TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — More than 40 US military personnel were deployed to Taiwan as of December 2023, a Congressional Research Service report revealed last week.
The report cited the Pentagon’s Defense Manpower Data Center, which said 41 US military personnel were sent to Taiwan at that time.
Taiwan and US media have previously claimed US military personnel were stationed in Taiwan. However, US defense officials did not provide any details, only saying they “do not have a comment on specific operations, engagements, or training” with regard to US military exchanges with Taiwan.
Last month, Taiwan’s defense minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) confirmed that US Army Green Berets were stationed in command centers in Kinmen and Penghu. Taiwan’s military “may have some blind spots and shortcomings and therefore it is important to communicate with others who are friendly to us, whether they are teams, groups, or countries,” Chiu said.
He described the exchanges as taking place on a “regular basis.”
In 2021, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) became the first Taiwan president to confirm the presence of US troops in the country. In an interview with CNN, she said the number of US military personnel was “not as many as people thought.” She added that Taiwan has “a wide range of cooperation with the US” to strengthen its defense capability.
Taiwan-US military cooperation has been conducted under the radar due to the lack of diplomatic relations and concerns that major public engagement could cause China to escalate provocations toward Taiwan, the report said.
The US military routinely sends delegations to observe Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military exercise. Taiwanese troops also have said trained with the Hawaii, Michigan, Utah, and Washington national guards, according to the report. Taiwan began receiving training through the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program in 2023 as well.
Additionally, Taiwanese Air Force pilots have participated in the US Air Force’s F-16 pilot training program in Arizona since 1997.
