CGA plans a historic 2027 visit to Philippines

GEOPOLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The CGA’s nonmilitary role makes it a tool to avert diplomatic issues, an official said, while confirming the donation of a ship to Manila

• By Lo Tien-pin and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNA

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Coast Guard Administration (CGA) ships are scheduled to sail to the Philippines bearing the words “Taiwan Coast Guard” in a high-profile visit in October next year, the first such visit by a Taiwanese maritime law enforcement vessel to the Southeast Asian nation, the agency said yesterday.

The CGA also confirmed that it had donated one of its decommissioned patrol vessels to the Philippines in a rare transfer of a retired ship to a nondiplomatic ally.

The Republic of China (ROC) Navy last made such a visit in 1974, shortly before the Philippines switched diplomatic recognition to the People’s Republic of China in 1975.

The Lienchiang Goast Guard Administration vessel sails in an undated photograph.

Photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Administration

Official naval visits between Taiwan and the Philippines have effectively halted for half a century, a senior government official said on condition of anonymity.

Unlike the navy’s goodwill missions, which involve an annual deployment of three ships intended to project force and conduct more sensitive operations, the CGA’s nonmilitary functions make it a more effective tool for overcoming Taiwan’s diplomatic difficulties, the official said.

In September last year, the CGA’s 4,000-tonne Chiayi-class vessel Taipei (台北) visited Palau on a goodwill mission.

The CGA’s planned visit to the Philippines next year would carry considerable geopolitical significance, the official said.

Taiwan and the Philippines are both targets of China’s “gray zone” tactics, prompting the two sides to strengthen cooperation in maritime law enforcement and regional security, the official said.

The efforts include the attendance of a senior Philippine Coast Guard official at Central Police University’s graduation ceremony last year and Taiwan’s donation of a retrofitted 500-tonne disaster relief and rescue vessel to the Philippines on Wednesday.

According to media reports citing information from VesselFinder, a Philippine law enforcement vessel named Bling No. 1 sailed from the Port of Kaohsiung for sea trials before returning.

Although stripped of its armaments and CGA markings, the vessel resembled the Lienchiang (連江), which was decommissioned on Oct. 27, 2023, or the Kinmen (金門).

The CGA said in a statement that the transfer was “handled according to usual practice.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on whether it was the first time Taiwan had donated a vessel to the Philippines.

Su Tzu-yu (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the donation was part of an international trend to counter China’s “expansionist behavior” at sea.

Japan is to transfer decommissioned Abukuma-class destroyer escorts to the Philippines, while the US has transferred many patrol boats to the country, Su said.

“China’s gray zone threats have prompted collaboration between the ‘white fleets,’” Su said. “This shows that Beijing’s actions have backfired.”

Next year’s eight-day goodwill mission is to reportedly involve celestial navigation training using sextants, maritime operations and law enforcement instruction for 100 CGA personnel and students in Central Police University’s Department of Maritime Police.

The trip is to facilitate exchanges with the Philippines on non-traditional security issues, including maritime humanitarian assistance and combating crime at sea.

The approach would not only help reduce political sensitivities among neighboring countries, but also demonstrate Taiwan’s flexibility and adaptability as a maritime nation, the official said.