President Chen Shui-bian inspected the Hsinchu Coastal Patrol Command on March 23, cheering members of the coast guard over their efforts in cracking down on human, drug, animal and poultry trafficking, and appreciating their devotion to safeguarding the country.
As an ocean country and a neighbor of China, any illegal trafficking from China would pose huge threat to the island. "Gun, drug, human trafficking and illegal immigration and stowing of Chinese criminals have severely menaced our country's security and people's life," the president said, calling for enhancement in the magnitude and intensity of coastal control.
According to an avian flu update released by the World Health Organization in early March, there were 15 confirmed infections in China and 10 of them had been reported dead. Encountered by this threat, in order to ensure the linkage between every nodal point in the chain of disease prevention, the president particularly reminded the officers and men of the coast guard of the importance of real-time reporting and immediate handling in blocking the disease from entering the country.
The Hsinchu Coastal Patrol Command is a sub-division of the Coast Guard Administration, whose minister, Wang Ginn-wang, just took office this January. In the past two months, the administration has ferreted out and detained goods smuggled in from China, such as living animals, agricultural and livestock products, more than 140,000 packs of cigarettes, and approximately 300 kilograms of drugs.
Satisfied with the performance, the president said that the government would continue to increase the budget and boost the country's coast guard capacity. "To invest in strengthening the coast guard is like investing in social order, security, and well-being," said the president.
The president's inspection was accompanied by Premier Su Tseng-chang, who has vowed to make improvement in social security.