Taiwan has officially confirmed the presence of US troops stationed on its islands in the Taiwan Strait permanently, a development that could further escalate mounting tensions with China.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed in 2023 facilitated the deployment of these troops to conduct training programs for Taiwanese frontline forces.
The move comes as China continues to assert its disputed claim over Taiwan, viewing it as a renegade province despite never having ruled it. The heightened military activities by China in and around the Taiwan Strait have prompted Taiwan to bolster its defense capabilities.
It comes after Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week issued an 'ironclad' warning to China as tensions between the two nations rise. Closer to home a new poll found Biden and Trump are neck and neck in the race to win the White House and yesterday Trump warned EU countries that NATO 'won't be protected' if he's reelected unless they pay up in further signs of global tensions, which range from Ukraine and Russia to the escalating problems in the Middle East and the growing issues in Cuba and Haiti, where displaced citizens could flood into Florida sparking a wild move from Gov DeSantis.
In response to queries about the presence of the US Army Green Special Forces, also known as Green Berets, Taiwanese Defense Chief Chiu Kuo-cheng said: "No matter the situation, there may be blind spots or shortcomings. So we need to communicate with our allies - whether it is a team, a group or a country.
"We can learn from each other to see what strengths we have. This is a fixed thing."
Former President Tsai Ing-wen had mentioned in 2021 occasional training sessions with US instructors in 2021, bu Chiu's recent statement is the first official confirmation of the long-term nature of these activities.
According to reports from Taiwan's United Daily News (UDN), US Army Green Berets from the 1st Special Forces Group are now permanently stationed at bases of the 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion, a Taiwanese army special operations force, located in outlying island counties of Penghu and Kinmen. Notably, Kinmen lies just over a mile from Chinese shores.
Additionally, reports suggest an American military presence in the northeast city of Taoyuan on Taiwan's main island, with service members providing specialized training on drone equipment for Taiwan's elite Airborne Special Service Company.
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