Matsu News

China's coast guard said on Sunday it will strengthen its law enforcement activities and carry out regular patrols around a small group of Taiwanese-controlled islands off the Chinese coast as tensions rise over the deaths of two Chinese nationals.Taiwan on Thursday defended the actions of its coast guard after two people on a Chinese speedboat, which got too close to a frontline Taiwanese island, died when their boat overturned while trying to flee a coast guard ship.

On a windswept island 50 miles north of Seattle sits a U.S. Navy monitoring station. For years, it was kept busy tracking whale movements and measuring rising sea temperatures. Last October, the Navy gave the unit a new name that better reflects its current mission: Theater Undersea Surveillance Command.The renaming of the spy station at the Whidbey Island naval base is a nod to a much larger U.S. military project, according to three people with direct knowledge of the plans:…

Chinese warplanes and navy ships were still in the waters around Taiwan, the island's defense ministry said on Tuesday after the end of three days of war games, as Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen criticized Beijing for its "irresponsible" behavior.China began the exercises on Saturday after Tsai returned to Taipei following a meeting in Los Angeles with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.China, which warned the U.S. not to allow Tsai to visit or meet McCarthy, has never renounced the use of force to bring the democratically governed island under Beijing's control.

Taiwanese coast guard commander Lin Chie-ming is on the frontline of a new type of warfare that China is waging against Taiwan. China’s weapon? Sand.On a chilly morning in late January, Lin, clad in an orange uniform, stood on the rolling deck of his boat as it patrolled in choppy waters off the Taiwan-run Matsu Islands. A few kilometers away, the Chinese coast was faintly visible from Lin’s boat. He was on the lookout for Chinese sand-dredging ships encroaching on waters controlled by Taiwan.The Chinese goal…

Taiwan resumed an island-hopping ocean cruise on Sunday, joining a handful of places in the world to restart voyages after the coronavirus pandemic brought the industry to a virtual standstill.Some 900 holiday makers are adapting to new safety measures when boarding Genting Hong Kong’s Explorer Dream embarking from Taiwan’s northern Keelung port. The company now offers trips of up to five days from Taiwan to its scenic outlying islands of Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu.The cruise resumption is part of a government effort to boost a tourism industry badly hit by the pandemic.

Taiwan drills already underway. The Chinese military will hold three days of live-fire drills in the sensitive Taiwan Strait starting from Friday, the government said in a notice issued to warn shipping away from the area. China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own and has never renounced the use of force to bring the democratic island under its rule. Defeated Nationalist forces fled to Taiwan after losing a civil war with the Communists in 1949. Ties have generally improved under Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, who has signed a series of landmark trade and economic pacts with China, but deep suspicions remain on either side. In a brief statement on Thursday…

Almost three-quarters of all cruise passengers in the future could be Chinese, according to research by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). The study reveals a potential 83 million cruise passengers in seven source markets within Greater China. This figure is four times the current number of cruise passengers world-wide. Hong Kong, with its connectivity to the Pearl River Delta, Central China and Taiwan by air, high speed rail and land transportation via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, is looking at a cruise potential of 54 million passengers. The study also reveals that the make-up of these passengers is younger and more family-oriented than cruise passengers in traditional source markets such as North America and Europe, where they tend to be older, retired achievers.

Both sides of the Taiwan Strait carried out joint marine search and rescue on August 7. It is the third large-scale cross-strait joint search-and-rescue drill since the direct shipping links between the two sides of the Strait was officially launched in 2008. The drill was jointly-held by China Maritime Search and Rescue Center (CMSRC), Chinese Rescue Association, Fuzhou Municipal government, Matsu Lienchiang county government and the relevant search and rescue departments from both sides of the Strait. The theme of the drill is “launch joint maritime emergency response and build peace Strait”. This drill focused on mass evacuation after marine incident, which included 8 sectors such as organizing and presenting rescue force and so on.

Today in U.S. 1958 - Massive concentration of Pacific Fleet in Quemoy-Matsu area prevents invasion of islands by China. 1958 - In Taiwan Straits Crisis, Units of 7th Fleet move into Taiwan area to support Taiwan against Chinese Communists. 1963 - The first satellite communications ship, USNS Kingsport (T-AG-164) in Lagos, Nigeria, connected President John F. Kennedy with Nigerian Prime Minister Balewa who was aboard for the first satellite (Syncom II) relayed telephone conversation between heads of state.

