The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA) held a meeting in Manila this week to discuss potential lines of cooperation – including intelligence sharing and capacity-building efforts – in the face of increasing tensions in the South China Sea and Luzon Strait.
Taiwanese Coast Guard Attaché to the Philippines Commander Andrew Yen visited the PCG’s Maritime Security Law Enforcement Command (MARSLEC) for a courtesy call on Friday. According to a social media post from the command, the purpose of the visit was “to explore future opportunities for collaboration to further strengthen maritime security operations.”
“Discussions also focused on expanding education and training programs for MARSLEC personnel, capacity-building efforts, and other matters of mutual concern,” read the release.
This interaction between the two Coast Guards is the latest instance of a nascent but growing discussion on defense and security cooperation between the Philippines and Taiwan. In July, The Washington Post reported that Taiwan was quietly ramping up high-level engagements with Philippine diplomatic and defense leadership in Manila.
The report also stated Taiwanese military observers were present at a U.S.-Philippine Marine exercise in the Luzon Strait, a strategic first island chain chokepoint that would be front and center of any attempted Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
Ben Lewis, founder of PLATracker, an organization dedicated to monitoring Chinese military activity and development, told Naval News that many operational benefits could be gained by the PCG from any potential cooperation with Taiwanese maritime security forces.
“The reality for both countries is that they are dealing with very similar issues in terms of Chinese coercion, especially from the China Coast Guard. Since Taiwan has a feature in the South China Sea, they could share intelligence on the positions of Chinese vessels,” said Lewis.
Amid its own struggle against the China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia, Taipei has opted to drastically increase the CGA with more capable cutters and patrol vessels. The former administration of Tsai Ing-Wen pushed forward with a $3.3 billion program to equip its Coast Guard with over a hundred patrol ships by 2027
Taiwanese forces have to contend with increased incursions from Chinese forces around islands such as Kinmen off the coast of China. Some of these vessels are slated to play a crucial role in the event of a potential cross strait conflict, most notably the dual-use and anti-ship capable Anping-class offshore patrol vessels.
“Capacity building is another thing – the Taiwan CGA is pretty well funded, they’re expanding their number of vessels at a pretty good rate,” explained Lewis. “I think there is room there for training, and potentially vessel transfers of older ships that the Philippines could use.”
In its own row with Beijing over several disputed South China Sea maritime features, Manila currently relies on a fleet of loaned Japanese and French patrol boats to maintain a maritime presence against much larger Chinese vessels, including those from the People’s Liberation Army Navy.
While the PCG is expected to receive almost 50 patrol boats from France, Japan and Australia over the coming decade, the agency recognizes the need for more assets to maintain a robust maritime patrol capability across the Philippine exclusive economic zone and internal waters.
