Posted on 03/22/2005 8:02:01 PM PST by Tuefel Hunden
TAIWAN'S coastguard has accused a Chinese spy ship of intruding into waters around the island before being shepherded away by Taiwanese navy vessels.
The incident occurred amid growing tensions between Taiwan and China after the Chinese parliament recently passed an anti-secession law aimed at the island off the southeastern Chinese coast.
“The ship sailed away after it was approached by naval and coastguard ships,'' a coastguard official told AFP.
The United Daily News said the Chinese vessel, the Xue Long, was first spotted off the island on Sunday, prompting the navy to send frigates to follow it closely.
Military analysts say China has stepped up underwater and maritime surveillance of Taiwan, which it claims as part of its territory even though the island has been ruled as a de facto independent state since 1949.
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To counter the threat, Taiwan's defence ministry has pushed for the approval of an arms deal with the United States worth some $US15.5 billion ($19.7bn)
Tensions between Taipei and Beijing escalated after China's National People's Congress approved the anti-secession law to grant the Chinese military a legal base to use “non peaceful means'' against Taiwan if the island makes moves to declare independence.
Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian condemned Beijing for enacting what he said was a “law of aggression,'' and repeated a call for one million people to march in protest on Saturday.
I hope the Taiwanese navy doesn't do something to cause this situation to blow up (no pun intended) into war. We really don't need anything to happen over there while Rice tries to get the North Koreans to come back to the six party talks.
Taiwan is a bee with a nuclear sting in its tail.
Crisp flied Chinese will be abundant if they try anything untoward.
Interesting name.
Similar to Teufel Hunden, which is what the Germans called the Marines in WWI: Devil Dogs.
Semper Fi
The "Xue Long"? Isn't that a ship from Louisiana?
The Chinese Navy is sailing along the coast of Taiwan and you are admonishing TAIWAN to behave?!?!??!?!??!?!??!?!?
Should have just sunk it. Any complaints, its position on the sea bottom inside the territorial lines would have been fixed.
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