• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Taiping defenses unaffected by South China Sea ruling: CGA

ROC Central News Agency

2016/07/11 15:44:14

Taipei, July 11 (CNA) A ruling set to be handed down Tuesday by an international tribunal on a dispute between the Philippines and China over territorial issues in the South China Sea will not affect Taiwan's defenses on Taiping Island there, Coast Guard Administration (CGA）Director-General Lee Chung-wei（李仲威）said Monday.

Lee also said that the government's stance on its sovereignty claim over Taiping Island in the South China Sea remains unchanged and the CGA will not reduce its patrols in the area.

Lee made the comments before giving a report to the Legislative Yuan's Internal Administration Committee on measures the CGA will take to safeguard Taiwan-controlled Taiping following the July 12 ruling and reasons behind its decision to withdraw two new 100-ton CGA patrol vessels back to Taiwan from Taiping a few days ago.

During the legislative session, Lee said it was the CGA's decision to pull back the two patrol vessels and he will shoulder political responsibility if Taiwan loses control of Taiping due to the decision.

People First Party (PFP) Legislator Chen Yi-chieh (陳怡潔) questioned the CGA's decision to withdraw patrol boats while other countries concerned are strengthening their presence in the region. "Does this mean the government is wavering in its defense of sovereignty claim on the South China Sea?" she asked.

In response, Lee said that the CGA was just adjusting its security arrangements in the region by calling back the two vessels and it did not reduce the task force deployed in the region.

Lee said that the CGA has sent a 2,000-ton coast guard ship to the South China Sea on Sunday to patrol Taiping and other islands in the area.

Asked whether the CGA will intensify patrols in the South China Sea, Lee said it will depend on developments in the overall situation. However, "We are an enforcement unit, not a policy-making unit," Lee added.

Lee also reiterated that the government's stance on its sovereignty claims over Taiping and other islands in the South China Sea has never changed.

The two new 100-ton CGA patrol vessels were sent late last year to Taiping -- the largest island in the disputed Spratlys -- but returned to Taiwan and are now both docked in Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan, according to the CGA.

It said last week one of the vessels was brought back in April for annual maintenance, while the other was moved to Kaohsiung for safety reasons as Super Typhoon Nepartak was bearing down on Taiwan.

The second boat was due for annual maintenance in July, but the schedule was moved up because of the approaching typhoon, the CGA said.

According to a local newspaper report last Thursday, however, the two boats were moved from Taiping amid escalating tensions in the South China Sea ahead of the July 12 ruling.

(By Chen Chia-lun and Evelyn Kao)
Enditem/ke