SCMP: Taiwan to send at least 500 troops to US for combat training, report says

[Hamartia Antidote]

Taiwan to send at least 500 troops to US for combat training, report says

Group – which will be much bigger than in the past – will travel to the United States in the second half of the year, according to semi-official Central News Agency.

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• Battalion will travel to United States in second half of the year, according to semi-official Central News Agency
• Taiwanese military source says plan is unsurprising given the increased exchanges between the two sides

Taiwan plans to send at least 500 soldiers to the United States for training later this year – far more than previously – to strengthen their combat skills amid soaring tensions with Beijing.

A joint combined arms battalion – with troops mainly from the army’s 333rd Mechanised Infantry Brigade and 542nd Armour Brigade – will travel to the US in the second half of the year, according to Taiwan’s semi-official Central News Agency.

Quoting an unnamed source, the report said the training was part of military exchanges between Taiwan and the US.
“This marks the first time troops at battalion level, typically consisting of around 500 soldiers, will travel to the US for training – rather than platoon (25-60 troops) or company (80-150) level as in the past,” the report said.

Taiwan is known to have previously sent military personnel to the US for training, but usually just a few dozen at a time.

The island’s defence ministry declined to comment on the report on Thursday, while the Army Command Headquarters stated that “all military exchanges with foreign forces are handled in accordance with planning” and it would not comment on any details.
Taiwan changed the structure of its combined arms battalions in 2019 in a bid to improve their ability to fight and operate independently in a war – a move that was reportedly made on advice from the US.

A Taiwanese military source could not confirm the plan to send a battalion to the US for training but said it would be unsurprising given the increased exchanges between the two sides since Donald Trump’s presidency.

“Trump signed a number of bills that were friendly to Taiwan, including the Taiwan Travel Act which promotes all levels of exchanges,” said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“The National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2018 specifically encourages exchanges of defence officials and military officers for the purposes of training and coordination, in addition to exchanges of senior military leaders.”

The source said there had been more military exchanges since Joe Biden succeeded Trump as president in 2021 and continued the Taiwan-friendly policy.

“Usually, plans like this would remain hush-hush … to prevent drawing the ire of the Chinese communists,” the source said.

“But with US-Taiwan relations becoming more solid and US-China rivalry intensifying, sometimes exposure of these activities is done intentionally to show the close cooperation and partnership between the US and Taiwan.”
The source pointed to the diplomatic and security talks held between senior American and Taiwanese officials in the US on Tuesday as an example.

The closed-door talks at the Washington headquarters of the American Institute in Taiwan – which represents US interests in the absence of official ties – were flagged in a news report days before they took place. In previous years such talks were held in secret.

The source said that when Taiwan had sent military personnel to the US for training in the past – or the US sent instructors to Taiwan – it was done quietly.

“The navy, air force and the army have all sent officers and soldiers to the US for training to acquire operational skills after we took delivery of US weapon systems, such as Kidd-class destroyers and Knox-class frigates and Patriot anti-missile systems,” the source said.
“But the number of personnel was limited to the size of a platoon [25-60] or at most the company level [80-150],” the source said. “This is the first time a battalion level [usually 500-700 personnel] will be sent.”

Taiwanese Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told reporters in late 2021 that some 40 marines were receiving amphibious training in Guam as part of military exchanges with the US.

President Tsai Ing-wen also acknowledged in a CNN interview in late 2021 that the US had sent military personnel to Taiwan to help train soldiers.
Beijing – which sees Taiwan as part of China and has not ruled out the use of force to bring it under mainland control – has ramped up pressure on the island in recent years, including through a campaign of military intimidation.
It has repeatedly warned other countries, particularly the United States, against official exchanges with Taiwan.

 

[REhorror]

This is a full on occupation of Taiwan.

I don't like this! US troops out of Asia!