US Coast Guard expands assertive role in Indo-Pacific against China amid growing tensions

As China has continued to uphold it's hostile approach against Taiwan, the United States Coast Guard is taking on a more assertive role in the Indo-Pacific region, miles away from its native waters. Shedding light on the deployment of US Coast Guard vessels in the Pacific zone of international waters, Commandant Admiral Karl Schultz touted that the Coast Guard is doing missions which the US Navy is "not geared toward." It is pertinent to mention that conflict with China in the Indo-Pacific has pushed Pentagon to send resources, however, with the presence of the US Coast Guard the deployment has currently branched outside of the defence department. 

"What we do, it is not in big numbers but I think it is a pretty significant contribution. We get access. We can go to places," Admiral Karl Schultz had said in a Navy League event in December, as quoted by Business Insider. 

Citing the example of USCGC Munro, a 418-foot Legend-class cutter, Admiral Schultz pointed that the vessel completed its three-month-plus deployment in the Indo-Pacific last October. The vessel drilled through Taiwan Strait along with the Australian Navy to join Taiwan for training. Munro was subordinated to US 7th Fleet in Japan. 

"The Chinese get pretty excited when the (US) Coast Guard is over there training with the Taiwanese. There are places that move the needle a little bit," Admiral Schultz had said in his metaphorical speech. 

To note, the US military or Coast Guard were prohibited from sending troops on Taiwan waters for conducting drills with the island's military under China-US agreements signed in 1970 and 1980. However, in 2021, it was revealed that a "small number of US troops" are stationed in Taiwan since 2018. Meanwhile, before US President Joe Biden, during a meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, affirmed his commitment towards upholding US Policy on Beijing, at least 600 personnel visited Taiwan in the last year. 

US Coast Guard commands across International borders

As per a Sputnik report, the US Coast Guard has its fleet deployed in dozens of sectors, including the Persian Gulf and Puerto Rico. It also has three operational commands abroad at Yokota Air Base in Japan, Netherlands and Manama, Bahrain. However, USCG commander Vice Admiral Micheal McAllister, last year stated that the Coast Guard was responsible for missions "different" from US Navy. Although, it did engage in policing "illegal" Chinese fishing activities. "At the end of the day, we try to model a type of behaviour that keeps commerce open, peacefully resolves disputes, protects valuable resources and counters illicit activities," Admiral McAllister had said. 

For a recap, the developments come amidst simmering tensions between China and Taiwan. While Taiwan sees itself as a democratically-governed independent country, Communist President Xi Jinping sees it as a breakaway province and has vowed to "reunite" it with the mainland, if necessary by force. Meanwhile, the banter further escalated after Taipei increased it military dependence on the US under informal ties. In addition, with US President Joe Biden affirming Washington's support to Taiwan has aggravated the prevailing tensions

(Image: @USCoastGuard/Twitter)