Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/04/29
By: Matt Yu and Chung Yu-chen

Photo courtesy of a private contributor

Taipei, April 29 (CNA) Two American vessels sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) on, an unprecedented move used to highlight the international nature of the strait’s waters, a military expert said Monday.

Lu Li-shih (呂禮詩), a retired lieutenant commander of Taiwan’s Navy, told CNA that Sunday’s passage was different from others because the two vessels turned on their AIS, allowing them to be monitored on the app MarineTraffic, which displays near real-time positions of ships and yachts worldwide.

According to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, it is not mandatory for vessels used for official and military purposes to have their AIS in operation at all times, Lu said.

In the past, the United States only disclosed passages through the Taiwan Strait in a press release, Lu said.    [FULL  STORY]