The Republic of China (Taiwan) Coast Guard Administration and other agencies jointly carried out a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise in Taiping Island and in its relevant waters on November 29, 2016.
The exercise involved 3 aircrafts, 8 vessels, and 336 people, simulating a foreign-flagged cargo ship caught on fire, 5 crew members jumping overboard awaiting rescue. This was the first major humanitarian exercise conducted by Taiwan in Taiping Island, which is located in South China Sea, 1600km south-west offshore Taiwan.
The exercise, conducted as part of President Tsai Ing-wen’s policy to transform Taiping Island into a base for the provision of humanitarian aid and logistical support, demonstrated the efficacy of the government’s mechanism for cross-agency cooperation and its humanitarian assistance/disaster relief capabilities in the South China Sea.
Taiwan will continue to carry out rescue drills in Taiping Island and establish it as a regional maritime center, which will serve to safeguarding all vessels sailing in the surrounding waters.