Conflicting reports of American Special Forces arriving in Taiwan as China flexes military muscle near island
Taiwanese Defense Chief Chiu Kuo-cheng told the press this week that U.S. Army Special Forces are now permanently stationed in the country as tensions with China rise.
Taiwan confirms presence of US special forces
The Taiwanese defense chief has confirmed US troops are training the island’s army, with some stationed 10km from mainland Chinahttps://t.co/xEB9eOeUnU pic.twitter.com/FGiNhoG4rU
— RT (@RT_com) March 15, 2024
“According to reports from Taiwan’s United Daily News (UDN), US Army Green Berets from the 1st Special Forces Group are now permanently stationed at bases of the 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion, a Taiwanese army special operations force, located in outlying island counties of Penghu and Kinmen. Notably, Kinmen lies just over a mile from Chinese shores,” Kuo-cheng said.
He added, “Additionally, reports suggest an American military presence in the northeast city of Taoyuan on Taiwan’s main island, with service members providing specialized training on drone equipment for Taiwan’s elite Airborne Special Service Company.”
This is the first public acknowledgment of U.S. troops being in Taiwan since 1979.
During a House Committee hearing on the Indo-Pacific Region, the U.S. military’s Indo-Pacific Command Commander Admiral John C. Aquilino denied reports of Special Forces being stationed in Taiwan.
However, Admiral Aquilino did say he could tell Congress more in a classified setting.
Things are undoubtedly heating up in the region as Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense revealed Thursday it had detected 32 Chinese military aircraft flying near the island in a 24-hour period.
