(Central News Agency, Washington, 14th, comprehensive foreign news report) The US “Defense News” website reported that the “US-China Economic and Security Review Commission” (USCC) authorized by the US Congress recommended that the Pentagon train Taiwanese troops in the United States to make them proficient in Taiwan’s arms procurement new weapons platform.
“Defense News” reported that the bipartisan US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) made this recommendation in its annual report released today, but Taiwan may have already dispatched Plans to send hundreds of military personnel to the United States for training.
Carolyn Bartholomew, chairwoman of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, told reporters that the purpose of this proposal is to ensure that Taiwan already knows how to use these weapons when it receives them, “so that it does not have to spend another six months after receiving the weapons.” Monthly training, eliminating the gap in between can be used in practice.”
Bai Jialing said: “The lesson that everyone learned from the Ukraine (war) is that it is very important for the military to receive training before actually receiving advanced technology and needing to use it on the battlefield, because there will be a long delay in between.”
The so-called delay refers to the fact that Taiwan has agreed to purchase a large amount of weapons from the United States totaling approximately US$19 billion, but has not yet received it. The reasons include supply chain issues, contracting and procurement delays, and the lengthy technical and security issues of the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process. censorship and other factors.
Alex Wong, vice chairman of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, specifically mentioned the F-16 fighter jets in an interview with “Defense News”. He said: “So far, the Taiwanese military is training on certain weapons platforms. This is not Unprecedented. However, there has been no retraining of weapons systems that have not yet been delivered. Some of these are new (systems) to specific units.”
Huang Zhihan said that the committee’s recommendations will “use the templates we have already delivered in the past F-16 series fighter jets” and apply them to new weapon systems.
Taiwan is estimated to have purchased 66 newer F-16 fighter jets for US$8 billion, accounting for a large portion of its overall arms sales.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Taiwan’s Defense Minister Qiu Guozheng told reporters in February that the government would send military personnel to the United States to receive weapons systems and military combat training, but the number was not disclosed. The United States will also send a small number of military personnel to train Taiwanese troops in Taiwan; President Tsai Ing-wen confirmed in 2021 that the US military will coordinate training in Taiwan.
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Democratic Progressive Party legislator Wang Dingyu, who is a member of the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, told the BBC last week that Taiwan plans to send two battalions of ground troops to the United States. A battalion in Taiwan can have as many as 600 people, which shows that the number of Taiwanese troops going to the United States for training has increased significantly.
U.S. Department of Defense spokesman John Supple told “Defense News”: “We do not comment on specific operations, exchanges or training, but I want to emphasize that our support for Taiwan and our defense relationship with Taiwan remain with the people of China. The current threats posed by the Republic are aligned. Our commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid and we are committed to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the region.” (Translator: Xu Ruicheng/Verification: Lu Yingzi) 1121115
