Written by Kenji Tanaka |
Taiwan Navy launched an emergency investigation on Friday after a training accident during a live-fire drill in the Bashi Channel left at least three sailors dead and 11 wounded. A ROCS Jiageng-class destroyer accidentally fired a Hsiung Feng II missile that struck a support vessel. President Lai Ching-te ordered a full operational halt to all naval drills pending the inquiry and flew to Kaohsiung to meet the families of the dead. Beijing described the incident as symptomatic of deteriorating Taiwan military readiness.
Sources: Reuters, AP, Focus Taiwan, Taiwan News, BBC, CNA, South China Morning Post