FEATURE | US naval research ship visits Taiwan – a hint of things to come?

On October 15 the 3,300-tonne US oceanographic research vessel Thomas G Thompson docked in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. According to official Taiwanese sources the ship is taking part in a joint oceanic research project with Australian and Philippines’ vessels, and the visit was undertaken to facilitate refuelling and crew change.

China, though, expressed “solemn concern”, with China Foreign Ministry representative Lu Kang stating that his government, “objects to all governmental and military contact between the US and Taiwan.”

There is speculation among some commentators that the port call by Thomas G Thompson could be a long-awaited precursor to Taiwan supplanting Hong Kong as the favoured Asian location for rest and recreation visits by US Navy Battle Groups – a prospective move which has some support in US Congress, but which would be certain to infuriate Beijing.

Washington is believed to be tiring of Beijing’s periodic vetoing of visits to Hong Kong by US Navy warships (Japan-based amphibious warfare ship Wasp being the latest target for such a ban).

According to some reports, Washington is planning for a major show of force in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait during November 2018, and analysts are watching carefully for indications that port calls in Taiwan might be on the agenda for participating warships.

“Civilian” oceanographic survey ships of Washington’s Military Sealift Command are widely believed to be very active in monitoring, recording and analysing PLA Navy underwater activity in the South China Sea; there have been incidents involving such ships, and Chinese naval and paramilitary vessels.

There have, though, been no reports connecting Thomas G Thompson, which is owned by the US Office of Naval Research, and operated under charter party arrangement by the School of Oceanography at the University of Washington, with such operations.