Taiwan military, coast guard conduct drills amid rising ‘grey zone' threat from China

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President Lai Ching-te oversaw the drills in the southern port city of Kaohsiung, which mimicked 'international terrorists' seizing a ferry. The coast guard worked with an interior ministry rescue helicopter and army medevac helicopter to board and take back control of the boat and evacuate casualties read more
Taiwan's coast guard conducts its annual drill in southern Taiwan, simulating the seizure of a ferry by 'international terrorists', in collaboration with Taiwan's military to board and take back control of the boat and evacuate casualties, in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Reuters
Taiwan's coast guard and military conducted drills on Sunday to improve collaborative operations in the face of what the Taipei administration describes as a growing 'grey zone' threat from China, which claims the island as its own territory.
Taiwan, which is democratically governed, has regularly protested about China's operations near the island, such as underwater cable cutting and sand dredging, which are intended to exert pressure without open conflict.
Taiwan's coast guard is frequently the first to respond.
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President Lai Ching-te oversaw the drills in the southern port city of Kaohsiung, which mimicked 'international terrorists' seizing a ferry. The coast guard worked with an interior ministry rescue helicopter and army medevac helicopter to board and take back control of the boat and evacuate casualties.
A navy anti-submarine helicopter flew over the scene as the drill ended, along with the medevac and rescue helicopters, the first time they have flown together in such a scenario, the coast guard said.
'Taiwan has been facing constant grey intrusion from China, but our coast guard colleagues have always been on the front line to enforce the law and protect the lives and safety of the people of Taiwan,' Lai told the audience for the drills, which included the top U.S. diplomat in Kaohsiung, Neil Gibson.
'The government will continue to consolidate the strength of all departments and strengthen the resilience of the entire society to defend national security and safeguard Taiwan's democracy and freedom,' Lai said.
Taiwan's coast guard, which would be pressed into military service in the event of war with China, is also routinely sent out to shadow Chinese ships during Beijing's war games around the island.
The coast guard, like the navy, is in the midst of an expansion and modernisation programme.
Its new Anping-class corvettes, which began being commissioned in 2020, are based on the navy's Tuo Chiang-class warships. They are state-of-the-art, highly manoeuvrable stealth vessels meant to take out larger warships while operating close to Taiwan's shores.
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The Anping-class ships, one of which took part in the drill, have space for launchers for the Taiwan-made Hsiung Feng anti-ship and sea-to-land missiles, as well as added equipment for rescue operations.
Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, saying only the island's people can decide their future.