Taiwan Mulls Increased Regional Maritime Cooperation

Taiwan's coastguard wants to improve cooperation with the Philippines and conduct joint search and rescue exercises despite tense standoffs in disputed waters in recent months, a senior coastguard official said on Thursday.

The two sides have agreed to work toward joint exercises and have already held discussions on how to conduct rescue operations, Cheng Chang-hsiung, deputy minister of Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration, told Reuters in an interview.

"Now we are moving toward exercises. This is the direction of our efforts. Both sides are making the effort," Cheng said.

In late May and early June, Philippine and Taiwan coastguard ships faced off in disputed waters south of Taiwan to protect their fishing vessels and try to assert territorial rights.

The incidents were resolved peacefully.

Cheng later travelled to the Philippines for talks. The neighbours have been working to mend relations strained by the 2013 killing of a Taiwan fisherman by the Philippine coastguard.

Cheng also said Taiwan and Japan had held talks on search-and-rescue operations and Taiwan would also like to hold exercises with Japan's coastguard.

Taiwan tends to use its coastguard to protect its maritime interests and lets its navy maintain a low profile, particularly in waters where sovereignty is disputed.

Although Taiwan is a claimant in both the disputed East China Sea and the South China Sea, it remains a marginal player in maritime territorial disputes.

Taiwan does not have diplomatic ties with other countries in the region which instead recognise China.

Taiwan's maritime claims mirror those of mainland China as the mainland's claims are based on maps dating back to the 1940s Republic of China government, that largely fled to Taiwan at the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.

Taiwan maintains those claims so is unlikely to back Japan or the Philippines in their maritime disputes with China.

By J.R. Wu