Taiwan's coast guard is pushing back on an audit that says its big new fleet may end up with nowhere to dock and too few crew, a worrying sign for the island's maritime defense buildup.

• Taiwan is spending more than NT$100 billion to build new coast guard ships to patrol its waters and enforce the law at sea.
• Government auditors found that some commercial ports still have no dedicated coast guard berths, and berth space is short where they do exist.
• Auditors also said more than 96% of the vessels are running with fewer crew than the official standard calls for, raising the risk of ships with no port and no people.
• The coast guard says building, docking, and crewing are all being rolled out on schedule, and that current staffing and berthing are normal.
• New officers are being recruited through police academies, special exams, and other hiring channels, while old ships are retired gradually to smooth the handover.

Outlook: Expect continued scrutiny of whether hiring and port construction can keep up as the new ships arrive.