Premier Cho Jung-tai pledged on Tuesday to find a “swift, secure, and efficient” solution to the problem of Chinese sailors working for Taiwan’s state-owned China Steel Express Corp. (CSE).

According to Central News Agency Taiwan, the Premier made these remarks at a parliamentary hearing in response to inquiries from Legislator Hung Sun-han of the Democratic Progressive Party.

Hung emphasized that, according to Taiwan Focus, around 20% of the sailors working for CSE, a division of Taiwan’s state-owned China Steel Corp. (CSC), are Chinese. He expressed worries that if tensions in the Taiwan Strait worsen, they would pose a threat to Taiwan’s national security.

Noting that neither firm uses Chinese seamen on their cargo ships, Hung cited public utilities such as Taiwan Power Co. and oil refiner CPC Corp., Taiwan. He asked why the same procedure is not followed by CSE.

Hung suggested that during the next two months, the Ministry of Economic Affairs create a strategy to deal with the problem, with the goal of removing any national security threats related to CSE, whose ships mostly carry “critical goods.”

Kuo Jyh-huei, the minister of economics, responded by acknowledging that it “would be detrimental” for CSE operating data to emerge.

According to the article, Kuo also promised to have talks with CSC and advocate for the prompt execution of improved measures.

Cho defended Kuo’s position by saying he would provide the Ministry of Economic Affairs, CSC, and CSE instructions on how to effectively handle Chinese and foreign sailors in order to safeguard operations and guarantee national security. His emphasis was on handling the situation “logically, safely, and effectively.”

With a paid-in capital of NT$4.225 billion (USD 130 million), CSE was established in February 1996 and is a completely owned subsidiary of CSC, a company situated in Kaohsiung.

In keeping with its objectives for expansion and diversification, the company’s activities include shipping raw materials, ship chartering, ship management, acting as a shipping agency, and delivering steel products to guarantee a consistent supply of raw materials for the CSC Group.