The Congressional Research Service (CRS), a research institution under the United States Congress, has presented a report to the U.S. Congress on Taiwan’s defense issues. According to public data from the Pentagon, in 2023, there were a total of 41 U.S. military personnel stationed in Taiwan.
Recently, in the foreign aid bills passed by both houses of the U.S. Congress, $81.2 billion was allocated for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region.
The day before the House of Representatives voted on the bill, the CRS released a report titled “Taiwan Defense Issues for Congress” for lawmakers’ reference. This comprehensive report covers various aspects including Taiwan’s security situation, U.S. defense support for Taiwan, American strategies and policies, defense cooperation between the U.S. and Taiwan, weapon transfers, dialogues, training, the presence of U.S. military in Taiwan, other areas of security cooperation, and Taiwan’s political transitions.
It emphasizes the longstanding U.S. policy of prioritizing the maintenance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait region.
The report highlights that China claims Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to annex the island. The U.S. supports Taiwan in deterring the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) use of force to control the island chain and aims to enhance its capabilities to counter PRC’s military aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.
Both the previous and current Congresses have aimed at supporting Taiwan’s defense through arms transfers and military assistance. This includes providing $1.9 billion in equipment through the President’s Drawdown Authority (PDA) and $2 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) for Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific allies.
One crucial issue policymakers are considering is whether to support Taiwan’s self-defense in potential cross-strait conflicts and how to do so without escalating tensions.
The report, authored by CRS analysts Caitlin Campbell and Susan Lawrence, along with security cooperation and global arms trade analyst Christina Arabia, acknowledges that while Taiwan possesses a professional and technically proficient military, it faces asymmetrical challenges from the People’s Liberation Army of China. Observers suggest that the PLA could swiftly acquire the ability to conduct military operations against Taiwan, including missile attacks, blockades, island seizures, and even amphibious landings.
It also warns that Taiwan’s energy, food, water, internet, undersea cables, infrastructure, etc., could be vulnerable targets in a conflict.
The report notes that Taiwan’s defense reforms have just begun, and the military is still facing difficulties in recruitment, retention, and training of personnel. Some observers believe that Taiwan’s civil defense preparations are insufficient. It remains unclear how much the Taiwanese people are willing to bear in terms of economic security, personal safety, and lives in the face of potential armed aggression from the PRC.
For decades, U.S.-Taiwan defense cooperation has made significant contributions to deterring Chinese aggression.
Regarding the presence of U.S. military in Taiwan, the report mentions that since establishing diplomatic relations with Beijing on January 1, 1979, Washington vowed to withdraw its remaining military personnel from Taiwan within four months. Since then, there have been no permanently stationed U.S. military personnel in Taiwan. However, some American military personnel reportedly serve as advisors in Taiwan, a somewhat open secret.
In 2021, President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan publicly stated that a few U.S. military personnel are stationed in Taiwan to train Taiwanese forces, sparking backlash from Beijing.
According to the Defense Manpower Data Center of the U.S. Department of Defense, as of December 2023, there were 41 American military personnel deployed on missions in Taiwan. However, the Center clarifies that its reports only include non-classified data and do not cover personnel deployed for temporary missions or emergency support operations.
In February 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. would send 100 to 200 troops to Taiwan in the coming months to assist in training the military, though both American and Taiwanese officials did not confirm the news publicly. Then in February of this year, Taiwanese media reported that U.S. Army Special Forces “Green Berets” advisors were deployed to Taiwan, including assisting in training local special forces in the outlying island of Kinmen.
In March of this year, Taiwan’s Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng stated that mutual exchanges between the Taiwanese military and friendly countries are meant for mutual learning and fall within normal diplomatic exchanges. At the time, a Pentagon spokesperson mentioned they would not comment on specific U.S. military actions or training, but reaffirmed America’s steadfast commitment to Taiwan that contributes to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region.