U.S. Pentagon to Deploy Personnel Permanently in Taiwan, Involving Core Defense Decision-Making? Taiwan Military Responds
According to media reports from Taiwan, the U.S. Department of Defense plans to station policy officials and think tank representatives permanently within Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, directly engaging in the island’s core defense decision-making processes. However, regarding these claims, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense stated that U.S.-Taiwan military exchanges continue to deepen, without providing further details on the specific arrangements.
The Liberty Times, a Taiwan-based outlet, reported that based on information from senior military officials, the “U.S.-Taiwan Defense Department Joint Assessment Project,” with a budget of NT$470 million and a timeline spanning fiscal years 115 to 117, will be upgraded and expanded. The U.S. Department of Defense will send one expert representative each from its Office of the Under Secretary for Policy and the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments—both institutions to be stationed long-term at Taiwan’s military headquarters.
Officials asserted that this arrangement would allow U.S. personnel direct access to Taiwan’s defense decision-making core, participating in policy coordination and capability assessments, thereby elevating U.S.-Taiwan military alignment to its highest level.
Currently, U.S. Defense Department personnel stationed in Taiwan include training instructors known informally as “English teachers,” while the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) maintains internal security cooperation and liaison units staffed by active-duty military officers and civilian personnel responsible for military collaboration, communication, arms sales, and logistics support.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1878078005387274/
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