At the Cabinet's weekly meeting Thursday, Premier Cho Jung-tai was briefed by the Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) on the Coast Guard Administration's (CGA) key achievements in safeguarding Taiwan's maritime territory. The premier said that Taiwan, as an ocean nation, entrusts the OAC's CGA with a broad range of responsibilities, which include countering China's gray-zone activities, combating emerging drug threats, cracking down on smuggling and illegal immigration, and rescuing Taiwanese nationals in distress at sea. These efforts are essential not only to protecting national sovereignty but also to ensuring the safety and well-being of the people. With Coast Guard Day falling on November 8, Premier Cho, on behalf of the people of Taiwan, expressed his profound respect and appreciation to all CGA personnel for their commitment and service.
The premier noted that in the past few years, the CGA has focused its efforts on responding to China's gray-zone operations and defending Taiwan's national sovereignty. Since the beginning of 2026, the agency has investigated and expelled Chinese vessels on 618 occasions, detained 15 vessels and confiscated another 12. It has also logged 464 sightings of Chinese government vessels and completed 173 patrols in Taiwan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Beyond these operations, the CGA is also working to preserve the South China Sea's marine ecosystem, bolster undersea cable protection and uphold Taiwan's maritime rights and interests, serving as an important bulwark against threats to national security.
Premier Cho also highlighted the Executive Yuan's continued support in recent years for the CGA's initiatives to achieve integrated maritime and aerial operations and build an elite coast guard, as well as the allocation of special funding to strengthen security resilience in this area. To promote technological transformation and advance policies supporting indigenous shipbuilding and operational resilience, the government is pressing ahead with plans to build multiple new-generation vessels and six high-latitude ocean patrol vessels, intending to enhance the CGA's operational capabilities while further contributing to regional security.