Taiwan’s central defense operation focusing on the Danshui River defense exercise has become the center of attention due to the recent intrusion by a man surnamed Ruan, former captain of the Chinese Communist Party’s Navy, who drove a speedboat into the area. The Northern Branch of the Coast Guard Administration announced on the 12th that an additional multi-functional boat has been stationed at the Danshui River estuary in July and will be stationed there around the clock to enhance the defense capabilities of the area.
In response to the incident where Chinese national Ruan drove a speedboat into the Danshui River Fisherman’s Wharf in Taiwan on June 9th, Chairperson of the Ocean Affairs Council, Kuan Bi-ling, mentioned that Ruan had previously served as a Navy captain in the (Chinese Communist) Navy. Director of the National Security Bureau, Tsai Ming-yan, stated that the security agency will conduct a comprehensive investigation into Ruan’s background as a former member of the Communist military and his activities on the other side, to ensure national security.
The Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China held a briefing on the “Han Guang No. 40 Live Fire Exercise and Wan An No. 47 Exercise,” outlining the exercise scenario based on possible actions by the Communist Party against Taiwan. The military will utilize current forces from all three branches to conduct live-fire, on-site, real-time, and realistically equipped exercises, focusing on joint operations and night combat, as well as continuous 5-day and 4-night exercises in force preservation, overall air defense, joint interception, and joint homeland defense.
The Northern Branch of the Coast Guard Administration of the Republic of China issued a press release on the 12th, stating that in addition to the existing coastal multi-functional boat, the second Danshui Coast Guard team has been equipped with an additional boat in July, stationed at the Danshui Coast Guard around the clock to strengthen rapid small targets identification and interception. By verifying the patrols, illegal incidents will be effectively prevented, extending to other cases inland rivers, thereby enhancing the defense capabilities of the Danshui River.
The Northern Branch of the Coast Guard Administration stated that they will continue to monitor unidentified targets at sea, enhance management measures, dispatch online boats for inspection and checking, and effectively combat crimes. If the public finds any illegal activities, please immediately call the Coast Guard Administration’s toll-free reporting hotline “118” to provide clues, jointly safeguarding national security.
The Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee of the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China invited Defense Minister Gu Li-hsiung to report on “the new establishment of military innovation units similar to the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), innovative methods for military recruitment and preparation, and future expected results” for questioning on the 10th. Gu Li-hsiung, in a media interview before the meeting, mentioned that the defense of the Danshui River during the Han Guang 40 military exercises has always been a top priority. Visiting the command post is to encourage frontline troops and boost their morale.
According to Taiwan Military News Agency reports, Defense Minister Gu Li-hsiung visited the Taiwan Army’s Guandu area (located at the confluence of the Danshui River and the Keelung River) on the 9th to oversee the command. He inspected the training situation of the troops informally and interacted face-to-face to understand their mission plans and equipment preparations, while also listening to grassroots opinions. He commended the hard work and dedication of the soldiers who are training diligently in the hot weather and encouraged them.
During the inspection, Gu Li-hsiung went deep into the front lines, cheered on the soldiers conducting equipment checks and other tasks, took photos with them, thanked them for safeguarding their homeland, and encouraged all soldiers to maintain high morale, enhance troops’ combat effectiveness, and uphold national security.