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US defense staff, expert in talks to be stationed at Taiwan defense ministry
Коротко
A US Defense Department policy office official and an expert from a US defense think tank are being considered for long-term postings at Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense headquarters in Taipei, according to Taiwanese and Hong Kong media reports. They would take part in a Taiwan-US defense ministry joint cooperation evaluation project running to 2028, expanding US involvement from training support into defense policy coordination and combat capability assessment. Taiwan's defense ministry did not confirm the specific stationing plan, and Taiwan separately says it expects a delayed $14 billion US arms sale to be approved.
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A US Defense Department policy office official and an expert from a US defense think tank, the Institute for Defense Analyses, are being considered for long-term postings at Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense headquarters in Taipei, according to Taiwanese and Hong Kong media reports cited by Yonhap. The two would take part in a Taiwan-US defense ministry joint cooperation evaluation project that runs to 2028 and covers policy coordination and assessment of Taiwan's combat capability, the reports say. [ 1 , 2 ]
The arrangement would expand the role of US personnel, whose work has largely centered on training support, into defense policy and force evaluation, Yonhap reported. The US experts would conduct field surveys and map exercises with Taiwan's joint chiefs of staff, service commands and frontline units, and take part in qualitative and quantitative evaluations and simulations, according to the report. Taiwan's defense ministry said US experts have helped analyze the possibility of a Chinese attack, revise joint operation plans, and plan unit disposition and the dispersal and stockpiling of strategic supplies. The South China Morning Post said that if US personnel were stationed directly at the defense ministry, it would mean access to core areas of Taiwan's defense policymaking beyond existing training-focused cooperation. [ 1 ]
Taiwan's defense ministry did not confirm a specific stationing plan, saying only that Taiwan and the United States “continue to deepen military exchanges” to strengthen the military's overall defense capability and resilience. Wang Ding-yu, a lawmaker from Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party, said that if US personnel directly supported policy coordination and combat capability evaluation inside the defense ministry, military cooperation between the two sides would be upgraded to its highest level. [ 1 ]
Separately, Taiwan expects a $14 billion US arms sale, on which the US government has delayed a decision, to be approved. Taiwan's representative to the United States said in a Bloomberg TV interview the previous day that the pace “can clearly be a bit faster,” that the US understands the threat Taiwan faces very well, and that he is confident Washington will provide the equipment Taiwan needs. He also said the US has made clear there is no change in its Taiwan policy and argued that Washington did not respond to Chinese President Xi Jinping's demand that the US clearly oppose “Taiwan independence,” according to Yonhap. [ 1 ]
Почему это важно
The reported move would extend US-Taiwan military cooperation from training support into the core of Taiwan's defense policymaking, a step that the reports say is likely to draw Chinese objections. It comes alongside Taiwan's expectation that a stalled $14 billion US arms package will eventually be approved, signaling continued reliance on Washington for equipment and planning. Because Taiwan's defense ministry has not confirmed the stationing details, the practical scope of the arrangement remains unverified.
Ключевые факты
- A US Defense Department policy office official and an expert from the US Institute for Defense Analyses are being considered for long-term postings at Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense headquarters in Taipei. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The postings would support a Taiwan-US defense ministry joint cooperation evaluation project that runs to 2028. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The project has been jointly run since Taiwan's defense ministry budgeted for it in 2022, with the research scope and number of evaluations expanded this year. [ 1 ]
- US experts would conduct field surveys and map exercises with Taiwan's joint chiefs of staff, service commands and frontline units, and join qualitative and quantitative evaluations and simulations. [ 1 ]
- Taiwan's defense ministry did not confirm a specific stationing plan, saying the two sides continue to deepen military exchanges to strengthen overall defense capability and resilience. [ 1 ]
- Taiwan expects a $14 billion US arms sale, on which the US government has delayed a decision, to be approved. [ 1 ]
- Taiwan's representative to the United States said in a Bloomberg TV interview that the pace of US arms sales to Taiwan “can clearly be a bit faster” and that he is confident the US will provide needed equipment. [ 1 ]
Подтверждено несколькими источниками
- A US Defense Department policy office official and an expert from a US defense think tank are under consideration for long-term postings at Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense headquarters in Taipei. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The arrangement would form part of a Taiwan-US defense ministry joint cooperation project running to 2028, and would broaden cooperation beyond training support. [ 1 , 2 ]
Пока неясно
- Whether the US personnel will actually be stationed at Taiwan's defense ministry headquarters. Taiwan's defense ministry did not confirm a concrete stationing plan and only said military exchanges are continuing; the reports attribute the plan to Taiwanese and Hong Kong media.
- Whether the $14 billion US arms sale to Taiwan will be approved, and when. Only one document reports this, and it rests on the Taiwanese representative's interview remarks rather than any US decision.
- How China will respond to the reported expansion of US-Taiwan military cooperation. The documents say Chinese objections are expected but do not report any Chinese reaction.
Что пишут местные СМИ
Хронология, местное время
- Yonhap reports that US defense officials and an expert are being considered for long-term postings at Taiwan's defense ministry to support defense policy coordination and combat capability evaluation. [ 1 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports the same stationing plan and the expansion of US-Taiwan military cooperation. [ 2 ]