Military ties between Taiwan and the United States are becoming both closer and more visible. After a steady stream of US military advisers, nicknamed "English teachers" in Taiwan, began appearing at the island's Ministry of National Defense and across its armed forces, reports now say Washington will station officials at the ministry's headquarters in Taipei on a long term basis. An opposition lawmaker has questioned why funding for the program behind the move has grown twelvefold.
Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) acknowledged on October 6 that military and defense exchanges with the United States are growing closer. He said Taiwan draws on American combat experience and expert assessments, which help the country build its forces, prepare for war and transform its military capabilities.
What The Reported Deployment Involves
The Liberty Times, citing senior military officials, reported that a joint defense cooperation assessment program run by the defense ministries of Taiwan and the United States will be upgraded and expanded. Under the plan, the US Department of War, as the Pentagon is now also called, has decided to send two officials to work at Taiwan's defense ministry long term, one from the Office of the Under Secretary for Policy and one from a defense analysis center.
Kuomintang (KMT) legislator Ma Wen-chun (馬文君) has questioned why the program's budget has risen twelvefold. Speaking to reporters at the Legislative Yuan before Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) faced questions on his policy report, Koo gave his broader assessment of the partnership but said it was not appropriate for him to disclose further details.
A Pending US Arms Package Worth $14 Billion
Koo was also asked about a Bloomberg report, citing senior Trump administration officials, that President Donald Trump is expected to decide "shortly" on a proposed $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan. The report also cited Ryan Hass, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former China director at the White House National Security Council, who expects more arms sales to Taiwan during Trump's term. Hass suggested they could be split into smaller packages and move forward after Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping complete their exchange of visits in November and December.
How Taipei Responded
"I want to stress that the United States has repeatedly reaffirmed that, based on the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances, its commitment to helping us strengthen our self defense capabilities has not changed," Koo said at the legislature on Tuesday morning.
On the timing of any sale, Koo said Taiwan respects the US review process and remains in continuous coordination with Washington. He added that Taipei has not received any word about the sale being delivered in batches and would make an announcement if it did.
YP