Beijing expected to take countermeasures after reports US troops are training Taiwanese military
- Analysts say the PLA could step up combat preparations while others say Washington is willing to ‘play the Taiwan card’
- The Chinese foreign ministry says the move goes against Washington’s previous commitments
Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, said the move went against Washington’s commitments to Beijing when the two sides established formal diplomatic relations on the basis of the one-China principle.
Zhao said the United States had promised to sever formal diplomatic ties with Taipei, end a defence agreement and withdraw its troops from the island.
He added that China would take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Journal reported that a contingent of around 20 special operations and conventional forces had been conducting the training for more than a year on rotation. An unnamed US official later told Agence France-Presse that the report was broadly correct but the troops had been there for less than a year.
Last year the US and Taiwan denied Taiwanese media reports that US troops were training marines and special forces, and also declined to confirm the latest reports.
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