Taiwan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

This is from the ROC Coast Guard web site:


"Coastline and area of law enforcement"



=_= Diaoyutai is no where on that map, it looks like they just inserted the text. That's gotta change.

ROC Coast Guard assets:


Time for some bigger OPV's! ;p

Taiwan needs to toughen up, show the Japanese our military might. Use diplomacy, media and military to shame them into apologising. I mean they rammed our boat, all they say is regret? and they are even pressing charges against the fisherman? Japan has for too long abused their position as an unofficial ally of Taiwan and taking inch by inch of our national sovereignty and dignity. The government should do something, and what about the President who just hides in the Presidential Office, the people of Taiwan voted for a better future and one where our nation can once become strong again. Toughen UP TAIWAN!



Taiwan envoy says island's policy of procuring arms from U.S. remains unchanged

By DEBBY WU, AP

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan's new government will maintain its policy of procuring weapons from the U.S., the island's top envoy in Washington said Tuesday, despite signs of warming ties between Taipei and rival China.

Joseph Wu's comments followed the resumption of formal talks between Taiwan and China last week after a hiatus of almost ten years. The talks produced an agreement on expanded charter flights and tourism between the two sides.

Easing tensions across the 100-mile- (160-kilometer-) wide Taiwan Strait is a major goal of the new administration of Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou, who was inaugurated on May 20.

Media reports earlier this month said the U.S. and Taiwan wanted to stall the arms purchases during the talks with China.

While Wu did not discuss the renewed talks with China, he told The Associated Press that the island remained committed to acquiring weapons from the U.S., its main arms supplier.

"Our arms procurement policy remains unchanged," Wu said. "The arms procurement budget that has been approved by the legislature also remains unaffected."

Wu was referring to billions of dollars approved by Taiwanese lawmakers last year to acquire U.S.-made Patriot III missiles and P-3 submarine-hunting aircraft.

He said Washington, like Taipei, remains unchanged in its policy of selling arms to Taiwan.

"Washington now is waiting for the administration in Taipei to offer a new, comprehensive procurement plan that suits its needs the best," he said. "It is incorrect to say that the Bush administration has no intention of selling arms to Taiwan in the remainder of its term."

Washington is required by law to provide Taipei with weapons to defend itself, primarily against communist China.

China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949, and Beijing threatens to attack the self-ruling island if it moves to make its de facto independence permanent.

The tense relations between Taipei and Beijing became especially strained in 1999 after former Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui claimed the island and China are two separate countries.

Lee's successor Chen Shui-bian was even less popular with the Chinese leadership because of his strong support for formal Taiwanese independence.

kliu0 said:

Taiwan needs to toughen up, show the Japanese our military might. Use diplomacy, media and military to shame them into apologising.

Click to expand...

And what if Japan says it has done enough or something happens and the shooting starts? You going to fight Japan? Come off it - the situation needs to calm down, not get more excited.

Mr T said:

And what if Japan says it has done enough or something happens and the shooting starts? You going to fight Japan? Come off it - the situation needs to calm down, not get more excited.

Click to expand...

Japan hasn't done enough so far, they havn't even issued a full apology and dropped charges against the Taiwanese fisherman. When they do, the situation calms and there will no longer be a need for war. As Premier Liu of the ROC said war is a last resort. If nothing happens, then I say send out the navy near the area showing that we mean business and that an apology must be issued so that war doesn't start. Far as I'm concerned war is a low possibility but with the things going so far, diplomatic channels havn't really worked. Remember I don't have the authority to start a war, President Ma does.

kliu0 said:

If nothing happens, then I say send out the navy near the area showing that we mean business and that an apology must be issued so that war doesn't start.

Click to expand...

And then if Japan decides it doesn't want to take orders from Taiwan and sends its own ships there, then what?

Remember I don't have the authority to start a war, President Ma does.

Click to expand...

But as a member of the public you have a voice. And if too many people start jumping up and down it has the potential to bounce politicians into doing something rash.

So far Ma has been sensible - both he and the KMT HQ appear to be pulling back the anti-Japanese lawmakers and have stopped the planned trip to the islands.

The Japanese are extremely cautious when it comes to deploying the JSDF, which is why they funded a large Coast Guard service. As of 2008, I think the Japanese CG fleet has ~500 ships/boats, of which ~100 cutters are >500 ton displacement. Of these, ~30 are PLH class with helicopter and hanger, and ~70 are PL class with helicopter landing deck (but not hangers).

The latest PL class ships carry 40mm cannons and have armored hulls to withstand small arms fire (north Koreans like to shoot first). Although they cannot be considered warships, they're Japan's primary "buffer" against formal military engagement, while enforcing Japan's maritime claims and disputed territories.

