Taiwan hints US military is training 40 of its marines in Guam

Name: No change to US’ one-China stand on Taiwan, Blinken tells Wang Yi on G20 sidelines in Rome
Uploaded: 2021-11-02T13:30:15.000Z
Duration: 1 min 7 s
Description: No change to US’ one-China stand on Taiwan, Blinken tells Wang Yi on G20 sidelines in Rome

Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng downplays media reports that marines took part in a long-running military exchange programme

Citing ‘many exchange programmes with the US for many years’, Chiu says ‘certain levels of interactions have been going on’

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Taiwan’s troops have been trained by American military personnel on the island, it was recently confirmed. Photo: AFP

Lawrence Chung

Published: 9:30pm, 2 Nov 2021Updated: 11:09pm, 2 Nov 2021

Taiwan has sent troops to the US island territory of Guam for training and joint exercises, its defence minister appeared to confirm, days after the admission that the Americans were training its forces on the island.

It has also decided to improve its much-criticised reservist system by toughening training of its reservists to better prepare them for a potential war.

The moves come during ongoing hostility between self-ruled Taiwan and mainland China.

Taiwanese Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng on Tuesday downplayed but did not deny media reports that the island’s military had sent 40 marines for training with US troops in Guam, in the western Pacific, as part of a long-running military exchange programme.

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No change to US’ one-China stand on Taiwan, Blinken tells Wang Yi on G20 sidelines in Rome

“We have had many cooperation and exchange programmes with the United States for many years. Therefore, certain levels of interactions have been going on as part of such exchanges,” Chiu said in response to the local news reports.