Taiwan is integrating its Coast Guard into national defense planning, training the force for wartime duty alongside the navy as China intensifies gray-zone pressure around the island.
Taiwan's Coast Guard is being reshaped into a frontline defense asset capable of supporting the navy during wartime, according to a series of Reuters reports and regional coverage spanning June 2025 through August 2026. The shift comes as Taipei responds to what officials describe as an escalating Chinese campaign of maritime coercion, including rising patrols by the China Coast Guard, joint exercises with the People's Liberation Army, and activity that Taiwanese officials say raises the risk of a blockade or quarantine scenario. Reuters reported on June 8, 2025, that Taiwan's Coast Guard held joint exercises with the military in Kaohsiung to improve coordination against China's "grey zone" threat, with officials confirming the Coast Guard would be mobilized for military duty in the event of war.
The most recent and directly relevant development came on August 8, 2026, when Reuters reported that Taiwan opened its annual Han Kuang war games, a 10-day exercise focused on combat readiness against a potential Chinese invasion. President Lai Ching-te said the government would continue to strengthen defense capabilities and provide strong support to both the military and the Coast Guard in the face of "external threats and challenges." One of the Coast Guard's new Anping-class catamarans took part in the drills, reflecting the force's expanding wartime role.
Rising Chinese Maritime Activity Drives Taiwan's Response
Reuters reported on July 20, 2026, that Taiwan detected a sharp rise in Chinese coast guard and research-vessel activity around the island in June, prompting Taipei to plan drills simulating Chinese escalation off its Pacific coast. A senior Taiwan Coast Guard official told Reuters that in a worsening scenario, Taiwan has plans ready: "If the situation escalates to a blockade — or what would already amount to a quasi-war — we have plans to work with the navy to jointly protect Taiwan's lifeline sea routes," the official said, adding that such scenarios have been rehearsed through tabletop exercises and live drills.
Separately, Reuters reported on July 4, 2026, that China launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan despite international pushback, with Taiwan's Coast Guard tracking two Chinese ships and prepositioning two of its own vessels to sail alongside and monitor them. Days later, Reuters reported on July 9, 2026, that Taiwan pushed back against the patrols by taking foreign lawmakers on a Coast Guard trip, though the vessel involved carried no visible weapons and its crew were not armed. Analysts at the Stimson Center-linked Jane's and other defense outlets have noted that China's coast guard has been increasingly active around Taiwan since 2024, participating in PLA exercises for the first time that year under the operational control of China's Eastern Theater Command.
Han Kuang Drills Showcase Coast Guard's Wartime Integration
The Han Kuang exercises, Taiwan's largest annual military drills, have increasingly incorporated Coast Guard assets. The Inquirer reported that Taiwan's military and Coast Guard conducted an exercise simulating efforts to prevent an amphibious landing by Chinese forces, underscoring that the drills are designed to test scenarios beyond a simple naval confrontation. Baird Maritime reported that the drills also focus on keeping Taiwan supplied in the event of a Chinese blockade, with the navy and Coast Guard rehearsing the escort of vital cargo and the securing of shipping lanes.
Taiwan's defense ministry has also said the island will test relocating weapons production lines and converting civilian factories for military use during the drills, aiming to sustain combat operations if China were to cut off supply routes. These preparations reflect a broader effort to ensure Taiwan can maintain essential goods and military materiel even under sustained pressure.
Modernizing the Fleet for a Dual-Use Mission
Taiwan News reported in November 2025 that the island is expanding its Coast Guard fleet and tightening protection of undersea cables as it works with regional partners to counter Chinese pressure, according to Nikkei Asia reporting. Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling said the Coast Guard is changing its posture to respond to the mounting threat. A separate Taiwan News report from January 2026 detailed plans for a major upgrade to Coast Guard radar and patrol capabilities, overseen by the Ocean Affairs Council, in response to increasing incursions and gray-zone tactics from Chinese state and non-state actors.
The Anping-class catamarans central to the Han Kuang drills exemplify this dual-use approach. According to Pacific Forum analysis, Taiwan's coast guard vessels serve a two-pronged purpose: patrolling the seas during peacetime while standing ready to serve as an armed, missile-equipped defensive force in times of conflict. This flexible design allows Taiwan to maintain a maritime presence within legal peacetime bounds while preparing for a rapid shift to wartime operations if needed.
A Widening Maritime Contest Beyond Taiwan's Western Approaches
Coverage from the New York Times in July 2026 noted that China has expanded its coast guard patrols in the Pacific, raising pressure on Taiwan from the island's eastern flank as well as its traditional western approaches. This expansion signals that the maritime contest between Taipei and Beijing is no longer confined to the Taiwan Strait, prompting Taiwan to track Chinese patrols east of the island and respond with its own deployments.
Taiwanese officials and outside analysts frame China's coast guard activity as part of a longer-term coercive strategy meant to normalize its presence near Taiwan and gradually wear down the island's response capacity, all while remaining below the threshold of open conflict. Taiwan's continuing investment in Coast Guard modernization, fleet expansion, and joint military drills reflects Taipei's assessment that any future crisis could unfold gradually through blockade-style pressure rather than a sudden invasion alone.
