Taiwan's Coast Guard has promoted two officers to rear admiral, a sign the government is putting more weight behind sea patrols and drug interdiction.

• Ocean Affairs Council head Kuan Bi-ling led the promotion ceremony, where 14 officers moved up in rank.
• The two new rear admirals come from the intelligence side and from coastal patrol duty.
• Coast Guard drug seizures keep hitting records, topping 13,000 kilos of drugs last year.
• The president added extra general-officer slots as a show of support for the service.
• The Coast Guard's job is framed around three fronts at sea: national security, law and order, and public safety.

Outlook: Expect Taiwan to keep expanding sea patrol and surveillance capacity as pressure around its waters grows.