Lienchiang County Government of Taiwan ordres two 9L32/44CR four-stroke engines to power a inter-island new Ropax ferry. The medium-speed engines will form part of a complete propulsion system delivered by MAN Diesel & Turbo that also includes reversible gearboxes, MAN Alpha twin-screw fixed-pitch propellers and a ship alarm system. The 106-metre ferry will be built by Jade Shipbuilding, Kaohsiung, SW Taiwan and will travel six days a week between Keelung and the Matsu islands (an archipelago located close to the Chinese mainland). •    the lowest possible overall emissions.

From the Navy News Service: 1864 - Rear Adm. David Farragut's squadron captures Fort Morgan at Mobile Bay, winning control of Mobile Bay. 1958 - Massive concentration of Pacific Fleet in Quemoy-Matsu area prevents invasion of islands by China. 1958 - In Taiwan Straits Crisis, units of the 7th Fleet move into Taiwan area to support Taiwan against Chinese Communists. 1963 - The first satellite communications ship, USNS Kingsport (T-AG 164) in Lagos, Nigeria, connected President John F. Kennedy with Nigerian Prime Minister Balewa who was aboard for the first satellite (Syncom II) relayed telephone conversation between heads of state.   For more information on naval history, visit the Naval Historical Center Web site at www.history.navy.mil.

1864 - RADM David Farragut's squadron captures Fort Morgan at Mobile Bay winning control of Mobile Bay 1958 - Massive concentration of Pacific Fleet in Quemoy-Matsu area prevents invasion of islands by China. 1958 - In Taiwan Straits Crisis, Units of 7th Fleet move into Taiwan area to support Taiwan against Chinese Communists. 1963 - The first satellite communications ship, USNS Kingsport (T-AG-164) in Lagos, Nigeria, connected President John F. Kennedy with Nigerian Prime Minister Balewa who was aboard for the first satellite (Syncom II) relayed telephone conversation between heads of state.

1864 - RADM David Farragut's squadron captures Fort Morgan at Mobile Bay winning control of Mobile Bay 1958 - Massive concentration of Pacific Fleet in Quemoy-Matsu area prevents invasion of islands by China. 1958 - In Taiwan Straits Crisis, Units of 7th Fleet move into Taiwan area to support Taiwan against Chinese Communists. 1963 - The first satellite communications ship, USNS Kingsport (T-AG-164) in Lagos, Nigeria, connected President John F. Kennedy with Nigerian Prime Minister Balewa who was aboard for the first satellite (Syncom II) relayed telephone conversation between heads of state. (Source: Navy News Service)

Taiwan will ease a ban on direct trade and shipping links with China from mid-December, calling it a goodwill gesture and urging its arch-rival to reciprocate. "We are waiting for them. Our arms are open. We are smiling," Lin Chong-pin, vice chairman of the cabinet's Mainland Affairs Council, told a news conference. The council, which formulates policy towards China, concluded that allowing "mini three links" -- direct trade, transport and mail links between Taiwan-held offshore islands and designated mainland Chinese cities -- was feasible. Taipei plans to allow direct shipping links between the Taiwan-held heavily fortified offshore island of Quemoy (also known as Kinmen) and the mainland southeastern city of Xiamen as well as between Matsu and Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province.

More than half a century of family division ended in hugs and tears of joy on Tuesday after the first mainland Chinese ship to sail legally to Taiwan since 1949 arrived at the heavily-fortified island of Quemoy. The China-registered Gulangyu, or Piano Island, docked to be welcomed by the sounds of gongs, drums and firecrackers, in another sign of rapprochement efforts between the long-term adversaries. Aboard the passenger ferry were 80 elderly Quemoy natives stranded on the mainland since China's civil war split in 1949. Among them was Li Mingfu, 80, a doctor of Chinese traditional medicine, who was reunited with his 89-year-old sister Xu Li Qin. "I never thought I would see you again here," he said, tears streaming down his face as he embraced his sister who was too frail to walk.

