The 2024 International Conference on Sea Lane Security, co-organized by the Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) and National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU), was held at the Taipei International Convention Center this Friday. The conference highlighted three major aspects of maritime security including building national maritime awareness, expanding maritime and satellite connections, and strengthening Indo-Pacific maritime awareness.
OAC Deputy Minister Wu Mei-hung (吳美紅) stressed the importance of freedom of navigation and regional security in the Indo-Pacific, stating that the common goal of maintaining peace can only be realized through international cooperation. Wu said this conference is being held to strengthen maritime cooperation throughout countries in the Indo-Pacific and to respond to China’s encroachment through operations in the gray zone.
With regard to the responsibilities of the OAC, Wu outlined three securities: national, public, and overall peace. She also outlined “four oceans,” which include the fight against ocean pollution, ocean waste removal, ocean resource protection, and future marine industry development.
NSYSU Institute of China and Asia-Pacific Studies Professor Kuo Yu-jen (郭育仁) mentioned that multiple countries have experienced friction with China in the Indian Ocean, Malacca Strait, South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, and East China Sea since 2012. He said that after China transferred their coast guard from civilian control to Central Military Commission command in 2018, it has become significantly easier for them to carry out various gray-zone operations.
Kuo, who is also the Institute for National Policy Research director, said that the conference includes discussions on new technologies, satellite surveillance, and international intelligence for responding to Chinese encroachments and strengthening each nation’s self-defense capabilities.