TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Coast Guard Administration Director-General Chang Chung-lung (張忠龍) assured legislators on Wednesday that the organization has sufficient capabilities to counter China’s gray zone tactics near Taiwan’s outlying islands.
DPP Legislator Shen Fa-hui (沈發惠) raised concerns about an incident on Tuesday in which Chinese coast guard vessels and the Chinese maritime authority vessel Haixun 1630 intruded into waters near Kinmen, CNA reported.
The CGA dispatched patrol boats to monitor the situation. Shen noted that Chinese government vessels frequently enter restricted waters under the pretext of law enforcement and urged the CGA to maintain comprehensive response measures.
Chang acknowledged that Chinese coast guard vessels regularly harass waters around Kinmen and Matsu. The CGA has a complete standard operating procedure to handle such incidents, including recording the entire process to collect evidence, he said. The CGA also engages with international media to inform other countries about China’s use of gray-zone tactics in these areas, he added.
KMT Legislator Hsu Yu-chen (許宇甄) asked what long-term strategies the CGA has in place. Chang responded that Taiwan’s CGA is experienced in dealing with China’s gray zone harassment, and other countries often learn from it.
Hsu asked whether frontline personnel have clear, operational guidelines for ramming incidents or near approaches at sea. Chang said, “We have always refrained from provoking, but we do not show weakness,” according to CNA
“Whatever measures they take against us, we will respond with equal intensity,” he said.
