A US person involved with the plans said that the US is getting ready to send 100 to 200 troops to Taiwan for training amid escalating tensions with China.
This amount will increase a somewhat smaller training program that formerly comprised the National Guard, Special Operations, and US Marines.
A force of the Taiwanese Army will also get training from the Michigan National Guard, some of it taking place on American territory as part of bigger exercises.
Just approximately 30 American soldiers were reportedly stationed in Taiwan a year ago, according to US authorities.
According to a Defense Department official, Lt. Col. Marty Meiners “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. Our commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region.”
The anticipated troop buildup will be the highest US military presence in Taiwan in many years.
The escalation, according to officials who talked to the newspaper, has been in the works for months, even before China ratcheted up tensions with the US by sending a spy balloon over US territory.
The soldiers traveling to Taiwan would be entrusted with instructing its military on American weaponry and conducting exercises to stave off a hypothetical Chinese attack, they claimed.
China has been repeatedly deploying ships and planes into Taiwanese seas and airspace in recent weeks.
