Taiwan’s naval goodwill fleet, which departed the Marshall Islands last month, passed through the Panama Canal on its way to another diplomatic ally in the region, footage from the Panama Canal Authority showed.
The fleet — consisting of the navy’s fast combat support ship Panshi, Cheng Kung-class guided-missile frigate Yueh Fei, and Kang Ding-class guided-missile frigate Di Hua — transited the canal, which connects the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, about midnight on Saturday, the footage showed.
The fleet, officially designated the 2026 Midshipmen and Cruising Training Squadron (MCTS) of the Republic of China Navy, is led by Rear Admiral Chen Ming-feng (陳明?).
Photo: Screen grab from the Facebook page of the Embassy of the ROC, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands
It departed Taiwan in late February for its annual training voyage. The mission typically includes visits to Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in the Caribbean and Latin America.
The military does not publicize the fleet’s scheduled stops, but the Chinese-language United Daily News reported that the fleet is believed to be heading to Belize.
On March 13, Taiwan’s embassy in the Marshall Islands announced that the fleet had concluded a three-day port call from March 10 to 12 and was en route to its next destination.
The trip marks the fleet’s 20th visit to the Marshall Islands, which was selected as the first port of call for this year’s training voyage, symbolizing the close and enduring friendship between the two nations, it said.
During the visit, Chen and senior officers paid courtesy calls to Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine, Speaker of the Nitijela Brenson Wase and Majuro Atoll Acting Mayor Jina David.
In addition to opening the Panshi to the public, the fleet also held a baseball equipment donation ceremony with the local community, an embassy statement said.
According to the Ministry of National Defense’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, the goodwill fleet mission is scheduled to last 112 days and includes 840 naval cadets.
The annual mission aims to promote Taiwan’s diplomacy, demonstrate its military capability and engage with overseas Taiwanese communities, it said.
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