Yes there are US troops in Taiwan, says Taiwan president

The Pentagon has never been closer to Taiwan and yet the US defence department still adheres to a policy of strategic ambiguity on the biggest question: would American military forces guarantee to fight alongside the Taiwanese if China invaded the self-governing island? Few analysts, especially in Beijing, would have much doubt about the answer. The conviction that the US would intervene has been strengthened by the confirmation from Taiwan’s president that American troops are currently engaged in training the island’s defence forces. When news broke in Washington three weeks ago that at least two dozen troops were in Taiwan, the Pentagon underlined the important role the US played in helping the Taiwanese to defend themselves but resisted any form of confirmation that American troops were present on the island. The first confirmation, coming from President Tsai in her interview with CNN, made no specific reference to the type of military trainers involved. However, this is the key element of the agreement between the Pentagon and Taipei because the 30 or so military personnel consist of Green Beret soldiers from the 1st Special Forces Group, and Marine Raiders. Both units have specialised skills in training foreign military allies in every aspect of defensive warfare. As part of their own intensive training the Green Berets and Marine Raiders would have been schooled in the culture and language of their Taiwanese counterparts, and would be fully appraised of the latest intelligence of the threat posed by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The quality and experience these special trainers bring to the Taiwanese forces, even though they are only modest in number, will be helping to prepare Taiwan for a possible attack by the PLA. Along with the advanced weaponry being provided by the Pentagon, Taiwan is relying more and more on American protection against an increasingly belligerent Beijing. The presence of Green Berets and Marine Raiders in Taiwan is not like having an in-theatre fighting force, as in Japan and South Korea where the US has a combined total of nearly 80,000 troops. However, the role they are playing in Taiwan is viewed in Beijing as a deliberate provocation by Washington. Marine Raiders, for example, who serve with US Special Operations Command, are experts in amphibious warfare, including how best to defend against enemy landing-craft beach invasions. The specialist troops who rotate to maintain a permanent training function are too few to take a combat role in the event of a surprise PLA attack but would be a vital component in preparing the ground for rapid US military reinforcements. These trainers were first sent about a year ago when Donald Trump was president as it became an increasing concern that China might act earlier than previously anticipated in using force, rather than diplomacy, to bring Taiwan under Beijing control. However, under the Pentagon’s foreign internal defence programme, it is likely that Green Berets will have operated in secret in Taiwan in previous years. It is only now that their presence in Taiwan has been officially confirmed.