While Asian countries are extremely sensitive when it comes to JSDF involvement, the Coast Guard is seen as a law enforcement branch and thus non-confrontational. The Russians, Koreans, & Chinese don't like the Japanese Navy, but will join the Japanese Coast Guard in exercises and training missions. The Japanese Navy Ship visiting China this month is hailed as the "first visit" since end of WW2. But nobody bothered to mention that China had already invited the Japanese CG to visit 3 years ago for joint exercises. And keep in mind that in East China Sea dispute, the first Japanese ships you "bump" into are the CG.

Regardless of the current Diaoyutai dispute, I think Japan's CG strategy has been quite successful. This is something that both China and Taiwan could look at as basis to expand their own CG fleet.

p.s. I invite everyone to read United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Article 121:



3. Rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.

Listen, The last thing I would want personally in my own opinion is war. I'm sure every diplomatic channel must be streched to gain that apology. WAR is (I say again) a very last resort.

Let's stop the "war" theory now, before it gets all attention seeking and attracts the moderators and before we get all angry at each other for different points of views.

Yea, I took a look at the Taiwan Coast Guard ships, they seem a bit old. Perhaps some new money into the budget to buy new ones with better armor and a 40mm cannon as mentioned above. They should make it more stealthier too, improves the morale and most importantly can catch drug runners better because of their stealth ability. Taiwan really needs some updates in their Navy and Coast Guard.

KMT asked for arms freeze: report
‘LAW OF PHYSICS’: The KMT government asked for the freeze in US arms sales to ensure that talks on direct cross-strait flights proceeded smoothly, ‘Defense News’ reported
By Richard HazeldinE
STAFF REPORTER, WITH AP
Wednesday, Jun 18, 2008, Page 3

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government asked the US to halt weapons sales to Taiwan in order to curry favor with Beijing ahead of last week’s cross-strait negotiations, the latest edition of Defense News reported.

The periodical on Monday quoted unnamed sources as saying the temporary freeze had been requested because the new government, worried by a troubled beginning to its term, feared the arms issue could jeopardize a promised deal on direct cross-strait flights and the entry of Chinese tourists — key platforms of President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) election campaign.

However, experts quoted by Defense News were concerned that the freeze, originally intended for the duration of the cross-strait negotiations, could extend until a new administration is installed in the White House next year.

The magazine quoted Mark Stokes, the Pentagon’s country director for China and Taiwan from 1997 to 2004, as saying: “It’s the law of physics. Once you lose that momentum, it’s nearly impossible to get it back.”

News of the arms freeze, which Defense News broke on Monday last week, caused concern among opposition legislators and Taiwan’s supporters in the US, who believed the US government was trying to placate China ahead of US President George W. Bush’s expected trip to the Beijing Olympics.

But Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesman Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) said on Friday that the party had discovered the KMT was behind the suspension, and demanded that the government explain to the public why it had abandoned arms procurements.

The freeze affects some US$12 billion in advanced weaponry that military experts say is crucial if Taiwan is to maintain a position of strength in negotiations with China.

Defense News also clarified its earlier report on elements in the US government that want arms sales to Taiwan ended. It quoted an unnamed US government official as saying that officials dubbed as “panda huggers” in the US embassy in Beijing, the US Treasury Department and the US State Department were conspiring to stop arms sales to Taipei independent of the KMT government’s agenda.

The official was quoted as saying the reasons included opening Chinese markets to US firms, sustaining the six-party talks with North Korea and the future private commercial interests of US officials.

Taiwan’s representative in Wa*shington Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said yesterday there had been no disruption to the arms procurement process and that Taipei would maintain its policy of procuring weapons from the US.

Wu, who is set to be replaced as Taiwan’s envoy, said the government remained committed to acquiring the weapons.

“It is incorrect to say that the Bush administration has no intention of selling arms to Taiwan in the remainder of its term,” he said.

Meanwhile, the DPP yesterday alleged that a top US official visited the Presidential Office after Ma’s inauguration to meet National Security Council Secretary-General Su Chi (蘇起).

Cheng said Su told the official “point blank” that to improve cross-strait relations, arms procurements would have to be suspended.

The DPP said Ma was not present at the meeting.

The head of the party’s Department of International Affairs, Lin Chen-wei (林成蔚), said the Presidential Office should state whether Ma was aware of Su’s actions, and called on Ma to state his position on Su’s strategy.

Peaceful resolution = The best way out of the solution

Taiwan pledges to peacefully resolve boat incident with Japan

TAIPEI (AFP) - Taiwan and Japan pledged Tuesday to calmly resolve a diplomatic row over the sinking of a Taiwanese fishing boat after it collided with a Japanese vessel near disputed islets in the East China Sea.

