Taiwan's navy to extend patrol area southward to Bashi Channel
ROC Central News Agency
2013/05/13 23:08:28
Taipei, May 13 (CNA) Taiwan's navy will extend its patrol area by 100 nautical miles southward to the south of the Bashi Channel and go beyond the current ROC Air Defense Identification Zone, Deputy Minister of Defense Andrew Yang said at a legislative session Monday.
Navy Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Hsu Pei-shan said that the Navy is adjusting its patrol area and hopes that amendments to related regulations can be completed by the end of this month.
In the future, the Navy will be allowed to freely carry out activities in the area if it does not enter waters within 24 nautical miles of the Batan islands in the Philippines, Hsu said.
After the patrol area is expanded southward, it will encompass all the waters of Batanes from the original Eluanbi sea, according to a defense ministry official.
Yang said after the adjustment, the navy's patrol missions will be moved southward to the south of the Bashi Channel in response to the Coast Guard Administration (CGA)'s plan to strengthen patrols in waters near the Philippines following public outrage over the shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman by Filipino coast guards.
In addition, the Navy and the CGA will hold a joint exercise in waters south of Taiwan on May 16 when Kidd-class destroyers and Chengkung-class frigates will be mobilized to escort coast guard vessels in the exercise.
A 65-year-old Taiwanese fisherman was shot dead May 9 when a Philippine official ship opened fire on his fishing boat in an area of the sea southeast of Taiwan.
(By Chen Pei-huang and Y.L. Kao)
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