suspicious activities, which we suspect are activities related to cybercrime activities,” he said, presenting laptops and routers at the news conference. Godam said Indonesian authorities cannot charge them with conducting cybercrime. “During the inspection, we