The United States is going to send more soldiers to Taiwan to train the Taiwanese army. The Wall Street Journal reports this on the authority of anonymous American officials.
The US military is sending between 100 and 200 soldiers to the island in the coming months for training sessions on US weapons and maneuvers. Today, only about 30 soldiers are responsible for those sessions.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen announced Tuesday after a meeting with US Congressmen that the island will strengthen its military ties with the US to curb “authoritarian expansion”. “Taiwan will work even more closely with the US and other democratic allies to address international challenges such as authoritarian expansionism and climate change,” she said.
China: “Provocation”
A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry accused Taiwan’s governing party PDP of “provocations in favor of the island’s independence”.
Tensions between the US and China escalated in early February after Washington shot down a Chinese balloon over US territory. China said it was a civilian balloon, 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 US does not officially recognize Taiwan, but there are strong unofficial diplomatic ties.
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