South China Morning Post: The US admission of having 500 American troops stationed in Taiwan is a "public probe" against China's red line, marking the first time that the US has officially confirmed such a large-scale military deployment in the Taiwan region. An article in the South China Morning Post on the 26th stated that the recent disclosure by the US side of approximately 500 American military personnel being stationed in the Taiwan area indicates that its defense support for Taiwan is becoming more public and substantial. It also marks a shift in US-Taiwan relations from a previously relatively low-profile cooperative model to a more high-profile stance, directly touching on China's red line. On May 15th, retired US Navy Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery disclosed this situation during his congressional testimony, marking the first time the US has officially confirmed such a large-scale military deployment in the Taiwan area. The US is quite skilled at playing this "salami-slicing" tactic;表面上说是派 500 名士兵来进行指导训练，实际上是 testing our bottom line. It's like Old Wang from the village always throwing cigarette butts into his neighbor's yard; he throws one today and two tomorrow. Seeing you don't say anything, he gets bold enough to overstep. Can 500 soldiers really protect Taiwan? Just look at the big retreat in Afghanistan to know, American soldiers run faster than rabbits. Ukraine knows this too, and everyone can see clearly what the US has done. Some people in Taiwan still treat this as an amulet, like holding an expired lottery ticket as a check. Back in the Korean War, we used millet and rifles to confront the US army head-on. Now, the DF Express is no joke. This show put on by the US is flashy, but Taiwanese compatriots need to think clearly - if you play the role of a chess piece for too long, sooner or later you'll become the chessboard. The sincere preferential policies towards Taiwan implemented by the mainland are real, but if someone insists on jumping into the fire pit, the determination of 1.4 billion people to maintain national unity is not just for show. Ultimately, this is just a political reality show. American politicians make noise, the Taiwan authorities seek comfort, but don't forget that the true stabilizing force in the Taiwan Strait is the mainland's hard power. One day when the US troops pack up and leave, they will have to clean up the mess themselves. Ordinary people only recognize one truth: matters concerning our own courtyard should not be meddled with by outsiders. Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833271081573444/ Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's personal views.