TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The U.S. Coast Guard is looking to up its presence in the Indo-Pacific and increase cooperation with like-minded partners in the region, including Taiwan, a U.S. Coast Guard (USGC) commander said on Wednesday (July 26).
U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area Commander Vice Admiral Andrew J. Tiongson discussed the service’s Pacific campaign plan with reporters online from Japan. Concerning the Indo-Pacific national-level strategy, Tiongson said, “No region will be of more consequence to the world and everyday Americans than the Indo-Pacific, and the United States and our allies and partners hold a common vision for it.”
He defined the common vision as a “free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient” Indo-Pacific. “We will also innovate to meet civilian security challenges, expanding United States Coast Guard presence, training, and advising to bolster our partner’s capabilities,” he added.
Tiongson said the USCG operates in the Pacific area based on its campaign plan, which mitigates threats and risks to bridge national and service strategies to the tactical execution of its operations, activities, and investments.
This helps the USCG prioritize operations through three lines of effort: preparing a workforce ready to operate in the Indo-Pacific; generating combined effects that are working with combatant commanders, working with partner nations, and working with civilian institutions to have more of an impact in the region; and to uphold governance.
The commander went on to say that maritime governance is not just restricted to maritime security but covers all of the USCG’s missions: search and rescue; humanitarian assistance and disaster response; marine environmental protection; marine investigation in port facility assessments; and maritime law enforcement.
When asked if the USCG had any specific plans in terms of cooperation with Taiwan’s Coast Guard, Tiongson said the USCG will partner with any nation that is like-minded, believes in the rule of law, and follows international norms and standards.
“Maritime governance is about partnerships, and the more partnerships you have the stronger maritime governance is. And by joining with the Philippines, the Vietnam Coast Guard, the Japan Coast Guard, Taiwan, and others, that is making us stronger – stronger in a region that, again, in my mind, needs to have maritime governance to counter threats and challenges from those who don’t subscribe to the international norms and standards,” Tiongson said.
He was later asked if there were any specific points concerning the Taiwanese Coast Guard in terms of capabilities that needed boosting. Tiongson said the USCG has mobile training teams that come into the theater and provide training on how it performs maritime law enforcement tactics.
Tiongson added that the mobile training team goes to several countries throughout the region and also helps partners improve search and rescue, maritime domain awareness, and marine environmental protection.
