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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 2 March 2022
Former top U.S. defense officials visit Taiwan amid tensions

By JOHNSON LAI U.S. to send anyone to
Associated Press demonstrate its so-called
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A support for Taiwan."
delegation of former U.S. Wang told a daily briefing
defense officials arrived in that China urges the U.S. to
Taiwan on Tuesday in a sign honor past communiques
of stepped-up communi- signed with China, "stop all
cation between the sides forms of official exchange
amid a looming threat from with Taiwan, and handle
China. Taiwan-related issues with
Former Chairman of the caution so as to avoid fur-
Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike ther serious damage to the
Mullen is leading the five- overall situation of China-
person delegation that is U.S. relations."
to meet with President Tsai China has been sending
Ing-wen and other top of- military aircraft into Tai-
ficials during the two-day wan's air defense identifi-
visit. They were greeted at cation zone on a near-daily
Taipei's Songshan Airport basis, and on Saturday, its
by Taiwanese Minister of Defense Ministry protested
Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu, as provocative the pas-
who bumped elbows with In this photo released by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, sage of the guided-missile
the group members. right, greets former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Mike Mullen as he arrives at Taipei Song- destroyer USS Ralph John-
Tsai's office said the delega- shan Airport in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. son through the Taiwan
tion had been appointed Associated Press Strait.
by U.S. President Joe Biden The strait is in international
and the visit would permit retary of State Mike Pom- force to annex self-gov- Russia's war against Ukraine waters and the U.S. Navy
"an in-depth exchange of peo is to arrive in Taiwan on erning democratic Taiwan, and its criticism of sanctions said the ship's passage
views on Taiwan-U.S. co- Wednesday. Pompeo, who which it claims as its own leveled against Moscow "demonstrates the United
operation issues in various earlier led the Central Intel- territory. is widely seen as a sign of States' commitment to a
fields." ligence Agency, will also Circumstances are very commitment to the two free and open Indo-Pacif-
Taiwan hopes the sides will meet with Tsai and address different, however. Tai- countries' mutual defiance ic."
"continue to deepen the a forum, according to the wan lies 160 kilometers (100 of Washington and the China routinely protests U.S.
steady development of Foreign Ministry. miles) across the Taiwan West, despite Beijing's long- contacts with Taiwan's gov-
Taiwan-U.S. relations, con- "Former Secretary of State Strait from mainland China standing defense of the ernment and announced
tinue to jointly maintain Pompeo's visit displays fully and enjoys strong support principle of national sover- in November that its military
regional peace and stabil- U.S. bipartisan backing for from the U.S., which is legal- eignty. conducted air and naval
ity, and continue to jointly its 'rock solid' support" for ly bound to ensure the is- In Beijing, Chinese For- readiness patrols in the di-
contribute to global peace Taiwan, the ministry said. land can defend itself and eign Ministry spokesperson rection of the Taiwan Strait

and prosperity," it said in a Russia's invasion of Ukraine to treat all threats to it as Wang Wenbin dismissed after five U.S. lawmakers
statement. has drawn fresh attention matters of "grave concern." the U.S. delegation's visit, met with Tsai on an unan-
Separately, former U.S. Sec- to China's threat to use China has not condemned saying it was "futile for the nounced one-day visit. q

Massive cargo ship carrying cars sinks in mid-Atlantic

400 kilometers (250 miles) ship, but vessels of the Fe- electric vehicles, though
off Portugal's Azores Islands licity Ace's size can carry at authorities say they have
as it was being towed, MOL least 4,000 vehicles. no firm evidence about the
Ship Management in Singa- European carmakers de- cause.
pore said in a statement. A clined to discuss how many Authorities feared the ship
salvage team had put out vehicles and what mod- could pollute the ocean.
the fire. els were on board, but The ship was carrying 2,000
The 200-meter-long Porsche customers in the metric tons (2,200 tons) of
(650-foot-long) vessel listed United States were being fuel and 2,000 metric tons
to starboard before going contacted by their dealers, (2,200 tons) of oil. It can
under, the ship's manager the company said. carry more than 17,000
said. "We are already working to metric tons (18,700 tons) of
The Portuguese navy con- replace every car affected cargo.
firmed the sinking, saying by this incident and the first The Portuguese navy said in
it occurred outside Portu- new cars will be built soon," a statement that only a few
guese waters. A Portuguese Angus Fitton, vice president pieces of wreckage and a
In this undated photo provided by the Portuguese Navy on Feb. Air Force helicopter evacu- of PR at Porsche Cars North small patch of oil was vis-
18, 2022, smoke billows from the burning Felicity Ace car trans-
port ship as seen from the Portuguese Navy NPR Setubal ship ated the 22 crew members America, Inc., told The As- ible where the ship went
southeast of the mid-Atlantic Portuguese Azores Islands. when the fire first broke out, sociated Press in an email. down. The tugboats were
Associated Press setting the ship adrift. The ship was transporting breaking up the patch with
Ocean-going tugboats electric and non-electric hoses, it said.
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — A after a fire broke out on with firefighting equipment vehicles, according to Por- A Portuguese Air Force
large cargo vessel carrying board, the ship's manager had been hosing down the tuguese authorities. Suspi- plane and a Portuguese
cars from Germany to the and the Portuguese navy ship's hull to cool it. cion on what started the navy vessel are to remain
United States sank Tuesday said. It wasn't clear how many fire on Feb. 16 has fallen at the scene on the lookout
in the mid-Atlantic, 13 days The Felicity Ace sank about cars were onboard the on lithium batteries used in for signs of pollution.q