Defense minister returns from low-key visit to Taiping Island
ROC Central News Agency
2007-11-06 20:17:02
Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) Defense Minister Lee Tien-yu said Tuesday upon his return from an inspection tour of a road expansion project on the Taiwan-held Taiping Island in the South China Sea that he had expressed his appreciation for the military personnel tasked with carrying out the work during his visit.
Lee made the remarks at an award ceremony organized by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) to honor the military's outstanding medical units and personnel.
The MND is expanding the main road on Taiping Island, the biggest islet of the Spratly islands, to approximately 1,150 meters long and 30 meters wide.
Taiping Island is located 1,600 km southwest of the southern port city of Kaohsiung.
The expanded road will also serve as an emergency runway.
Local media have reported that the military plans to invite President Chen Shui-bian and legislators to visit the island following the completion of the expansion project, but the spokesman declined to confirm the report.
(By T.C. Jiang)
ENDITEM/J
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