Amid Rising Bilateral Tensions, Taiwan Army Commander Heads to the United States

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Amid escalating cross-Strait tensions, a senior Taiwanese military official made a confidential visit to the United States.

On the 12th, Taiwan's United Daily News reported that Lieutenant General Hsu Yen-fu, Commander of the Taiwanese Army, visited Washington on the 9th to attend the U.S. Army Association's annual meeting and exposition.

After meeting with senior officials from the U.S. Department of Defense in Washington, Lt. Gen. Hsu is scheduled to travel to Hawaii to meet with General Charles Flynn, Commander of the U.S. Army Pacific.

Lt. Gen. Hsu is expected to discuss next year's military exchange plans with General Flynn and subsequently pay a visit to Admiral John Aquilino, Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

While the Taiwanese government stated that Lt. Gen. Hsu's visit to the U.S. was routine, it has drawn attention as it comes amid reports that U.S. forces are directly training Taiwanese troops in Taiwan.

It is reported that all U.S. military personnel deployed to Taiwan to train the Taiwanese Army and Navy are dispatched by the Indo-Pacific Command.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 7th (local time) that U.S. forces have been secretly operating in Taiwan for over a year to strengthen Taiwan's defense capabilities amid rising military threats from China.

China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve reunification. On the 10th, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized at a regular briefing that "the Taiwan issue is the most important and sensitive issue in China-U.S. relations."

Since the Donald Trump administration, the U.S. government has boldly departed from the existing policy framework based on the "One China" principle demanded by China, closely aligning with Taiwan and supplying it with large quantities of advanced weapons such as fighter jets and missiles.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.