Author: Phillip Charlier

US military aircraft operating south of Taiwan point to possible submarine activity

map of aircraft movements in Bashi Channel and South China Sea
Military Affairs 
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A total of 5 US military aircraft were operating over the Bashi Channel, and South China Sea yesterday, June 24, and it is suspected the aircraft were tracking submarine movements, according to reports in Taiwan media, including Liberty Times. The primary source for the media reports is the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI), operating out of Peking University’s Institute of Oceanology. SCSPI tweeted details of the aircraft movements late yesterday evening, showing that two P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance

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Taiwan sends marines to reinforce islands ahead of Chinese invasion drills in the South China Sea

map showing Dongsha (Pratas) Islands in the South China Sea
Military Affairs 
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Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed Monday that marines will be deployed to the Dongsha (Pratas) Islands on a “training mission.” The move comes ahead of Chinese military drills designed to simulate a takeover of the Taiwan-controlled islands, which sit in the South China Sea, around 400 kilometers away from Taiwan’s southernmost point, Cape Eluanbi. Japan’s Kyodo News reported May 12 that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was planning the drills in the South China Sea on an “unprecedented

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Taiwan’s Pokemon Go Grandpa upgrades array to 64 phones

Taiwan's Pokemon Go grandpa with array of 64 phones
Odd News 
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A Taiwanese man who made international news headlines two years ago for using 11 phones at a time to play Pokemon Go, has since increased the size of his array to 64 smartphones. Chen San-yuan was featured in a BBC report August 2018 after being spotted with an array of 11 smartphones mounted to the handlebars of his bicycle. At the time, Chen was planning to add 4 more phones, BBC reported. Chen was 70 years old at the time.

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Nine injured in Taichung City restaurant gas explosion

scene of gas explosion in Taichung City
Fire 
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Nine people were injured after a gas explosion in a beef noodle restaurant in Taichung City this evening, June 23. Shortly before 6:00 pm, two explosions blasted the restaurant near the intersection of Fenghe and Liming Roads in Nantun District, sending shards of glass across the road, injuring staff, customers, people passing by on the street, and even injuring one person at another noodle restaurant on the other side of the road. The Taichung City fire bureau received reports of

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Retired submarine officer’s new book criticizes Taiwan’s indigenous submarine building project

ROC Navy submarine
Breaking News Military Affairs 
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A retired senior officer of Taiwan’s 256th Submarine Squadron has published a new book discussing probable Chinese PLA Navy tactics to blockade Taiwan’s military and commercial ports in wartime, and questioning choices made in Taiwan’s indigenous submarine building program. Captain Jyh-Perng Wang ( 王志鵬, pinyin: Wang, Zhi-peng), former director of the Taiwan Naval Submarine Team Training Center, and former planning officer in the Strategic Planning Department of the Ministry of Defense, discusses the technology available to the PLA, and the

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Six megamouth sharks caught in four days: conservation groups call for catch ban

Marine and Fisheries 
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Fishermen operating off the coast of Hualien County on Taiwan’s east coast caught six megamouth sharks between June 15 – 18, raising the concerns of environmental groups, who are calling for protection of the mysterious species. Global Knowledge The megamouth shark ( Megachasma pelagios ) was first discovered by scientists in 1976, and named in 1983. According to scientific papers, including this one, only around 100 specimens have been observed or caught as of 2018. When the megamouth sharks are

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NTU professor injured after being dragged hundreds of meters by bus

Tzihong Chiueh and Hsi-Yu Schive after publication in journal Nature
Health and Safety 
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A National Taiwan University physics professor remains hospitalized after being dragged hundreds of meters with his foot caught in the door of a Taipei City bus last Thursday, June 11. United Daily News reports that Tzihong Chiueh ( 闕志鴻 ), a respected cosmic dark matter and black hole researcher, was attempting to board a bus at the National Taiwan University Stadium Station at around 8:30 pm when the driver closed the door on his foot and drove away. Professor Chiueh,

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Former US defense official: US military flight a strong signal Taiwan not territory of China

US Air Force C-40 over Taiwan
International Relations 
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Joseph Bosco, former China country desk official in the office of the Secretary of Defense, said that a US military plane’s flight over Taiwan June 9 was a strong signal that the US does not consider Taiwan part of China’s territory. Voice of America Chinese reports the comments in an interview with Bosco, after US Defense Secretary Mark Esper reaffirmed America’s commitment to a democratic Taiwan in a series of tweets, Tuesday morning, June 16. Bosco, a senior associate at

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Missing hiker rescued after 10 days with no food, and immobile due to injury

rescue party locates missing hiker
Society 
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A man who went missing after being separated from a hiking group on June 6 was found alive, but injured yesterday June 16. Yang Xin-zheng ( 楊欣正 ), 52, became separated from a 15-person group of colleagues while hiking on Pengji Mountain in Pingtung County June 6. Pingtung County Fire Bureau mounted a large scale search for Yang, a hospital deputy administrative director, on the evening of the same day. Search efforts were hampered by steep terrain and constant rain.

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Woman not charged for importing hemp seed oil: Doctor prescribed it

cannabidiol
Health and Safety 
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Prosecutors cleared a woman suspected of drug trafficking after receiving hemp seed oil sent by her daughter from the USA, because she had been legally prescribed CBD by her doctor. According to reports in Liberty Times and United Daily News, customs officials intercepted a package containing two bottles of hemp seed oil, leading to an investigation by the Customs Investigation Bureau, who believed that importing the substance violated the law, as it was a marijuana extract. However, prosecutor’s found that

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Multiple boats destroyed by fire at fishing port

fishing vessels on fire at Yanpu Fishing Port in Pingtung County Taiwan
Marine and Fisheries 
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At least seven boats were destroyed by fire in Yanpu fishing port in Donggang Township, Pingtung County yesterday, including five large ocean going long-liners. The fire started on a tuna fishing boat undergoing repairs in the port at around 4:00 pm, and in windy conditions, the fire quickly spread to other vessels. Electrical wires are suspected to be the cause of the fire, according to a report in Liberty Times. A pall of thick, black smoke could be seen as

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