Sherman will be christened on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, during a 10 a.m. at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in Pascagoula, Miss. Sen. address. father. across the bow to formally christen Forrest Sherman. The new destroyer honors Adm. Forrest Percival Sherman (1896-1951). July 22, 1951. and later served on the USS Lexington during the carrier's first year in service. USS Ranger prior to joining the staff of commander, U.S. Fleet. chief of naval operations. Solomon Islands. After a Japanese submarine sank the USS Wasp on Sept. capacity until November 1943, when he became deputy chief of staff to Adm. W. Nimitz. Okinawa. Following a brief tenure as Commander, U.S. operations on Nov. 2, 1949. Ocean (1980). currently authorized by Congress.

Premier Frank Hsieh said August 1 that if all goes well, the outlying island county of Penghu may be opened for direct point-to-point shipping services across the Taiwan Strait on an experimental basis, starting in September at the earliest, Asian Pulse reported. Hsieh made the remarks after attending the inaugural ceremony for Penghu National University - the county's first university. Since the government opened the two frontline islands of Kinmen and Matsu for direct point-to-point shipping service with the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian, some Penghu political figures have been urging the government to open Penghu for similar direct services with a selected Chinese port.

1864 - Rear Adm. David Farragut's squadron captures Fort Morgan at Mobile Bay, winning control of Mobile Bay. 1958 - Massive concentration of Pacific Fleet in Quemoy-Matsu area prevents invasion of islands by China. 1958 - In Taiwan Straits Crisis, units of the 7th Fleet move into Taiwan area to support Taiwan against Chinese Communists. 1963 - The first satellite communications ship, USNS Kingsport (T-AG 164) in Lagos, Nigeria, connected President John F. Kennedy with Nigerian Prime Minister Balewa who was aboard for the first satellite (Syncom II) relayed telephone conversation between heads of state. For more information on naval history, visit the Naval Historical Center Web site at www.history.navy.mil.

According to reports, the coast guard squad stationed on the island of Matsu has recently been equipped with a new 50-ton patrol boat that is expected to greatly boost the island's ability to catch Chinese poachers, coast guard officers said Monday. With the new ship, the squad now operates a fleet of three 50- ton patrol boats that have a shallow draft, allowing them to cruise between the reefs surrounding Matsu to intercept the poachers, who often escape patrols by making for shallow water, the officers said. In the past, an increasing number of Chinese fishing boats have sneaked into the seas surrounding Matsu to poach, mostly with banned electric devices and explosives, according to the squad. Source: BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific.

The coast guard squad stationed on the island of Matsu has recently been equipped with a new 50-ton patrol boat. the addition of the vessel aims to boost the island's ability to catch Chinese poachers, coast guard officers said Monday. With the new ship, the squad now operates a fleet of three 50-ton patrol boats that have a shallow draft, allowing them to cruise between the reefs surrounding Matsu to intercept the poachers, who often escape patrols by making for shallow water, the officers said. In the past, an increasing number of Chinese fishing boats have sneaked into the seas surrounding Matsu to poach, mostly with banned electric devices and explosives, according to the squad. Source: Central News Agency

More than 3,000 guests attended a ceremony on January 28 at Naval Air Station Pensacola to commission the Aegis guided missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98). Built by Northrop Grumman, the ship received its commissioning orders to join the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet. on the ship. The new destroyer honors Adm. death in July 1951, the youngest man to occupy the office. (1961), and in the Indian Ocean (1980). while the company's Pascagoula, Miss. after suffering major damage from Hurricane Katrina. shipyard and resume shipbuilding. Cmdr. Michael G. has accommodations for 383 officers and enlisted personnel. waterline beam of 59 feet and a navigational draft of 32 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots. control and power projection.

From the Navy News Service 1864 - Rear Adm. David Farragut's squadron captures Fort Morgan at Mobile Bay, winning control of Mobile Bay. 1958 - Massive concentration of Pacific Fleet in Quemoy-Matsu area prevents invasion of islands by China. 1958 - In Taiwan Straits Crisis, units of the 7th Fleet move into Taiwan area to support Taiwan against Chinese Communists. 1963 - The first satellite communications ship, USNS Kingsport (T-AG 164) in Lagos, Nigeria, connected President John F. Kennedy with Nigerian Prime Minister Balewa who was aboard for the first satellite (Syncom II) relayed telephone conversation between heads of state.