The 2026 Taiwan International Ocean Forum was held July 8-9 in Taipei City, with officials, lawmakers, business leaders and think tank experts from 16 countries discussing ways to enhance regional maritime security and resilience.
Organized by the Ocean Affairs Council, the forum was themed “Enhancing Maritime Resilience: From Strategy to Practice.” Those in attendance included U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, John R. Mills, deputy assistant secretary of the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy under the U.S. Department of State, and parliamentary members from countries such as Czechia, India, Japan, New Zealand, Ukraine and the Netherlands.
During her opening remarks, OAC Minister Kuan Bi-ling said countries like Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines face Chinese gray-zone tactics, including maritime law enforcement, military exercises and undersea cable disruptions, that are jeopardizing the existing international order and regional status quo.
The minister cautioned that if the global community continues to see such developments as the norm, the status quo will eventually shift even without a war breaking out. She urged global democratic partners to establish an evaluation mechanism for threats and to ensure maritime peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific.
According to the organizer, the forum featured keynote speeches and in-depth dialogues on issues including Indo-Pacific leadership and regional security, the role of coast guard agencies in countering gray-zone activities, sustainable development, emerging technologies for ocean governance and youth empowerment.
Launched in 2020, the annual TIOF is a platform dedicated to deepening engagement and fostering collaboration between Taiwan and global stakeholders in marine science and maritime governance through knowledge sharing, experience exchange and strategic dialogue, the OAC added. (SFC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
Organized by the Ocean Affairs Council, the forum was themed “Enhancing Maritime Resilience: From Strategy to Practice.” Those in attendance included U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, John R. Mills, deputy assistant secretary of the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy under the U.S. Department of State, and parliamentary members from countries such as Czechia, India, Japan, New Zealand, Ukraine and the Netherlands.
During her opening remarks, OAC Minister Kuan Bi-ling said countries like Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines face Chinese gray-zone tactics, including maritime law enforcement, military exercises and undersea cable disruptions, that are jeopardizing the existing international order and regional status quo.
The minister cautioned that if the global community continues to see such developments as the norm, the status quo will eventually shift even without a war breaking out. She urged global democratic partners to establish an evaluation mechanism for threats and to ensure maritime peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific.
According to the organizer, the forum featured keynote speeches and in-depth dialogues on issues including Indo-Pacific leadership and regional security, the role of coast guard agencies in countering gray-zone activities, sustainable development, emerging technologies for ocean governance and youth empowerment.
Launched in 2020, the annual TIOF is a platform dedicated to deepening engagement and fostering collaboration between Taiwan and global stakeholders in marine science and maritime governance through knowledge sharing, experience exchange and strategic dialogue, the OAC added. (SFC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
from Taiwan Today – Top News