In response to reports from foreign media, it has been revealed that for the first time in August, Chinese Communist militia ships appeared in the waters off the eastern coast of Taiwan. Concerns have been raised by Taiwanese lawmakers regarding the division of labor between the navy and coast guard in handling such situations. Minister of National Defense Gu Li Xiong highlighted today (12th) that in case of any trespassing by Chinese militia ships or coast guard vessels, the Coast Guard Administration would be the main unit responsible for eviction and law enforcement, with the navy providing assistance in accordance with the support agreement.
According to a recent report by Reuters, in mid-August, Taiwan’s ANJ Airlines spotted a Chinese Communist militia fishing vessel off the coast of Hualien, accompanied by Chinese coast guard and research vessels. This marks the first known instance of such militia ships being found in the waters off eastern Taiwan.
The Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee of the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China invited Defense Minister Gu Li Xiong today to provide a special report on the current situation and retention mechanism for flight personnel retirement and replenishment, followed by inquiries.
During the inquiry, Kuomintang lawmaker Huang Jianbin referred to Reuters’ report on the first appearance of a Chinese Communist militia ship in the eastern waters of Taiwan in August, sailing alongside coast guard and research vessels. He raised the question of whether authorization would be given to the navy or coast guard to execute a “first strike” if a Chinese militia ship were to intrude within 12 nautical miles.
In response, Gu Li Xiong stated that monitoring Chinese Communist militia ships requires cooperation between the Taiwanese coast guard and the military’s own established database, while utilizing joint intelligence surveillance means to closely monitor the activities of these ships.
He further emphasized that Chinese Communist militia ships, similar to the coast guard, are likely part of the Chinese armed forces’ exercises. If the militia ships cooperate in Chinese military operations, the Ministry of National Defense will assist the coast guard in handling the situation.
According to the current division of tasks, if Chinese militia ships and coast guard vessels engage in any trespassing activities, the Coast Guard Administration will be the primary unit responsible for eviction and law enforcement, with the navy providing necessary support in accordance with the support agreement.
Furthermore, in response to multiple Chinese maritime departments issuing navigation warnings starting from the 8th, the PLA has begun conducting live-fire exercises, missile launches, and military training in at least five areas including the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea, with these activities set to continue until the 17th.
Prior to the meeting, Gu Li Xiong stated in a media interview that the Ministry of National Defense has a comprehensive understanding of the situation and has initially assessed that artillery units of the PLA are conducting shooting exercises in coastal areas of China. The Taiwanese military will continue to closely monitor the situation in line with the principle of being prepared for any potential threats. He emphasized that the PLA’s actions in creating military threats in the Indo-Pacific region are deserving of condemnation.
The Taiwan Ministry of Transportation’s Harbor Bureau pointed out that after conducting assessments, the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea do not fall within Taiwan’s search and rescue responsibility zone. As for the shooting locations in the East China Sea and South China Sea, they are near coastal areas and west of the median line, respectively, at distances of 159 nautical miles and 588 nautical miles from Taiwan, and are deemed not to affect the surrounding maritime traffic.
Regarding the deployment of anti-ship missiles by the U.S. military on Yonaguni Island, Gu Li Xiong stated that the U.S. military makes necessary deployments based on perceived threats, without further comment from the Ministry of National Defense. However, the Taiwanese military will continue to enhance its self-defense capabilities to ensure national security.
In addition, with regard to the progress of installing the “Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System” (Auto-GCAS) on F-16V (block20) fighter jets, Gu Li Xiong mentioned that the overall integration process of the automatic collision avoidance system has been successfully tested in the U.S., and the delivery and installation schedule of the related modification kits are progressing smoothly according to the control progress nodes.