Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/11/06
By: Lu Hsin-hui and Lilian Wu

Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) and the Navy will hold a joint drill in the

South China Sea at the end of this month, it was announced on Sunday.

The joint drill will focus on humanitarian rescue missions and be led by the Coast Guard Administration with support from the Navy in line with the policy of the Navy supporting Coast Guard Administration operations.

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has instructed that Taiping Island – the largest island in the South China Sea controlled by Taiwan – should be turned into a center for humanitarian rescue and a supply base, following an international arbitration court ruling in July that Taiping is a “rock.”

The joint drill will demonstrate the progress being made in efforts to turn Taiping into a humanitarian rescue center. The CGA and Navy will also conduct joint operations to protect Taiwan’s fishing boats and improve anti-terrorism capability at sea to guarantee the safety of Taiwan fishermen.    [FULL  STORY]