TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
US looks to expand Taiwan military training
Reuters reported in 2021 that a small number of US special operations forces have been rotating into Taiwan on a temporary basis to train their forces.
Change Size
In this file photo taken on January 17, 2017 Taiwan special forces personnel walk behind an armoured personnel carrier during an annual military drill in Taichung, central Taiwan. US special operations forces and marines have been secretly training Taiwanese troops for more than one year, risking the ire of China, the Wall Street Journal reported on October 7, 2021. (AFP/Sam Yeh)
T
he United States is set to expand the number of troops helping train Taiwanese forces, two US officials said on Thursday, at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing.
Reuters reported in 2021 that a small number of US special operations forces have been rotating into Taiwan on a temporary basis to train their forces.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the Pentagon was expected to increase that number in the coming months.
One of the officials said the exact number of increased troops was unclear, but the move was unrelated to recent tensions over the shootdown of a Chinese spy balloon which flew across the United States.
The balloon caused a political uproar in Washington and prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a trip to Beijing that both countries had hoped would steady their rocky relations.
"We don't have a comment on specific operations, engagements, or training, but I would highlight that our support for, and defense relationship with, Taiwan remains aligned against the current threat posed by the People's Republic of China," a Pentagon spokesman said.
Speaking to reporters in Taipei on Friday, Taiwan Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said he "didn't know" the source of the information about expanded training. He added Taiwan and the United States had a lot of military interaction, and declined further comment.
The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Taiwan's official Central News Agency this week reported that a battalion of around 500 soldiers would go to the United States for training this year.
Chu indirectly confirmed that some soldiers would head to the United States for training that would be more tactical than in the past, but did not provide details of numbers.
China sees Taiwan as a wayward province and has not ruled out taking the island by force. Taiwan says it is an independent country and will defend its democracy and freedom.
The United States is Taiwan's largest supplier of weaponry and has long offered some degree of training on weapons systems, as well as detailed advice on ways to strengthen its military to guard against an invasion by China's Peoples Liberation Army.
