Taiwan is about to transfer 40,000 bullets to the East Sea?

Taiwan is planning to ship a large amount of ammunition to the South China Sea amid escalating tensions outside the disputed region, Kyodo News reported.

Taiwan's Defense Minister Feng Shih-kuan told the Legislative Yuan on Tuesday that the ministry will ship 40,000 rounds of ammunition to Dongsha in the northern South China Sea.

Taiwanese soldiers illegally stationed in Ba Binh, Truong Sa, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam. Photo: Daily Mail.

Ammunition will also be shipped to Itu Aba Island in the Spratly Islands (Khanh Hoa, Vietnam) later this month and early next month. Feng Shih-kuan said he also regretted that the amount of ammunition shipped to the South China Sea was revealed.

But it shows that Taiwanese soldiers are "determined to defend the island," Feng Shih-kuan said. Taiwan illegally occupies Itu Aba Island in the Spratlys and Dongsha Island in the Pratas chain. After the plan was revealed, some lawmakers criticized Feng Shih-kuan for revealing sensitive military secrets.

Chen Chung-chi, a spokesman for Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense, confirmed to Kyodo News that the ministry is planning to transfer 40,000 rounds of ammunition, but stressed that this is part of regular operations.

He declined to give details, saying only that the additional ammunition was necessary because live-fire exercises on the two remote islands take place regularly.

A Taiwan Coast Guard official told Kyodo News that the force regularly has to ask the Ministry of National Defense to provide ammunition for the garrison in Itu Aba, Dongsha.

These two forces do not request more ammunition every year, but this year they requested 40,000 rounds, the first batch. This plan comes at a sensitive time, with tensions escalating due to China's militarization adventures in the East Sea.

According to Giaoduc.net