The U.S. and Taiwan sign a memorandum of understanding to establish a maritime patrol working group to promote cooperation (from left) AIT Executive Director Ying Lan, U.S. Coast Guard International Affairs Director Katarto, U.S. Representative Xiao Meiqin and Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Asia and the Pacific Jin Cheng participate in a signing ceremony for the U.S.-Taiwan Maritime Patrol Cooperation Memorandum on Thursday.
On Thursday (March 25), the American Institute in Taiwan and the Taiwan Representative Office in the United States signed a memorandum of understanding in Washington on the establishment of a maritime police working group to enhance cooperation between the U.S. and Taiwan maritime police and to strengthen maritime patrol cooperation. This is the first memorandum of cooperation signed by the U.S. and Taiwan since the Biden administration took office.
The Voice of America reports that the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement that the establishment of the Coast Guard Working Group (also known as the Coast Guard Working Group) will improve communication between the U.S. Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Administration of the Taiwan Oceanic Commission, build mutual cooperation and information sharing. “In addition, this memorandum recognizes the relationship of mutual goals in preserving marine resources, reducing illegal, undeclared and unauthorized fishing, and participating in joint maritime search and rescue and marine environmental response incidents.”
The memorandum was signed by AIT Executive Director Ingrid Larson and Taiwan Representative to the U.S. Mei-Chin Hsiao in the presence of Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific Affairs Sung Kim and U.S. Coast Guard International Affairs Director Ann Castiglione-Cataldo.
The statement said the memorandum builds on the strong people-to-people relationship between the U.S. and Taiwan. “The United States supports Taiwan’s meaningful participation in and contributions to issues of global concern, including maritime security and the establishment of networks that facilitate the exchange of maritime law enforcement information and international cooperation. Since the signing of the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, AIT and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office have been working to encourage deeper cooperation between the two U.S. and Taiwanese communities, and today’s memorandum is the latest reflection of those efforts.”
Taiwan’s representative office in the U.S. also noted in a statement that Hsiao, in her message, referred to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s statement that “the ocean is written in the DNA of the Taiwanese people,” and that as a responsible stakeholder in the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan stands ready to contribute on ocean-related issues, and that the Taiwan-U.S. Maritime Patrol has for many years been in search and rescue and fisheries enforcement issues She expects that the establishment of the Marine Police Working Group will create a stronger partnership and contribute to the maintenance of a free and open Indian Pacific.
The statement also said that the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the “Marine Police Working Group” will provide a platform for both sides to discuss, review and set priorities, and to enhance their contacts, establish cooperation and share information, which is “another milestone in highlighting the U.S.-Taiwan partnership. “
Biden signed the first U.S.-Taiwan cooperation memorandum after taking office to strengthen cooperation in maritime patrol American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Executive Director Lan Ying (left) and U.S. Representative Xiao Meiqin (right) signed a memorandum of cooperation in maritime patrol in the AIT building on the 25th.
The U.S.-Taiwan Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of a Maritime Patrol Working Group was signed at AIT’s headquarters in suburban Washington, D.C. AIT headquarters recently moved to a new location nearby. Hsiao told the media that this was her first visit to the new AIT office, so she brought Taiwan’s pineapple beer to the U.S. as a “housewarming” gift after the move.
The implementation of the “Maritime Police Law” by the Chinese Communist Party on February 1, which authorizes the maritime police to use force when dealing with foreign vessels in waters under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Communist Party, has caused great concern to the United States and regional countries. Some scholars believe that the U.S. and Taiwan signed a memorandum of cooperation, probably to counteract the recent maritime expansion of the Chinese Communist Party.
According to the Central News Agency, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold a tea party on Friday afternoon Taipei Time to sign the memorandum of understanding on the establishment of a maritime police task force, with Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of the Ocean Affairs Commission Li Zhongwei, Maritime Patrol Administrator Zhou Meiwu and AIT Taipei Office Director Li Yingjie (Brent Christensen) scheduled to attend. All will attend the tea party.
The newspaper quoted Su Ziyun, a scholar at Taiwan’s Institute for Defense and Security Studies, as saying that the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Taiwan on maritime police cooperation “aims to counter the expansion of the Chinese Communist Party since the implementation of the maritime police law in February,” and symbolizes a clearer U.S. strategy.
Su Ziyun said that China (CCP) is using the maritime police law to strengthen its control over surrounding waters and to reinforce its demand and propaganda for “the use of force in accordance with the law,” and that some elements, such as the provision that maritime police personnel can use weapons without warning, violate international practice and will lead to more gray belt conflicts on the brink of war in the future.
Taiwan is upgrading its coast guard with new vessels that can be drafted into naval service in the event of war, as it faces increasing incursions by Chinese fishing boats and sand dredgers into Taiwan-controlled waters.
While the United States does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, it is Taiwan’s most important international supporter and arms supplier.
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