Taiwan to boost combat training in disputed waters

Taiwanese coast guards stationed in the South China Sea will undergo rigorous combat training, an official said Tuesday, in response to China's more assertive stance in disputed waters.

Coast guards posted in the area will receive training akin to that of members of Taiwan's elite Marine Corps, said Wang Chung-yi, deputy chief of the Coast Guard Administration.

"We need strength to defend our sovereignty," he told AFP.

He did not provide details about the training, but the Liberty Times newspaper said it would include skills in areas such as coastal defence against amphibious attack.

Taiwan's coast guard currently has a base on Taiping, the biggest island in the disputed Spratlys archipelago. (read more)