"The foreign ministry will try to peacefully resolve (the issue) through diplomatic channels," Taiwan's Foreign Minister Francisco Ou told reporters.

Ou made the remarks after a Taiwanese protest boat, escorted by nine patrol ships, entered Japan's territorial waters near the disputed islands early Monday.

Japanese media said it was the first time foreign patrol boats had entered Japanese waters to accompany a protest ship.

The Taiwanese fishing boat sank near the island chain a week ago after colliding with a Japanese patrol vessel. The Japanese vessel rescued all 16 people onboard and sent them back to Taiwan after questioning.

Taiwan's foreign ministry had lodged a strong protest over the incident, demanding an apology and compensation.

But Tokyo said earlier Tuesday it had agreed with Taipei to "handle the issue calmly without getting excited," according to Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura.

Separately, a group of Taiwanese lawmakers on Tuesday called off a protest voyage scheduled for Wednesday to the disputed island chain, known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese.

"We have decided to suspend the trip as Japan has softened its stance while yesterday's civilian protest effectively pressed Taiwan's sovereignty claims" of the islands, said lawmaker Lin Yu-fang of the ruling Kuomintang.

Japan administers the uninhabited island group, which lies near rich energy deposits, but it is also claimed by Taipei and Beijing.

Taiwan's de facto envoy to Japan, Koh Se-kai, was summoned home over the weekend and said Monday he was resigning amid criticism over how he handled the incident.

The US State Department called Monday on Japan and Taiwan to exercise restraint in the dispute.




Taiwan wants Tiaoyutai talks

The China Post news staff

President Ma Ying-jeou agreed yesterday with Japanese Premier Yasuo Fukuda on rational, cool-headed handling of the Tiaoyutai crisis but demanded negotiations on fishing rights as well as sovereignty over the disputed islets in the East China Sea.

At a tea reception for the press, President Ma said he supports Fukuda's approach to solve the incident over the disputed waters off the Tiaoyutais, which the Japanese call the Senkakus.

"Both countries," Ma told reporters, "should resort to peaceful and diplomatic means in tackling the issue."

A Taiwan sports fishing boat, the Lien Ho, was rammed into by a Japanese maritime safety frigate on last Tuesday. It sank. A three-man crew and 13 anglers aboard were rescued, but the skipper and the two crew members were questioned at Ishigaki jima as defendants.

In dealing with the crisis that ensued, Ma said, both sides "have shown self-restraint and goodwill." A Japanese maritime safety official expressed regret for the incident he added.

But that is not enough, Ma said. The Japanese press interpreted "regret" as "apology." "They are not the same," the president added.

"On our side, we are trying to treat the issue rationally and cool-headedly," President Ma went on. He referred to his four-point declaration.

The president reaffirmed sovereignty over the Tiaoyutais on Thursday and demanded that the skipper be released and an apology be made. He reiterated Taiwan's strong determination to safeguard the sovereignty of the islets and ordered the National Coast Guard Administration to strengthen its organization and equipment to safeguard the sovereignty and fishing rights. Reparation for the Lien Ho was demanded.

"We are certain," the president said with confidence, "the dispute would be solved peacefully."

What caused the incident was disagreement between Taiwan and Japan on fishing rights and sovereignty over the islets, under whose water lie vast gas and oil reserves waiting to be tapped.

Japan has never agreed to talk about the disputed sovereignty, while negotiations on fishing rights have failed to reach agreement, President Ma continued.

"There must be a change," he said.

Should no change be made, President Ma said, the Lien Ho incident would be endlessly repeated. "Good relations between the two countries would be seriously affected," he pointed out.

Ma urged Japan to resume talks on fishing rights. "This is the task we have to tackle first," he said, "but negotiations are also necessary to solve the dispute over sovereignty."

Taiwan has agreed to forbid its ships to enter waters 12 miles off the Tiaoyutais. Those are now claimed by Japan as its territorial waters.

"We won't provoke any country," Ma said. China, along with Taiwan and Japan, claims sovereignty over the Tiaoyutais.

"But the Tiaoyutais are our territory and our ships have every right of free access," he declared.

"I hope," Ma said, "Japan, in view of its friendly relations with us in the past, will start dialogue on sovereignty over the islets cool-headedly in a peaceful atmosphere."

My spec requirements for new ROC CG Cutters:

* Built locally in TW
* Displacement large enough to not appear small when next to Japan's 1,800 ton CG Cutters.
* Constructed to survive bumps and collisions (see: UK-Iceland Cod Wars)
* Helicopter landing pad (also good for UAV in future)
* Armored hull to withstand small arms fire
* 40mm gun & 20mm gun