‘Inaccurate’: Pentagon Rejects Taipei’s Claims That US Marines Are Training Taiwanese Counterparts

After Taiwanese defense leaders publicly revealed US troops were training Taiwanese soldiers on the island, the Pentagon claimed the reports were “inaccurate.” However, the US has a long history of concealing its deploying of troops to the territory, which it formally recognizes as belonging to China.

On Monday, Taiwan News reported that the Taiwanese Naval Command had confirmed that a contingent of US Marines had arrived on the autonomous island at the invitation of Taipei to train Taiwanese troops.

Taiwan’s United Daily News also independently confirmed the reports.

In response, Pentagon spokesperson John Supple told US military publication Stars and Stripes on Wednesday that the reports were “inaccurate.”

However, Taiwan News pointed out the US “sends small units of elite troops of other branches of the armed forces for joint training missions to Taiwan on an annual basis, but they are rarely acknowledged by the Taiwan government,” noting US Army Special Forces hold annual exercises called Balance Tamper on the island in conjunction with Taiwan’s Army Aviation and Special Forces Command, among other training exercises.

​Washington also concealed the presence of US troops at the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) for 14 years. The institution serves as the de facto US embassy in Taipei, and in April 2019, as it prepared to move to a new facility, AIT spokesperson Amanda Mansour revealed, “Since 2005, US government personnel detailed to AIT have included active duty military, including service members from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.” Marines typically perform security roles at formal US embassies around the globe.

Last week, after the latest prospective deal was announced, Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin denounced it, saying it “brutally interferes in China’s internal affairs and seriously undermines China’s sovereignty and security interests.” He vowed a “proper and necessary response” to the deal if it goes through.

Sourse: sputniknews.com