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By Micah McCartney
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The U.S.' de facto embassy in Taiwan has released new photos showing American and Taiwanese coast guard vessels sailing side by side during a rare joint exercise.
Noting it is currently typhoon season in the western Pacific, the two coast guards are "busy coordinating" on shared concerns including tropical storms, disaster relief, marine resources, drug trafficking and illegal fishing, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a Facebook post.
The exercise was conducted under a 2021 memorandum of understanding signed by the AIT and Taiwan's de facto embassy in the U.S., which established a framework for cooperation on maritime law enforcement.
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Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Coast Guard and the Chinese Embassy in Washington by email with requests for comment.
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China Tensions
Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and says unification is inevitable, though its Communist Party government has never ruled there. Taiwan's government rejects China's sovereignty claims.
China has in recent years increased its pressure on Taiwan, including by stepping up its coast guard presence near the island in what analysts say is a bid to normalize its presence.
The U.S. "disagrees" with the Chinese patrols, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said following a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Manila last week.
"We actually think that they run contrary to the spirit of what we're trying to work out with them with regards to strategic stability," he told reporters.
While the U.S. is Taiwan's main source of weaponry, Washington—like most countries—does not maintain official diplomatic ties with Taiwan and has generally kept security cooperation with the island low-profile to avoid provoking Beijing.
"The United States appreciates Taiwan's partnership in maritime security and safety, and supports Taiwan's meaningful contributions on global issues including maritime law enforcement exchange and international cooperation," the AIT said in its post.
Undated photos released by the AIT and Taiwan Coast Guard show the Legend-class cutter USCGC Midgett sailing alongside the Chiayi-class patrol vessel CG5005 Taipei.
Beyond Search and Rescue
The two agencies recently worked together to "crack a high-end semiconductor smuggling case" and prevented advanced chips from "becoming tools for military authoritarian expansion," Taiwan's coast guard said in a statement in apparent reference to China. The agency did not provide details of the operation.
Taiwan is a global semiconductor powerhouse, producing the vast majority of the world's most advanced chips, including many covered by U.S. export controls aimed at preventing them from being used to support China's military modernization.
"Great to see Taiwan & the U.S. coast guards join hands in maritime law enforcement & international cooperation," wrote Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan's National Security Council, in a post on X.
The Midgett returned to its homeport of Honolulu, Hawaii, on July 23, the Coast Guard said.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Feng and Tony Phillips
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