Free lecture" From Kinmen to Sarangani: The strategic value of Taiwan-Philippines maritime patrol cooperation

◎ Wei Chonghua

The Chinese Navy's Liaoning aircraft carrier fleet sailed through the southern waters of the Philippines on October 22. The Philippines mobilized the navy, air force and coast guard to conduct joint monitoring. What is concerning is that the Sarangani involved in the operation was actually the Kinmen, a 500-ton patrol and rescue ship decommissioned by the Taiwan Coast Guard this year.

A decommissioned ship participated in monitoring the Liaoning

The Chinese government donated a decommissioned 500-ton patrol ship to the Philippines. The local non-governmental organization "WPS Foundation" and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) completed the signing in September and officially entered service on October 2. Its hull number: 6177, named Sarangani. (File photo, WPS Foundation The ship originally performed patrol and rescue work in Taiwan, but now appears in the southern waters of the Philippines, helping another country to understand the dynamics of the Chinese Communist Party's navy. This development does not mean that Taiwan and the Philippines have established a common military command mechanism, but it concretely presents a phenomenon worthy of attention: Taiwan's maritime patrol equipment and professional experience are becoming part of regional maritime security capabilities through non-traditional diplomatic channels.

According to information released by the Philippine West Mindanao Island Command, after passing through the waters of the southwestern Philippines, the Liaoning fleet continued to sail southeast and entered the channel leading to the Celebes Sea.

In addition to dispatching missile frigates and patrol ships, the Philippines also dispatched air force helicopters, transport aircraft and coast guard ships for surveillance. The Sarangani is one of the coast guard ships participating in the mission. It is worth noting that monitoring foreign warships and preventing their legal passage are two different maritime operations. Warships enjoy certain navigation rights in accordance with international law and relevant maritime regimes, while coastal states have legitimate needs to maintain maritime security, understand navigation dynamics, and confirm traffic behaviors. Therefore, the core significance of the Philippines' operation is to establish a picture of the maritime situation through different military and law enforcement units, rather than simply using the number of ships to fight against the CCP aircraft. This also shows that modern maritime security is not just a competition between warships. Maritime patrol, aviation surveillance, radar, communications and intelligence integration also constitute important security support capabilities.

The Coast Guard's decommissioned patrol and rescue ship "Kinmen", the original hull number is CG123. (File photo) From a military strategic perspective, Taiwan and the Philippines are located at important locations in the first island chain. Although the surrounding waters of the two countries have different geographical conditions and security issues, they are both affected by the increase in the Chinese Communist Navy’s far-sea activities. For Taiwan, the Bashi Strait and the Luzon Strait are related to the security of Taiwan’s southern and eastern sea and airspace; for the Philippines, the South China Sea and the Southern Islands Channel involve maritime traffic, economic activities and sovereign rights. As the scope of activities of the Chinese Communist Party's aircraft fleets gradually expands, regional countries naturally need more complete maritime situation awareness capabilities.

However, maritime security cooperation does not necessarily begin with a formal military alliance. Equipment transfers, search and rescue exchanges, maritime training, law enforcement experience sharing and humanitarian rescue cooperation may all gradually build mutual trust. In particular, the Kinmen ship did not lose its use value immediately after being decommissioned. Instead, it continued to serve in the Philippines through renovation and transfer. This shows that equipment life cycle management not only considers domestic needs, but also may produce benefits from international cooperation. Of course, the participation of a single ship in surveillance is not enough to prove that both parties have formed an intelligence sharing or joint operations mechanism. These levels must be strictly distinguished.

Counter the CCP and Maintain Regional Maritime Security

This incident provides Taiwan with a specific policy inspiration: the replacement of national defense and coastal patrol equipment should not only consider the procurement of new equipment and the scrapping of old equipment, but also evaluate the value of international cooperation for decommissioned equipment in compliance with safety, legal and diplomatic conditions. It is recommended that the government establish a more complete evaluation mechanism for decommissioned ships, taking into account the remaining life of the equipment, maintenance costs, navigation safety, removal of sensitive equipment and the logistics capabilities of the recipient country, and promote cooperation in maritime security, search and rescue and disaster response through appropriate channels.

China's Liaoning aircraft carrier sailed through the southern Philippines waters in October. (Reuters file photo) On the other hand, Taiwan must continue to strengthen its maritime patrol and naval intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance integration capabilities, and cannot mistakenly think that the transfer of equipment can replace its own investment in combat readiness. The Kinmen warship was renamed the Salangani and then participated in monitoring the Liaoning. This symbolizes not the formation of a Taiwan-Philippines military alliance, but Taiwan's ability to participate in regional maritime security affairs through concrete, pragmatic cooperation that meets the needs of both sides. In the face of the CCP’s increasingly expanding maritime activities, Taiwan should not only strengthen its own defense, but also continue to accumulate mutual trust with neighboring countries. Truly valuable security cooperation does not necessarily start with high-profile political declarations. Sometimes it can also start with a decommissioned frigate that is put back into service.