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 on the island,” it said.
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When asked, US defense officials have said they “do not have a comment on specific operations, engagements or training” related to engagements with Taiwan, it added.
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 unconfirmed by officials on either side.
In February, the US military news outlet SOFREP reported that US “Green Berets” were permanently stationed on Kinmen County to train Taiwanese forces, which was denied by US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral John Aquilino.
The report 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 noted vulnerability in the nation’s energy, food, water and Internet supply, and 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,” the report said.
The report also said that the US and Taiwan “appear to be quietly expanding training activities,” while outlining recent and pending arms transfers to Taiwan.
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