Taiwan was one of the topics discussed by Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, but while the conversation between the US tycoon and the Chinese leader was underway, Taiwan’s coast guard was busy with another type of event: the presentation of a new hi-tech ship capable of carrying missiles in the event of conflict with China.
The new ship
The ceremony took place on Friday 15 May in Kaohsiung, in the south of the island, while the summit between the two leaders was underway in Beijing. The massive vessel, called “Donggang”, is the latest in a series of 12. It is an Anping-class catamaran, based on the navy’s Tuo Chiang-class fast attack warships: vessels capable of operating in stealth mode and with high maneuverability, capable of neutralizing even larger warships.
In detail, the Donggang is 65 meters long, 14.8 meters wide and has a maximum speed of 40 knots, or 74 kilometers per hour. The new ship will initially be deployed on the east coast of Taiwan, but the coast guard version can be equipped with anti-ship missiles to support the navy in the event of war.
“The international situation has changed rapidly in recent years,” said Taiwanese Ocean Affairs Minister Kuan Bi-ling during the ceremony. “The challenges in the waters around the Taiwan Strait continue to intensify. The coast guard no longer exclusively performs traditional law enforcement duties, but safeguards sovereignty and protects our homeland.”
The conflicts with China
Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and does not rule out the use of force to achieve reunification with the island governed democratically by Taipei. A “hot” topic which, as underlined by Xi himself, could also have effects on relations between China and the USA.
The new 600-ton vessel is part of a project to build 141 ships for the coast guard between 2018 and 2027. A fleet that Taiwan intends to use to counter China’s activities in the so-called “gray zone”, such as intrusions by Chinese warships into territorial waters or damage to underwater cables.