Kaohsiung: Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) has confirmed the donation of a decommissioned patrol vessel to the Philippines, marking a rare transfer of a retired ship to a nation without diplomatic ties to Taiwan. The donation comes amid increasing maritime tensions in the region.
According to Focus Taiwan, local media reported the Philippine law enforcement vessel, "BLINGNO.1," was briefly tracked leaving Kaohsiung Port before returning and docking. The vessel is believed to be a repainted and disarmed CGA 500-tonne-class patrol vessel. The CGA stated that the donation was "handled according to usual practice" and highlighted their history of donating vessels to countries such as the Marshall Islands, Palau, and Tuvalu, which maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on whether this was the first donation of its kind to the Philippines, a country that has not had diplomatic relations with Taiwan since 1975. Su Tzu-yu, a research fellow at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research, noted that the donation is part of a broader international effort to counter China's maritime activities. Su highlighted that Japan and the United States have also been transferring decommissioned vessels to the Philippines to bolster regional collaboration against China's "expansionist behavior" at sea.
In related developments, the CGA plans to undertake its inaugural "goodwill mission" to the Philippines in 2027. According to the Ocean Affairs Council's budget request for that year, the mission is slated for October and will involve a crew of 100 members. The visit aims to foster cultural and maritime exchanges and provide practical experience for cadets from the Central Police University. The mission will also test patrol vessels' systems and integration. Details about the number of vessels involved remain undisclosed. If realized, this mission would represent the CGA's first visit to the Philippines, as confirmed by a source familiar with the matter.