Premier pledges to address issue of Chinese sailors at state-owned CSE

Taipei, Nov. 19 (CNA) Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) pledged on Tuesday to address the issue of Chinese sailors hired by Taiwan's state-run China Steel Express Corp. (CSE) "quickly, safely and effectively."

The premier made the remarks when fielding questions from ruling Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) at a legislative hearing.

Pointing out that nearly 20 percent of sailors currently hired by CSE, an affiliate of Taiwan's state-run China Steel Corp. (CSC), are Chinese nationals, Hung argued that they could pose a national security threat to Taiwan if tensions surge across the Taiwan Strait.

Citing public utilities such as Taiwan Power Co. and oil refiner CPC Corp., Taiwan as examples, Hung said that the two companies' cargo ships do not hire any Chinese sailors, questioning why CSE does not do the same.

Hung suggested the Ministry of Economic Affairs draft a plan over the next two months to address the issue so as to eliminate national security concerns relating to the company, whose ships he said mostly transport "important goods."

In response, Economics Minister Kuo Jyh-huei (郭智輝) acknowledged that "it would do us no good" if operating information at CSE was leaked.

Kuo promised to hold talks with CSC and demand it come up with improvement measures as soon as possible.

Echoing Kuo, Cho said he will instruct the Ministry of Economic Affairs, CSC and CSE to adequately manage foreign and Chinese sailors to protect their operations while safeguarding national security.

The issue will be dealt with "logically, safely and effectively," Cho said.

CSE, established in February 1996, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kaohsiung-based CSC, with paid-in capital of NT$4.225 billion (US$130 million).

CSE's scope of business includes shipping services for raw materials, ship chartering, operational management of ships, a shipping agency and the shipping of steel products to ensure the smooth supply of raw materials for the CSC Group, as it seeks to realize its growth and diversification goals.