By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
TAIPEI/BEIJING (Worthy News) – The world was moving towards another potentially massive armed conflict Thursday, with Taiwan officially confirming the permanent stationing of U.S. troops on its territory in the Taiwan Strait.
The development came after China increased military exercises near democratically-ruled Taiwan, which it views as a renegade province that must be put under control by Beijing by force if necessary.
“After the war Ukraine, watch Taiwan,” a senior U.S. security official with close knowledge about the inner workings of the U.S. military told Worthy News earlier, speaking on condition of anonymity.
With tensions rising, Taiwan’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed last year facilitated the deployment of American troops to conduct “training programs” for Taiwanese frontline forces, officials said.
Asked to confirm reports U.S. Army Green Special Forces, also known as Green Berets, were in Taiwan permanently, Taiwanese defense chief Chiu Kuo-cheng told reporters: “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.”
In comments seen by Worthy News, be added that “We can learn from each other to see what strengths we have. This is a fixed thing.”
In 2021, President Tsai Ing-wen revealed U.S. instructors were conducting occasional training with Taiwanese armed service members. Chiu’s statement was seen as the first confirmation of the long-term nature of the activities.
AMERICAN PRESENCE
An American military presence was reported in the northeast city of Taoyuan on Taiwan’s main island, with troops providing specialized training on drone equipment for Taiwan’s elite Airborne Special Service Company.
U.S. sources said earlier that American forces had only “started” to take up “permanent positions” at the Taiwanese Army’s amphibious command centers in Kinmen and Penghu, a group of islands run by Taiwan.
Their missions include regular training and exercises alongside Taiwan’s elite forces, Worthy News monitored.
The stepped-up U.S. presence comes after U.S. President Joe Biden warned China in 2021 that the United States would defend Taiwan if Beijing attacked.
It was seen as an apparent departure from a long-held U.S. position, though the White House rushed to say that Biden’s remarks did not signify “a change” in United States policy.
The U.S. has legislation that requires it to help Taiwan defend itself. But experts say so far, the United States has pursued a policy of “strategic ambiguity,” where it is deliberately vague about what it would do if China were to attack Taiwan.
With American troops now on the ground in Taiwan, the United States appeared to send a clear military warning to Communist-ruled China not to annex Taiwan.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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