US to deploy more troops in Taiwan
Washington, February 23
The United States is set to expand the number of troops helping train Taiwanese forces, two US officials said on Thursday, at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing.
‘100-200 soldiers’
- US reprtedly planning to deploy between 100 and 200 troops to Taiwan
- The number to be up from roughly 30 there one year ago, as per reports
In 2021, a few US special operations forces have been rotating into Taiwan on a temporary basis to train Taiwanese forces, as per reports. The Pentagon was reportedly expected to increase that number in the coming months.
One of the officials said the exact number of increased troops was unclear, but the move was unrelated to recent tensions over the shootdown of a Chinese spy balloon which flew across the United States.
The balloon caused a political uproar in Washington and prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a trip to Beijing that both countries had hoped would steady their rocky relations.
“We don’t have a comment on operations, but I would highlight that our support for Taiwan remains aligned,”, said an official. — Reuters
