Brian Hioeby Brian Hioe
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Photo Credit: Coast Guard Administration
THE TAIWANESE COAST GUARD Administration (CGA) has called for 6,000 volunteers to participate in maritime patrols, as a means of countering China’s grey-zone tactics. This proves an interesting move at a time when there have been calls for greater transparency from the CGA to deal with grey-zone activity.
In particular, the CGA came under fire earlier this year after a speedboat crash between a CGA vessel and a Chinese speedboat that was intruding in Kinmen territorial waters, for the apparent purposes of illegal fishing. Two Chinese fishermen were killed in the crash.
China has used the incident as pretext to step up grey-zone activity, searching Taiwanese civilian ferries, and increasing intrusions into Kinmen territorial waters. Specifically, China framed the incident as the result of harassment of Chinese fishing vessels that has increased since the Tsai administration took office.
The CGA appeared to be caught unprepared for the incident, with China able to use the incident as a means for escalation because the CGA did not immediately disclose that the two Chinese fishers died because of a collision with the CGA vessel. As such, China was able to shift the narrative in its direction.
Afterward, the CGA announced that it would pursue greater transparency with such incidents in the future, ordering thousands of body cameras for use by CGA personnel. Allowing for civilian participation in CGA patrols is a move in the same direction, countering China’s militarization of civilian maritime activity in blurring the lines between the two, by increasing civilian participation in maritime activity.
Indeed, one notes that after the speedboat crash, the Taiwanese military emphasized that it was not increasing military activity as a response. This would be to avoid a dangerous pattern of escalation with the Chinese military, in such a manner that raises the possibility of conflict.
Photo credit: Coast Guard Administration
Even so, it proves an unusual move for the CGA to increase the amount of civilian participation in its activities. The Taiwanese military has not always welcomed such moves, even if Taiwan’s defense ministry is currently headed by the first civilian Minister of Defense in over a decade.
In recent years, since the war in Ukraine, there has been the increasing trend of Taiwanese civilians participating in civil defense training. Civil defense groups that have emerged in past years, such as the Kuma Academy and Forward Alliance, have called for coordination with the Taiwanese military in the event of war, with the Lai administration currently seeking to organize such efforts nationwide.
By contrast, the military has not always welcomed such moves, viewing itself as a professional fighting force, and taking the stance that civilians should leave military affairs to professionals. The CGA would seem to be taking the opposite approach.
Ironically, in response to the incident that led to the death of the two fishers, the KMT has in past months proposed relegating authority for demarcating restricted waters from the Taiwanese military to the CGA. Although the KMT claims that this is with the aim of dialing back regional tensions, the KMT may be aiming to change who has such authority to an institution it is relatively more able to control.
This proves ironic, since the KMT historically enjoyed the backing of the military, in order to maintain power during the authoritarian period. Even post-democratization, the KMT enjoyed stronger support from veterans compared to the KMT. It proves unusual, then, for the KMT to propose increasing civilian powers compared to the military.
It is to be seen if the CGA’s initiative to involve civilians in patrols is successful. To begin with, it is a question as to whether the CGA is able to find 6,000 volunteers. The idea is also likely to be attacked by the KMT as potentially leading to reprisals from China. To this extent, it is unclear what stance the Taiwanese military will take on the idea, as well.