The Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) activities in the South China Sea have made Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島) too dangerous for President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to visit, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) told lawmakers yesterday.
The national security head was responding to remarks by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) criticizing the president for not visiting the island, as former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) did before the end of his eight-year tenure.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) operates a garrison on Itu Aba, the largest among the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), some of which Vietnam, China, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines also claim.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
Beijing’s policy to tail or hail every non-Chinese ship and aircraft detected transiting through disputed waters it lays claim to is well-documented by the armed forces of Taiwan, the US and Australia, Tsai Ming-yen said.
Taiwanese vessels — including coast guard supply ships and US Air Force C-130s — have reported being shadowed by Chinese military aircraft and warships, he said, adding that PLA activities are highly frequent in the South China Sea.
China on average operates six to 20 aircraft and a score of navy and coast guard ships a day in these waters, which poses a security risk to the nation’s head of state if she were to travel to Itu Aba, he said.
Asked to elaborate on the nation’s contingency plans for defending the islet, Tsai Ming-yen said that the navy and coast guard are prepared to deal with various forms of attacks on Itu Aba.
The island’s 200 coast guard personnel have received new weapons and equipment, including artillery for their defense, and conduct three to four weapons exercises each year, he said.
There are no plans to increase the number of coast guard on Itu Aba, as the current force is enough for conducting maritime law enforcement missions, CGA Director-General Chou Mei-wu (周美伍) said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said the KMT’s demand that the president visit Itu Aba could escalate tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.
It is peculiar that while the KMT repeatedly vows to defend the nation’s sovereignty, it remains silent over Chinese interference in Taiwanese territories and continues to mouth Beijing’s propaganda about Itu Aba, she said.
The KMT is likely being pressured by another entity and its motives are open to question, Wu said.
KMT Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) said the party’s demand for the president to visit the island stems from a desire to “emphasize the Republic of China’s sovereignty and promote a message of peace to the world.”
Asked about drone deployment in Taiwanese territories near China, Chou told lawmakers that uncrewed aerial vehicles were not available to aid in the rescue of a Chinese boat that capsized off Kinmen County on Thursday last week.
The coast guard units assigned to Kinmen and Lienchiang counties do not utilize drones due to the restricted and sensitive airspace in their area of responsibility, he said.
The CGA believes that more operational experience is needed before these systems can be deployed in the region, he added.
Asked about the new Hong Kong security law passed earlier this week, Tsai Ming-yen urged the public to avoid traveling or transiting through the Chinese territory, as the legislation gives authorities broad powers to imprison foreign nationals.
The law gives a broad definition to the crimes of espionage, treason and subversion, with stiff penalties ranging from 20 years to life in prison, he said.
Taiwanese who must visit Hong Kong are advised to be aware that any criticism directed at the Chinese government they made on social media could be used against them by the territory’s authorities, he said.
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