News Weekly: Countering CCP's Intrusions into the Taiwan Strait – AIT: U.S.-Taiwan Joint Maritime Law Enforcement
[NTD Beijing Time, August 2, 2026] In response to the CCP's increasingly aggressive maritime intrusions, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) issued a rare statement, demonstrating the high level of cooperation between the United States and Taiwan in joint maritime law enforcement between the U.S. Coast Guard and Taiwan's Coast Guard. In response, Kuan Bi-ling, Minister of the Ocean Affairs Council of the Republic of China (Taiwan), said that this shows the U.S. side truly understands that Taiwan's Coast Guard is the only law enforcement agency in the Taiwan Strait.
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) rarely posted photos on its official social media account. AIT stated that the two sides are closely coordinating on a number of common maritime goals, including search and rescue, disaster relief, marine resource conservation, and drug smuggling interdiction. It also thanked Taiwan for its partnership in maritime security and said it will continue to support Taiwan in making substantial contributions to global issues.
In recent days, the CCP's intrusions into the Taiwan Strait have continued to escalate. The so-called routine patrols by CCP coast guard vessels in the waters east of Taiwan have triggered continuous backlash. Shen Yu-chung, Deputy Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council of the Republic of China (Taiwan), condemned the CCP's actions as illegal and unjustified.
Kuan Bi-ling, Minister of the Ocean Affairs Council, said that AIT's proactive release of the images shows that the U.S. side truly understands that Taiwan's Coast Guard is the only law enforcement agency in the Taiwan Strait.
As the CCP uses its coast guard to harass Taiwan, some experts have warned that the CCP coast guard could shift from patrols to blockades. The experts also offered three suggestions: first, strengthen the Coast Guard's capabilities; second, strengthen existing international cooperation; third, Taiwan must emphasize that this poses a huge potential threat to maritime transportation for Taiwan and the world.
In response to CCP maritime intrusions, Taiwan has strengthened its national defense capabilities and is gradually achieving its "indigenous shipbuilding" goal. President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Lai Ching-te recently presided over the commissioning ceremony of the "Dan Jiang" warship in Kaohsiung, which included a flag presentation and troop inspection.
President Lai Ching-te: "In the face of the increasingly powerful CCP threat, whether military threats or gray-zone maritime intrusions, the Navy is demonstrating to the nation, through the belief and achievements of the Tuo Chiang-class commissioning, the determination of naval personnel, united from top to bottom, to defend our maritime borders and protect national security."
The second batch of Tuo Chiang-class warships is in mass production, and the first ship, the Dan Jiang, has officially entered service. Lai also called on the ruling and opposition parties.
Lai: "Peace cannot be achieved through a mere peace agreement, nor can it be achieved through the goodwill of an aggressor. We firmly believe in achieving peace through strength. We also hope for the support of our compatriots and call on the Legislative Yuan to support this regardless of party affiliation."
It is expected that all 12 warships will be commissioned by the end of the year, tasked with the important mission of defending the Taiwan Strait and protecting the nation.
Recently, the United States and Ukraine signed a letter of intent to establish a framework for joint drone production. Experts say that if trilateral cooperation between the U.S., Ukraine, and Taiwan succeeds, it would create a model of U.S. design, Taiwan manufacturing, and Ukraine testing, establishing a strong democratic defense front.
Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior held a press conference on the 30th, emphasizing that the Chinese Unification Promotion Party is a CCP-affiliated organization in Taiwan that assists the CCP in infiltration, election interference, and cross-border suppression.
Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang: "There are three main reasons for petitioning to dissolve the Chinese Unification Promotion Party. First, it cooperates with the CCP in developing organizations in Taiwan, assists the CCP's cognitive warfare in penetrating grassroots levels, and introduces Chinese capital to interfere in elections. Second, it engages in cross-border suppression to silence Taiwan's democracy. Third, it is actually a criminal organization disguised as a political party."
The Ministry of the Interior also stated that it has collected evidence of the party's criminal activities in Taiwan, including multiple violent incidents, assisting the CCP in cross-border suppression, attempting to silence Taiwan's democracy, and echoing the CCP's united front tactics.
Deputy Minister of the Interior Ma Shih-yuan: "The Chinese Unification Promotion Party would be an important indicator. If we, as the competent authority for political parties, can handle this party, then in the future we will also be able to handle various forms of CCP oppression against Taiwan."
Liu Shyh-fang said that a petition would be filed with the Constitutional Court to dissolve the party closely tied to the CCP.
Reported by Huang Yen-hua and Wu Hui-chen, NTD News Weekly.
