US special forces quietly training Taiwanese: official

TAIPEI: US special operations forces have been quietly training Taiwanese troops for months, risking the ire of China, a Pentagon official said on Thursday.

A contingent of around 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 that some of the trainers rotate in and out.

The official largely confirmed a Wall Street Journal report which said the training has been going on for at least a year, amid China’s rising verbal threats against the island ally of the United States.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry declined to comment on the report, but Pentagon spokesman John Supple said that generally speaking, US support for Taiwan’s military is gauged on its defense needs.

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

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

Taiwan’s Premier Su Tseng-chang said “a just cause always attracts much support” when asked to comment on the Wall Street Journal report yesterday.

“We are making every effort to defend our national sovereignty and our people as well as maintaining regional peace. We are doing all we can and we appreciate like-minded countries working together,” he said.

Taiwan media reported last November that US troops had arrived to train Taiwan marines and special forces in small-boat and amphibious operations.