Premier Su Tseng-chang on Thursday chaired the Cabinet's weekly meeting via videoconferencing and received an Ocean Affairs Council briefing on strengthening maritime law enforcement. Taiwan is an island nation, the premier said, and the ocean is both our country's greatest asset and its most natural protective barrier. However, the ocean also presents problems and risks related to crime and public health. The premier hopes the council will continue investing in manpower and equipment resources so as to facilitate strict monitoring of coastal borders as well as continued protection of our national security and the people's health.
Premier Su said that in the course of upholding the nation's maritime security, during the first three quarters of this year, the government has overseen the seizure of over 6,600 kilograms of illegal narcotics—more than the total weight of narcotics seized during the whole of last year. Regarding border epidemic prevention, during the last three-plus years the council has implemented checks on over 7.8 million vessels and prevented nearly 30,000 items of packaged meat products from entering the nation. Additionally, while carrying out inspections at coastal entry points, the government uncovered 17 cases of pig carcasses infected with African swine fever, successfully preventing the disease from entering the country, the premier said.
During the past five years, the government has expelled more than 6,000 vessels from Taiwanese waters and impounded over 230 Chinese fishing boats to defend the nation's maritime rights, the premier said. Since 2018, Chinese sand dredging vessels have encroached into Taiwanese waters to steal sand with increasing frequency, damaging Taiwan's maritime environment and the natural ecosystem of the seabed. To stiffen penalties and effectively combat China's malign behavior, the government initiated amendments to the Law on the Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf of the Republic of China as well as the Sand and Gravel Excavation Act, which taken together with a range of other measures, has resulted in a sharp decrease in illegal sand dredging.
Premier Su emphasized that manpower and equipment are key to monitoring our sea coast and rigorously enforcing the law. Since taking office the premier has approved an increase of over 1,360 personnel for the Coast Guard Administration, and between 2017 and 2021 the Executive Yuan has invested over NT$55 billion (US$1.7 billion) to build more than 140 patrol vessels. Taiwan's first indigenous 4,000-ton patrol vessel, the "Chiayi," was also delivered in April last year, and a total of over 50 patrol vessels have been delivered and launched to date.
Premier Su also noted that in addition to enhancing naval vessel capabilities, optimizing technological assistance and strengthening cross-border cooperation, the government has also added the word TAIWAN to the sides of our coast guard patrol vessels to make them more clearly represent the nation and reflect Taiwan's determination to defend its territorial waters.