AIT Signals Deeper U.S.-Taiwan Coast Guard Ties Amid Rising Chinese Maritime Pressure

On July 28, 2026, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) publicly released, for the first time, a photograph showing U.S. and Taiwanese coast guard vessels operating side by side. The image depicts Taiwan’s 4,000-tonne Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessel Taipei (CG5005) sailing alongside the U.S. Coast Guard’s 4,500-tonne Legend-class cutter USCGC Midgett (WMSL-757).
 
AIT’s post stated that “the United States Coast Guard and the Taiwan Coast Guard are busy coordinating on shared maritime objectives, such as search and rescue, preparing for tropical storms, disaster relief, preserving maritime resources, countering illegal fishing, and interdicting illegal drug shipments at sea.”
 
International Pushback Against China’s Destabilizing Maritime Operations
 
The release came amid growing international concern over China’s recent “special maritime law enforcement operations” east of Taiwan. On June 24, 2026, the representative offices of the U.K., France, and Germany in Taipei issued a joint statement expressing concern over “novel Chinese activity in the waters east of Taiwan” and reiterating their opposition to “any unilateral change to the status quo,” particularly “by threat or use of force or coercion.”
 
On August 1, a U.S. Department of State spokesperson criticized Chinese Coast Guard activity east of Taiwan as “deeply destabilizing.” “By asserting authority over maritime areas that Taiwan has peacefully administered for over 70 years, China only exacerbates tensions,” the spokesperson said, adding, “We urge Beijing to cease its pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan’s democratically elected authorities.”
 
Why It Matters
 
Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said AIT’s proactive release of the photo demonstrates that the U.S. fully recognizes that the Taiwan Coast Guard is the sole legitimate law enforcement agency in Taiwan’s waters and the exclusive partner for U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement cooperation in those waters.
 
Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund, said AIT’s post conveyed a message from Washington that “Taiwan is an important partner” and that “the United States is committed to working alongside Taiwan to promote shared objectives.” She added that the message reassured Taiwan and its people that they are not alone while warning Beijing that its attempts to isolate and bully Taiwan will not succeed.
 
Chen Wen-chia (陳文甲), a Taiwanese national defense strategy expert, noted that AIT’s post also reflected growing “paramilitary cooperation” between the U.S. and Taiwan. While the two sides lack formal military ties, such cooperation provides greater operational flexibility and facilitates intelligence sharing.
 
Implications
 
Deterring the escalation of China’s gray-zone coercion requires the U.S. to work closely with allies and partners to counter Beijing’s activities at sea and in the air, said Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and an expert on Indo-Pacific security.
 
Taiwan’s frontline experience and growing maritime law enforcement capabilities make it an indispensable partner in addressing these challenges. Continued U.S.-Taiwan cooperation will remain critical to strengthening regional resilience, preserving peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific, and safeguarding Taiwan’s democratic sovereignty against China’s coercion.
 
Sources:
[1] American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Official Facebook Page   [2] Focus Taiwan   [3] Focus Taiwan   [4] Taipei Times   [5] Taipei Times   [6] Central News Agency (CNA)

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U.S. Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Counter PRC’s Growing Gray-Zone Aggression

On July 29, 2026, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the bipartisan “Countering Gray-Zone Aggression by the People’s Republic of China Act” (S.5160). The legislation aims to bolster U.S. monitoring and deterrence capabilities to counter the PRC’s intensifying use of “gray-zone tactics” against Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific partners.
 
The bill defines “gray-zone tactics” as activities short of open warfare that advance a state’s interests while avoiding kinetic military responses through a mix of diplomatic, economic, informational, and paramilitary tools.
 
Taiwan at the Center of PRC’s Aggression
 
The bill identifies Taiwan as a primary target of the PRC’s gray-zone tactics, citing the increased frequency of Chinese vessel incursions into national waters, airspace incursions, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and economic coercion.
 
Crucially, the legislation highlights that Beijing employs these tactics with the specific purpose of coercing Taiwan into so-called “reunification” by gradually eroding Taiwan’s political cohesion, economic independence, and societal confidence without triggering kinetic escalation.
 
In their official press release, Senator Duckworth underscored, “Increasing PRC aggression in the Indo-Pacific doesn’t just impact our partners in the region—it threatens America’s economic and national security.”
 
“This legislation would strengthen our ability to counter the CCP’s malign geopolitical interests and its increasingly aggressive tactics in the Indo-Pacific,” Senator Blackburn added.
 
Key Measures to Counter PRC Gray-Zone Activities
 
The legislation contains key provisions to monitor, expose, deter, and counter PRC gray-zone activities. Specifically, the bill:

• Directs the Secretary of State to submit a strategy to better monitor and publicly expose PRC gray-zone tactics, while explicitly permitting the strategy to prioritize efforts to counter PRC activities in the Taiwan Strait and the broader Indo-Pacific.

• Mandates the establishment of an interagency task force to track, formulate, and strengthen tools to counter and mitigate gray-zone operations, evaluate progress toward the strategy’s objectives and performance indicators, and submit annual public reports to Congress.

• Instructs the Department of State to identify additional key areas for collaboration with U.S. Indo-Pacific allies and partners, the private sector, and academia to enhance collective capabilities to deter PRC gray-zone activities.

Implications
 
The bill reflects a more concrete and institutionalized U.S. response to the PRC’s growing gray-zone pressure and operations in the Indo-Pacific. It closely aligns with Senator Duckworth’s advocacy during the 2026 Taiwan International Ocean Forum in Taipei earlier in July, where she urged like-minded democracies to actively exercise their freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait and resolutely reject Beijing’s coercive attempts to establish a “new normal” in the waters surrounding Taiwan.

If enacted, the legislation would require the U.S. government to formulate a more cohesive strategy and action plan to counter Beijing’s gray-zone tactics in close coordination with U.S. allies and partners. Furthermore, it would also strengthen the U.S. response through a dedicated interagency task force, along with annual assessments and public reports to Congress, aimed at exposing PRC coercion and holding Beijing accountable.

Sources:
[1] Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s Office   [2] S.5160 (Countering Gray Zone Aggression by the PRC Act; See the Full Text)   [3] Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA)