The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has said it is wrong to say that a missile accidentally fired by the navy last week was aimed at China.
On Friday last week a naval ship docked in Kaohsiung fired a Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile. The missile subsequently struck a fishing vessel off Penghu Island, killing the Taiwanese captain and injuring three crew members. The missile did not cross the center line of the Taiwan Strait and the navy said the firing was caused by human error.
The head of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, Zhang Zhijun, demanded an explanation for what he called a very serious incident. He also complained that China had not been the first to be notified about the incident. But his office had earlier cut communication with its Taiwanese counterpart to show Beijing’s dislike of the new government in Taiwan under President Tsai Ing-wen.
MAC spokesperson Chiu Chui-cheng said the government had displayed a responsible attitude over the incident and had given notification and an explanation to the Chinese side in a timely manner.
"Concerning the firing of the Hsiung Feng III missile, the government has given a complete explanation of the entire incident to all parties concerned, including what happened, the follow-up and the government’s position," Chiu said. "We reiterate that our resolve to preserve peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and in the region has not changed. The oversimplified statement that 'the missile was fired toward China' is not the reality."
The MAC said the incident showed the importance of maintaining normal channels of communication between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to avoid misunderstandings and misjudgments. This was a call to the Chinese side to resume official dialogue with Taiwan.