Taiwan Commissions First of 37 Naval & Coast Guard Ships

President Ma Ying-jeou vows to safeguard the nation's sovereignty & fishing rights as he presided over the commissioning of 2 new  Coast Guard Administration ships.

The commissioning ceremony of the two ships, a 2,000-ton frigate and a 1,000-ton patrol boat, was held in southern Taiwan's Kaohsiung city, reports Focus Taiwan.

The two ships were the first batch of a total of 37 ships being commissioned under a 10-year plan to beef up the capacity of the CGA to enforce the law, carry out rescue operations and safeguard Taiwan's fishing rights -- three major missions of the administration.

After the beef-up, the number of ships in the CGA's fleet will increase to 173 with a total of 36,000 tons, which Ma said will effectively safeguard the ROC's interest at sea.

Source: Focus Taiwan