DEFENSIVE CAPABILITY:The official said that Taiwan’s defenses on the island are outgunned by weaponry that Vietnam and China have sent to nearby islands they hold
Taipei Times
Date: Jul 11, 2016
By: Lo Tien-pin / Staff reporter
Ahead of the ruling by an international tribunal on a dispute between the Philippines and China over
A Coast Guard Administration service member guards a C-130 military transport plane on the tarmac of Itu Aba Island during a government-sponsored tour of the island by members of the international media on March 23. Photo: Johnson Lai, AP
sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, a senior government official expressed concerns that Taiwan does not having sufficient defense capacity on Itu Aba (Taiping Island, 太平島), which might make it “a piece of meat amid a pack of wolves” as surrounding nations have been strengthening their military capacities.
Itu Aba is the biggest feature in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島) and is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC). The Spratlys are claimed whole or in part by Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Vietnam Malaysia and Brunei.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that at the moment, Taiping is guarded by Coast Guard Administration (CGA) personnel, and while these personnel were trained by ROC Marines before being deployed, the main mission for them is “law enforcement,” which is different from what the marines do.
The most powerful weapon on the island are the Bofors 40mm guns lent by the armed forces, which have a maximum firing range of 7,100m if fired into the air and 10,000m if fired horizontally, the official said. [FULL STORY]
