Coast guard ships arrive in Palau

‘FRIENDSHIP FLEET’: A CGA official is scheduled to meet with the president of the Pacific nation, while one of the ships is to host a banquet and National Day event

Two Coast Guard Administration (CGA) patrol vessels have docked at Malakal Harbor in Palau as part of an expedition exercise and diplomatic visit, during which a senior official is expected to meet with Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr, the agency said yesterday.

The two vessels, the 4,000-tonne-class Chiayi and the 1,000-tonne-class Penghu, set sail for Palau from Taiwan last week and arrived on Tuesday at Malakal Harbor, the CGA’s Fleet Branch said in a statement.

The journey marks the second time the CGA has dispatched a “friendship fleet” to another country, after it sent its first-ever goodwill fleet, comprising the Hualien and Taipei patrol vessels, to Palau last year.

The Coast Guard Administration’s Chiayi, front, and Penghu patrol vessels sail into Palau yesterday.

Photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Administration

During the visit this week, a delegation led by CGA Deputy Director-General Hsu Ching-chih (許靜芝) is expected to meet with Whipps and take part in friendly pickleball and swimming competitions with local officials, the statement said.

The two sides are scheduled to attend a banquet aboard the Chiayi, during which a Double Ten National Day reception and a joint flag-raising ceremony are scheduled, it said.

Afterward, the two vessels are to conduct a joint patrol with Palauan law enforcement units as part of a bilateral coast guard cooperation agreement signed in 2019, it said.

The mission included professional training to test vessel performance and coordination between the two ships, the branch said.

The trip is significant for Taiwan’s international maritime cooperation and “coast guard diplomacy,” it said, adding that the CGA will continue to establish international partnerships.