A total of 41 US military personnel were stationed in Taiwan as of December last year, a US congressional report said on Friday last week ahead of Tuesday’s passage of an aid package that included US$8 billion for Taiwan.
The Congressional Research Service in a report titled Taiwan Defense Issues for Congress said that according to the US Department of Defense’s Defense Manpower Data Center, 41 US military personnel were assigned for duty in Taiwan.
Although the normalization of relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1979 included a vow to withdraw a military presence from Taiwan, “observers have indicated that it is an ‘open secret’ that small numbers of US military personnel conduct work in an advisory capacity” in Taiwan, it said.
Photo: CNA
US defense officials have said they “do not have a comment on specific operations, engagements or training” related to engagements with Taiwan, the report said.
The Wall Street Journal in February last year reported that the US was to send 100 to 200 military training personnel to Taiwan “in the coming months,” which was not confirmed by officials on either side.
In February, US military news Web site SOFREP reported that US Green Berets were permanently stationed in Kinmen County to train Taiwanese forces, which US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral John Aquilino denied.
SOFREP also highlighted challenges within Taiwan in relation to its defense, saying that there is an apparent lack of trust between elected leaders and the military, which has traditionally been aligned with the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
It also said that there was vulnerability in the nation’s energy, food, water and Internet supply, and it struggles to recruit, train and retain personnel.
“At a societal level, it is not clear what costs — in terms of economic security, physical safety and security, and lives — Taiwan’s people would be willing or able to bear in the face of possible PRC armed aggression,” SOFREP said.
The US and Taiwan “appear to be quietly expanding training activities,” while outlining recent and pending arms transfers to Taiwan, it added.
In other news, progress on stationing a US munitions stockpile in Taiwan is unclear, but there is an “approximate plan” in place, Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) said yesterday in response to questions about whether Washington is moving forward with plans to move its East Asia stockpile to Taiwan.
Chiu was responding to a question from Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) about progress regarding the alleged stockpile.
On March 6 last year, Chiu told lawmakers that Taipei was “in talks” with the US military on moving its East Asia stockpile to Taiwan.
Chiu yesterday told a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign and National Defense Committee that the issue must be approached with caution, as it involves sensitive political considerations.
There are many ways to define a “stockpile,” he said, adding that the nature of armaments and weaponry is vastly different.
If it were a maintenance center, there would naturally be spare parts and equipment sent in, he said, adding that everything is still in the proposal stage and is open to discussion.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old