Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng acknowledged that U.S. Army Special Forces, known as the “Green Berets,” are stationed on Taiwan’s outlying islands as part of a collaborative training and exchange initiative. This confirmation follows media reports highlighting the U.S. military’s involvement in training Taiwanese troops, specifically in Kinmen and Penghu, which are located near China. The primary goal of this partnership is to bolster Taiwan’s defense capabilities by identifying and addressing potential weaknesses and engaging in beneficial exchanges with allied forces.
The U.S. military presence on Taiwan, particularly under the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, encompasses not only training Taiwanese forces in conventional warfare tactics but also in specialized areas such as operating the Black Hornet Nano unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
This strategic cooperation between the U.S. and Taiwan aims to prepare Taiwanese forces for potential island defense scenarios and guerrilla warfare operations, should there be an invasion. The deployment of U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) to Taiwan’s front-line islands forms part of a broader effort to enhance Taiwan’s military readiness and institutional capacity, consistent with both nations’ interest in maintaining regional security and stability.
Discussions around the concept of “stay-behind forces” in Taiwan have also gained attention, with analyses suggesting that in the event of an invasion, such forces could play a crucial role in sustaining resistance and complicating occupation efforts for an aggressor.
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