Ian Patrick, FISM News
A report from The Wall Street Journal revealed that somewhere close to a dozen U.S. forces have been continually training Taiwanese land and sea forces for the past year, as tensions between the democratic island nation and communist-controlled China heat up. WSJ said their information came from unnamed sources.
A separate Reuters report showed that U.S. forces have been in rotation “on a temporary basis to train Taiwanese forces.” Reuters said this information was corroborated by two anonymous sources who were familiar with the matter.
Neither the Pentagon nor the Taiwanese Defense Ministry have commented on the reports. Pentagon spokesman John Supple simply gave support to the Taiwanese and that their partnership “remains aligned against the current threat posed by the People’s Republic of China.”
Obviously, China didn’t take too well to this revelation.
In response to the news, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said “The U.S. side should fully recognize the great sensitivity of the Taiwan issue.” He further added, “China will take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
China has historically considered Taiwan an extension of their nation. Taiwan has continuously rejected China’s claim on the island and cemented itself as an independent nation by setting up their own democratic government. China, however, does not recognize the government and has increasingly encroached in Taiwan’s space to instill fear and threats.
Recently, China reiterated their commitment to invade the country. The nation has also been trying to intimidate Taiwan by flying military jets over their airspace and claiming ownership of the South China Sea. The tension has become so great that a resolution between the two nations seems it will only end in violence.