US troops train Taiwan in face of China threat

WASHINGTON: US special forces have been training Taiwanese troops for months, risking the ire of China, a Pentagon official said.

A contingent of some 20 special operations and conventional forces has been conducting the training for less than a year, said the official, who declined to be identified, adding some of the trainers rotate in and out.

Taiwan’s defence ministry declined to comment but Pentagon spokesman John Supple said, generally speaking, support for Taiwan’s military was gauged on its defence needs.

“Our support for, and defence relationship with, Taiwan remains aligned against the current threat posed by the People’s Republic of China,” Mr Supple said.

“We urge Beijing to honour its commitment to the peaceful resolution of cross-strait differences.”

Citing Taiwan’s Naval Command, the island’s media reported last November that US troops had arrived there to train Taiwan marines and special forces in small-boat and amphibious operations.

Those reports were denied by US and Taiwanese officials, who said the two sides were involved solely in military exchanges and co-operation.

Chinese forces have stepped up their activities towards Taiwan in the past year, conducting sea assault exercises and flying large sorties of bombers and fighters close to Taiwan airspace.

This week, Taiwan scrambled its air force after a record 56 Chinese warplanes crossed into its air defence zone.

US State Department Spokesman Ned Price called the Chinese activity “destabilising” and “provocative”.

“We strongly urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic and economic pressure and coercion against Taiwan,” Mr Price said, calling US commitment to the island “rock-solid”.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, were planning to meet by video link before the end of the year, a senior US official said.

There is an “agreement in principle” for the “virtual bilateral” talks, the official said on condition of anonymity.

“The President said how nice it would be to see Xi, which he has not done for some years,” the official said. “We would expect them to have the ability to see one another, even if only virtually.”

The official cited news reports that Mr Xi would not attend the G20 gathering of leaders in Rome, which would have been a natural place for Mr Biden to arrange a bilateral summit.

The virtual meeting was announced after US National Security adviser Jake Sullivan met in Zurich with China’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi.

In that meeting, Mr Yang called for the two countries to work together, according to Chinese news agency Xinhua.