Taiwan's military department chief revealed to the Wall Street Journal the extent of covert military cooperation with the US, while Japan's defense white paper labels China as its greatest strategic challenge.
Taiwanese officials have for the first time publicly acknowledged the scope of secret military cooperation with the United States, revealing that US forces regularly conduct exercises with their troops. This admission comes amid rising tensions in Asia, where Japan is also bolstering its defensive posture toward China.
Koo Li-hsiung, also known as Wellington Koo, head of Taiwan's military department, told The Wall Street Journal: "Through military exchanges, we have learned so much practical combat experience from the US." He added that cooperation between Taipei and Washington is "far closer than you can imagine."
The Wall Street Journal notes that this statement is a rare acknowledgment of the US's unauthorized role in strengthening Taiwan's military. According to the report, this is a long-guarded secret involving the training of Taiwanese forces to enhance their self-defense capabilities.
Taiwanese officials also emphasized that US-Taiwan security cooperation extends to joint coast guard operations. Both sides are seeking to strengthen ties amid growing Chinese military pressure on the island.
Taiwan has been under its own administration since 1949, when remnants of Chiang Kai-shek's (1887-1975) Kuomintang forces fled there after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War. Beijing officially regards Taiwan as its province, and most countries, including Russia, support this stance.
Meanwhile, Japan, in its latest defense white paper as reported by Reuters, has designated China as its greatest strategic challenge. The document advocates for further increases in military spending, arguing that defense investment can strengthen national security and the economy through the development of technology, startups, and domestic weapons production.
The white paper signals a focus on deterring a potential conflict over Taiwan, but questions remain about how the Japanese government will finance an even larger military buildup while managing strained public finances.
