Taiwan "can´t send warships"

Source: China Daily/Agencies | 01-14-2009 09:04

Taiwan is not eligible for sending warships to Somali waters, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.

Jiang Yu, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said at a regular press briefing that the island fell short on two conditions for sending its warships to the Somali waters, troubled by frequent pirate attacks.

"Firstly, the mainland sent its anti-piracy fleet to the troubled waters after a UN resolution. And secondly, the Somali transition government had accepted the naval mission," Jiang said, adding: "Taiwan does not satisfy these two conditions."

The island was mulling sending warships to protect its vessels in the waters off the coast of Somalia, Taiwan-based Central News Agency reported last week.

Jiang said warships from the mainland will escort the island's ships in the troubled sea.

More than a dozen warships from various countries and regions have been sent to the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia.

Sino-French ties

China Tuesday warned France that the future of Sino-French ties depended on whether Paris can "admit and make up for its mistakes" over the Tibet problem.

"The future of bilateral relations can move forward only if Paris can take our solemn position and justified concerns seriously, and take concrete measures to rectify its wrongdoings on Tibet," Jiang said.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy triggered a firestorm of criticism from Beijing when he met with the Dalai Lama last month in Poland.

(By Zhang Haizhou)

Editor:Zhang Ning