By Ben Blanchard
TAIPEI, Oct 1 (Reuters) – A senior Taiwan naval commander has been transferred to the Coast Guard to boost coordination at a time China has ramped up its maritime presence around the island, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te announced on Thursday.
China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, despite the objections of the government in Taipei, and its military operates around the island on an almost daily basis.
The Taipei government, as part of its military modernisation programme, has put particular focus on the Coast Guard given its ships would be pressed into action to help as a “second navy” during wartime.
Speaking at a promotion ceremony at the presidential office, Lai said that Yuan Sheng-hua was moving from vice chief of staff at navy headquarters to deputy head of the Coast Guard.
Lai said he expected Yuan would use his experience to promote coordination between the navy and the Coast Guard.
“For Taiwan, the military and Coast Guard must collaborate more closely to respond to rapidly changing maritime situations,” Lai said, according to the presidential office. “Both must share maritime intelligence and ensure stable command and communication operations under all circumstances.”
Kuan Bi-ling, head of Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council, which runs the coast guard, said in a separate statement that Yuan’s combat training would ensure the navy’s tactical thinking will be brought onboard to inject new momentum for any future “peacetime-to-wartime” transition.
MISSILE FIRING
Last month, one of the Coast Guard’s new Anping-class of catamarans fired a surface-to-surface missile during a drill, showcasing its ability to be fully armed.
The Anping-class patrol ships are based on the navy’s Tuo Chiang-class fast attack warships: highly manoeuvrable stealth vessels designed to take out larger warships while operating close to Taiwan’s shores.
During Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang war games in August, the Coast Guard also took part along with the navy in an anti-blockade drill to simulate escorting a merchant ship.
Taiwan’s Coast Guard, whose ships generally do not openly carry weapons, is regularly deployed to shadow and warn away the Chinese Coast Guard, which has since June begun patrols off the island’s east coast.
China says its Coast Guard patrols off Taiwan’s east, the latest of which it announced this week, are to strengthen law enforcement in China’s “jurisdictional waters”.
Taiwan says China has no right to claim any sovereignty or jurisdiction in Taiwanese waters.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; editing by Lincoln Feast.)
