Foreign desk: Training Taiwan’s Troops

American legislation could make Taiwan “harder for Beijing to control,” enthuses The Wall Street Journal editorial board. The Taiwan Partnership Act, backed by Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate, encourages the US National Guard to advise and train Taiwan’s reserve force. “Calling up reserves could multiply the size of Taiwan’s active-duty military of under 200,000 by a factor of 10,” providing “additional manpower if the island’s population had to mobilize for war” — which itself could deter China. Bipartisan support for helping Taiwan develop an “organized and equipped reserve force” shows both parties recognize America “has a significant strategic interest in helping the island defend itself.”