500 U.S. military personnel are now deployed on Taiwan conducting training operations with the island’s army, a figure significantly higher than previously disclosed.
The deployment was confirmed by retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery during a U.S. House Select Committee on China hearing. Montgomery stated that there is a joint U.S.-Taiwan training team already in place and suggested the number of deployed U.S. personnel should be doubled.
He justified the presence as necessary due to the billions of dollars in weapons and equipment recently provided to Taiwan.
Until now, the U.S. had only acknowledged 41 active duty personnel stationed on the island, suggesting either a growing presence or the revelation of an already established deployment. The training includes joint exercises with some of Taiwan’s elite military units and instruction on the use of U.S.-supplied weapons.
In 2023, it was reported that U.S. personnel had been deployed to the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen Islands, located just 3 miles (5 km) off the coast of mainland China. It remains unclear whether that deployment was permanent.
The presence of foreign troops on the island is seen by some analysts as a provocation that may be testing China’s red lines. Recently, both Taiwanese and American defense officials have observed heightened readiness by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) for potential operations in the Taiwan Strait, including amphibious landing exercises.
A U.S. intelligence report released Tuesday suggested that China may seek to seize outlying islands controlled by Taiwan as an initial step.
Tensions between Beijing and Washington have grown in recent years, largely due to what Beijing views as Washington’s departure from the long-standing “One China Policy,” which recognizes Beijing as the sole legitimate government of all of China, including Taiwan.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August 2022, along with large-scale military aid and the deployment of long-range missiles such as the HIMARS system to Taiwan, have contributed to a sharp escalation in China’s rhetoric and military posture.