Taiwan has intensified its coast guard and military readiness in response to what it describes as China’s ‘gray zone’ warfare tactics. During an ‘Ocean Day’ drill in Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s President William Lai emphasized the need for bipartisan support to fund a $13.6 billion special defense budget, highlighting the importance of national resilience against escalating Chinese pressures. The military is also developing advanced sea drones, including kamikaze types, with plans to test them in Southern Taiwan waters this August.
These actions are part of Taiwan’s broader strategy to counter Chinese incursions and assert control over the Taiwan Strait. The ‘Ocean Day’ exercise, held in southern Taiwan’s largest city, Kaohsiung, was overseen by President Lai and framed as demonstrations of search and rescue and anti-terrorism abilities, though the underlying reason for the exercise was clearly to strengthen frontline defenses and operational readiness. Alongside the navy, Taiwan’s coast guard is undergoing modernization, with the Anping-class corvettes on display during the exercise.
Taiwan’s military is also developing a range of new sea drones, including suicide drones, which are designed to target Chinese vessels in the region. An anonymous official claimed that the military plans to test these drones in waters off Southern Taiwan this August. Defense Minister Wellington Koo confirmed that the navy is set to add unmanned surface vehicles, while the army is preparing to inaugurate its first drone units this year. Reports indicate that Taiwan has produced around 10,000 drones last year and plans to purchase over 3,000 more by local companies for military use.
Lai’s call for bipartisanship comes as his party does not currently hold a majority in Taiwan’s Parliament, which will make the passage of the proposed $13.6 billion defense budget more challenging. Ross Darrell Feingold, a lawyer and political risk analyst in Taipei, noted that the Trump administration should have no issues with selling weapons to Taiwan. Since taking office on May 20, 2024, Lai has increased defense spending within the limits of what he can do while not holding a majority in Parliament.
Meanwhile, Beijing’s communist government continues to claim Taiwan as its territory, despite never having governed it. In recent years, China has removed language calling for a ‘peaceful settlement’ in official statements. One widely quoted assertion claims that Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered the Chinese military to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027, now less than two years away. The recent military drills around Taiwan by China, which have outstripped the U.S. in air, maritime, and space capabilities, have further escalated tensions. The issue of ‘gray zone’ warfare includes actions such as harassing fishing vessels, illegal incursions, and even boarding a Taiwan-flagged civilian ferry, which Taiwan views as attempts to establish uncontested control over the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan’s coast guard faces significant challenges as the Chinese coast guard is the largest in the world in terms of the number and size of vessels. Last year, according to statistics provided to Fox News Digital by Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council, Taiwan’s coast guard repelled 1,196 vessels from Taiwanese waters – 1,135 of which were from China. Lai has called for the need for upgraded infrared surveillance to enable round-the-clock maritime monitoring, as well as other technologies to combat Chinese tactics that include illegal sand dredging, cyber disruptions, and even sabotage of undersea cables.