Taiwan may send 3,000-ton patrol ships to Taiping

Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration has not ruled out posting 3,000-ton patrol ships at Taiping or Itu Aba, the largest of the disputed Spratly islands in the South China Sea, after a pier is completed there in late 2015, the deputy chief of the administration Cheng Chang-hsiung said Wednesday.

When completed, the pier will be able to accommodate 3,000-ton vessels on its outer side and ships up to 1,000 tons on its inner side, Cheng told lawmakers during a legislative hearing.

After tests are conducted to determine the pier's ability to resist large waves, the administration may dispatch larger vessels including two recently built 3,000-tons patrol and rescue ships, the Yilan and the Kaohsiung, he said.

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