Defense Minister Feng Shih-kuan says the military will transport ammunition to Taiping Island within a month. Feng was responding on Monday to a question from DPP lawmaker Chen Ting-fei about how the military will cope with China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea.
Taiping Island is part of the Spratly Islands, which are located in the South China Sea. While Taiwan has effective administration over Taiping Island, the Spratlys are also claimed in part or in whole by China, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
The defense minister said that in addition to transporting ammunition to Taiping Island, Taiwan’s military will also step up reconnaissance and logistics support.
“[Compared with China], our equipment and military strength on Taiping Island are rather inadequate. I think we will conduct a strategic review and help the Coast Guard Administration build [infrastructure] on Taiping Island," said Feng, "At the end of June and early July, the navy will assist the coast guard in transporting to the island the 40,000 shells that coast guard needs for its Bofors 40 mm guns within a month.”
Feng also said China’s plan to demarcate an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the South China Sea is unacceptable.