PLA Military Exercise 10Kms Away from Liuqiu Island 共軍演訓離小琉球不到10公里 衝擊漁民

Among China's military exercises, Pingtung's Liuqiu Island is less than 10 kilometers away. At Kaohsiung's Zuoying naval base, the Lafayette ship has turned on its detection radar to monitor the sea.

China launched military exercises at noon on the 4th. Among the six sea and air spaces, the closest one is Pingtung Liuqiu Island, which is less than 10 kilometers away. No boats from the fishing port closest to the exercise area have to go out to sea. Fishermen admitted that the designated exercise area is the breeding grounds for fish such as dolphin fish. Not being able to go out fishing has a great impact on fishermen.

Mr. Chen, Liuqiu Resident: “A lot of shells will be launched during the exercise. I'm afraid of where the shells will land and dying inexplicably.”

Tseng Yu-tsung, Director, Counsel Section, Liu-Chie Fisher Men's Assoc.: “It may be dangerous if you encounter this military exercise after going out to sea. Most fishermen said they would be afraid to go out to sea.”

Many Liuqiu residents rely on the ocean to make a living. The Liu-Chie Fisher Men's Association said that the impact on the fishermen will be difficult to estimate if PLA military exercises become the norm. The amount of lost income is estimated to be NT$10 or NT$20 million based on these few days of military exercises. To be safe, fishermen are still asked not to go out to sea, but tourists feel indifferent.

Mr. Chen, Tourist: “I don't know if this would happen before I arrived. (Reporter: “If this is the case, are you worried?”) Probably not.”

Tourists will not change their itinerary because of the Chinese military exercises. However, a tense atmosphere hovers over Kaohsiung's Zuoying naval base as the Lafayette ship has turned on its detection radar. Its main engine is also on, indicating that if there is an emergency mission, it can leave the port at any time. In addition to Liuqiu Island, the other closest designated military exercise area is only 20 kilometers away from Kaohsiung Port. Zuoying's naval base is the first to bear the brunt. In the face of China's live-fire training, Kaohsiung City has more than 7,000 bomb shelters.

Zuoying Mingde New Village's bomb shelter is 81 years old. It was last used during U.S. military bombings in World War II. There is a watchtower and pond inside.

Meng Fan-heng, Director-General, Kaohsiung Military Village Cultural Development Assoc.: “According to our information, the bomb shelter can accommodate 200 people. It should be a temporary military command post during wartime.”

Many air-raid shelters have disappeared with the evolution of the times, but a building's basement has a sheltering function. The Kaohsiung City Police Department has also marked air-raid shelters on Google Maps and uploaded them to the internet. As of the end of July, there are still 7,523 shelters in Kaohsiung.

中國4日中午展開軍演，6個劃定海空域當中，距離最近的是不到10公里的屏東小琉球，上午離演習區最近的漁港，已經沒船出海，但漁民坦言，劃定的演習區域，都是抓鬼頭刀等漁獲的熱區，無法出海，對漁民影響不小。

在地居民陳先生說：「演習打了許多砲彈，打到那裡，會怕死得不明不白。」

琉球區漁會輔導股長曾毓宗則表示：「出海之後如果遇上這個軍演的話，可能會有危險，漁民大部分都表示會害怕，不敢出海。」

當地不少居民討海為生，琉球漁會表示，若軍演變成常態，對漁民衝擊難以估計，以這幾天的軍演來估算，損失的金額就估計1、2千萬元，但為了安全，還是請漁民別出海，但遊客反而平常心。

遊客陳先生說：「來了就發生這種事，不曉得，（記者問：「這樣子那你會擔心嗎?」 ) 應該是不會。」

民眾規劃好的行程，不會因為中國軍演改變。但高雄左營軍港則透露出一絲緊張氣氛，因為拉法葉艦的偵測雷達已經打開，主機也處在暖機狀態，顯示若有緊急任務隨時可出港，因為劃定的軍演區域中，除了小琉球外，另外一個最接近的區域在高雄港，距離約只有20公里，左營軍港更是首當其衝，面對中國實彈演訓，高雄市統計有7千多處避難處所。

來到高雄左營明德新村這個防空洞，已有81年歷史，因為左營過去曾在二戰期間遭美軍轟炸，防空洞發揮不小功能，目前雖閒置，但功能齊全，至少容納200人，裡頭有瞭望塔還有水池。

高市國軍眷村文化發展協會總幹事孟繁珩說：「據我們的資料，它可以容納200個人，應該是一個戰爭時代的臨時的軍事指揮所。」

許多防空洞隨著時代演進而消失，不過大樓地下室都有避難功能，高雄市警察局也已在Google地圖上，標示出防空避難點並上傳到網站，統計到7月底為止，轄區的避難處所還有7523處。