President William Lai (賴清德) on Sunday called for cross-party support for a special budget to bolster Coast Guard Administration (CGA) facilities to counter China’s “gray zone” tactics.
The coast guard, which would be mobilized for military duties in the event of war with China, is also routinely sent out to shadow Chinese ships during Beijing’s war games around Taiwan.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus on Sunday said it supports the plan to bolster territorial defense, but added that funding for the CGA should be included in the special defense budget plan that is to be reviewed in the next legislative session.