The US is going to send more soldiers to Taiwan to train the Taiwanese military. The Wall Street Journal reports this on the authority of anonymous US officials.
The US military is sending 100 to 200 soldiers to the island in the coming months for training sessions on US weapons and maneuvers. Today, only about 30 players are responsible for those sessions.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen announced on Tuesday after a meeting with members of the US Congress that the island would strengthen its military ties with the US to curb “dictatorship expansion”. “Taiwan will work more closely with the United States and other democratic allies to address international challenges such as authoritarian expansion and climate change,” he said.
China: “Provocation”
A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry accused Taiwan’s ruling party, the PDP, of “provocation in favor of the island’s independence”.
Tensions between the US and China escalated after Washington shot down a Chinese balloon over US territory in early February. China said it was a civilian balloon, while Washington said it was a spy balloon.
Taiwan has been de facto independent since 1949 and has its own democratically functioning government. However, China considers the archipelago an inalienable part of the People’s Republic. The United States does not officially recognize Taiwan, but maintains strong unofficial diplomatic ties.
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