Diplomacy

Analysis: Taiwan's Growing Maritime Security Ties With the Philippines

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By Eason Chen/Leslie Liao

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Taiwan and the Philippines are seeing major new developments in maritime and diplomatic ties. To find out what these new exchanges mean for Taiwan's international presence, TaiwanPlus spoke with Ray Powell, founder of the Sealight Foundation, which tracks gray-zone maritime activity in the Indo-Pacific region.

Taiwan-Philippines Cooperation

REPORTER:  
Taiwan's coast guard is planning a goodwill mission to the Philippines for the first time in more than five decades. The exchange was announced amid Chinese pressures in the South China Sea and a desire for increased maritime coordination. According to the Ocean Affairs Council's 2027 budget request, a Taiwanese Coast Guard vessel carrying a crew of 100 members will conduct an eight-day mission to the Philippines in October next year. It will be the first such trip since Taiwan and the Philippines cut diplomatic ties in 1975. Taiwan’s coast guard also donated a decommissioned 500-metric ton patrol vessel to the Philippines earlier this week.

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Taiwan-Philippines Relations

REPORTER:  
Taiwan's Coast Guard is planning a goodwill mission to the Philippines for the first time in more than five decades, as the two sides grow closer amid Chinese maritime pressure. Next October, about 100 officials and cadets will spend eight days in the Philippines aboard a vessel clearly marked "TAIWAN COAST GUARD." The visit could be the first such trip since Taiwan and the Philippines cut diplomatic ties in 1975. A senior government official says the Coast Guard's non-military role offers a less politically sensitive way to deepen cooperation with the Philippines. Taiwan also transferred a retrofitted rescue vessel to the country this week.