TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) visited the Ministry of National Defense (MND) response center to hear a report about recent Chinese military drills, reports said Saturday (May 25).

He also accepted a suggestion from Chief of the General Staff Admiral Mei Chia-shu (梅家樹) to end special emergency response measures and return the situation to previous normal levels, per the Liberty Times. On Thursday (May 23) morning, China suddenly announced the immediate start of two days of maneuvers surrounding Taiwan.

The “Joint Sword-2024A” drills came only days after the May 20 inauguration of President Lai Ching-te (賴清德). Koo, the first civilian defense minister in a decade, took office the same day.

During his visit to the emergency response center Saturday, the minister advised staff to keep building up experience and knowledge. He also commended the cooperation with the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) in protecting the country’s security.

Koo also cautioned the military to pay attention to the evolving nature of the enemy threat, as China was likely to intensify its attempts to turn the Taiwan Strait into an internal sea. Even before the presidential inauguration, Chinese coast guard vessels repeatedly entered restricted waters, especially near Taiwan’s outlying island of Kinmen.