Already offended since French Senator Alain Richard called Taiwan a “country”, China may not appreciate the news. An American official, confirming information from the Wall Street Journal, told AFP that American soldiers have been quietly training the Taiwanese army “for less than a year” to strengthen the island’s defenses. About twenty soldiers from the US special forces and a contingent of soldiers from the Marine Corps form small units of the Taiwanese army and navy, the American daily reported.
When questioned, the Pentagon did not deny. “I have no comment on specific operations, deployments or training, but I would like to stress that our support for Taiwan and our defense relations (with the island) align with the threat the Republic currently poses. People of China, ”declared a spokesman for the US Department of Defense, John Supple. While China considers this island populated by 23 million people as a rebel province called to return to its fold, if necessary by force, the United States, the main ally of the Taiwanese authorities, have increased arms sales to Taiwan in recent years.
For its part, China has recently made several incursions into the Taiwanese air defense zone, prompting Washington to declare itself “very worried” about the “provocation” of Beijing. “We urge Beijing to stop its military, diplomatic and economic pressure and its coercion against Taiwan,” US diplomacy spokesman Ned Price said on Sunday.