US special operations forces secretly training Taiwanese troops since 2020: Report

In a stunning disclosure, which risks further escalation of tensions with China, US special operations forces and marines have been secretly training Taiwanese troops since 2020, according to reports.

Quoting unnamed officials, the Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported that about two dozen US service members had been training Taiwan’s ground and maritime forces “for at least a year”.

Reuters also quoted some sources as saying that the American trainers had been rotating into Taiwan on a temporary basis.

The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, refused to divulge details about how long the training had been underway but said it started before Joe Biden assumed office in January this year.

While Taiwan’s government has refused to comment on WSJ report, Reuters report cited the country’s defense ministry as saying that “all military exchanges are carried out in accordance with annual plans”.

The Pentagon has neither confirmed nor denied the report. Spokesman John Supple said US support for Taiwan’s military is gauged on its defense needs.

“Our support for and defense relationship with Taiwan remains aligned against the current threat posed by the People’s Republic of China,” he said in a statement.

“We urge Beijing to honor its commitment to the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait differences.”

US playing 'same old tricks' by sending warships to Taiwan Strait: China

China censures the passage of yet another US warship through the Taiwan Strait, describing Washington as the greatest security "risk creator," which continues to intentionally play the same old tricks in the region.

The latest reports confirm what was being speculated late last year about US troops arriving in Taiwan to train Taiwan marines and special forces in small-boat and amphibious operations.

A video released last year, broadcast widely in Taiwan media, showed US troops taking part in an exercise on the island dubbed “Balance Tamper”.

Both the US and Taiwanese officials had dismissed the speculation that time, emphasizing that the two sides were involved in “bilateral military exchanges and cooperation.”

The US military support to Taiwan comes as relations between Washington and Beijing continue to deteriorate. It has supplied Taiwan military equipment and weapons, including missiles and fighter jets.

Beijing has repeatedly condemned the expanding US ties with Chinese Taipei and its weapons sales to the island territory as violation of China's sovereignty.

Under the internationally-recognized "One China" policy, nearly all countries recognize China's sovereignty over self-ruled Chinese Taipei.

US undermining regional stability by sailing warships through Taiwan Strait: China

China denounces the US for undermining regional peace and stability by sailing yet another warship through the Taiwan Strait.

China considers Taiwan a breakaway province that should be reunited with the mainland. Taiwan is also one of the key sticking points in the US-China relationship.

President Joe Biden’s administration has taken a hostile stance against China, including over Chinese Taipei. Biden dispatched a delegation to the self-ruled island earlier this year, to "signal" his "personal" commitment to the secessionist government there.

On Wednesday, he said that he had spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping about Taiwan.

Asked by a reporter about “China’s provocation over Taiwan”, Biden said on Tuesday that he and Xi had discussed the issue.

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