Lai orders stronger maritime resilience after China quarantine drill

Taipei, June 26 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Thursday instructed relevant authorities to strengthen maritime coordination, commercial shipping communications and drone reconnaissance capabilities following a tabletop exercise simulating a Chinese quarantine of Taiwan.

Lai issued the instructions after the eighth meeting of the Presidential Office's Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee, centered on a tabletop exercise held earlier Thursday that simulated Chinese "gray zone" activities -- coercive acts that fall short of open conflict -- and high-intensity maritime coercion.

Lii Wen (李問), deputy secretary-general of the National Security Council, said at a pre-meeting briefing that the exercise covered three scenarios: the delivery and transfer of supplies, the boarding and inspection of non-Chinese vessels by Chinese law enforcement authorities, and disruptions to logistical operations.

In response to the scenarios, Lai instructed the National Security Council (NSC), the Ministry of National Defense (MND) and the Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) to continue strengthening the integration of maritime and air domain intelligence and real-time reporting mechanisms to improve early warning capabilities for abnormal activities and ensure that developments are identified at the earliest possible stage, according to a statement issued by the Presidential Office.

Lai also instructed the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the OAC and other relevant agencies to work with the MND to improve notification and communication mechanisms with domestic and foreign commercial vessels, strengthen maritime law enforcement capabilities and implement necessary measures to expel intruding vessels, the statement said.

He also directed the agencies to improve maritime route planning and strengthen drone reconnaissance and escort mechanisms to enhance maritime surveillance and emergency response capabilities, while ensuring the smooth operation of port berthing, cargo loading and unloading, and vessel arrivals and departures, it said.

The agencies should also bolster the resilience of energy supplies and other critical civilian necessities by ensuring that key ports and vital shipping lanes remain safe and open, Lai was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Lai instructed the OAC, the Coast Guard Administration and the National Police Agency to expand the use of drones in support of maritime and land transportation control, security and escort operations so that the country's critical systems can continue functioning under any circumstances, according to the statement.

He also instructed the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health and Welfare to continue reviewing stockpiles of energy and other essential civilian supplies, monitor supply and demand, establish priority allocations and verify procedures for procuring supplies from overseas, the statement said.

In addition, Lai instructed all relevant agencies to strengthen international strategic communications and ensure public messaging remains consistent, timely and transparent to avoid information gaps that could cause unnecessary public concern, it said.

The president also instructed relevant agencies to address any shortcomings identified during the exercise and ensure that proposed mechanisms for interagency coordination and public-private cooperation are translated into actionable plans that can be regularly rehearsed to prepare for emergencies, the office said.