The US is increasing the number of military trainers stationed in Taiwan, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal published on Thursday. The US plans to deploy between 100-200 troops to train Taiwanese forces, up from the 30 or so US troops stationed in Taiwan last year.
In addition to the US troops in Taiwan, the report also revealed that a contingent of Taiwanese troops is in the US receiving training from the Michigan National Guard.
Taiwan Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) was asked about the training in both the US and Taiwan in the legislature on Friday. He said the issue was very simple. Taiwan buys weapons from the US and needs training on how to use them. He said there are no plans for permanent stationing of US troops.
The news comes as Chiu recently confirmed that a battalion of Taiwanese troops would be sent to the US. Chiu said they would be trained not only for basic combat skills, but also in advanced tactics such as troop deployment and staff operations.