United States officials have drawn flak from the Chinese government in Beijing after reports that American marines were deployed in Taiwan for at least a year and are training troops to allegedly fight back against China's aggressive claims over the sovereign island.
On Friday, Chinese officials reiterated their demands that American authorities cut off their ties with Taiwanese troops who have been strengthening their defenses. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian declined to comment regarding attacks on Washington and instead focused on Beijing's talking points.
Tensions Between U.S., China, Taiwan
The standards have been that the United States should recognize the situation's "high sensitivity" between China and Taiwan. He echoed the Beijing government's calls to stop all military contact between the U.S. and Taiwan. The official said that the Chinese government would continue to use its power to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
For a long time now, China has been claiming Taiwan, which is home to about 24 million people, as part of its sovereign territory. Beijing has been threatening to use force if the island's government does not formally declare its independence, The Washington Post reported.
However, Taiwan's Democratic leaders have continued to consider the island as a country and have suggested that they had no intention of allowing the Communist Party to rule them. For more than a year, about two dozen American troops, including a Special Operations unit and a contingent of Marines, have been deployed to the island to train military forces.
The United States Department of Defense, however, has neither confirmed nor denied the report of American troops in Taiwan. Officials declined to comment on specific operations, engagements or training that the military has been conducting.
In an emailed statement, Pentagon spokesman John Supple said that the American government's support for Taiwan and the shared defense relationship with the island continued to share the view of fighting back against China's aggression. Additionally, The U.S. has continued to urge Beijing to honor its commitment to a peaceful resolution, Business Insider reported.
Bolstering Taiwan's Defenses
The situation comes as both Taiwanese and U.S. authorities have expressed concerns over China's actions that sent nearly 150 warplanes near the former's airspace. The Chinese fleet included J-16 jet fighters, H-6 strategic bombers, and Y-8 submarine-spotting aircraft.
While the aircraft did not breach Taiwan's airspace, the movements were used by the Communist Party as a reminder that they were claiming the island as part of China. American military officials have suggested that Beijing could potentially use force to force its ambitions on the island within the next six years.
On Wednesday, Taiwan's defense minister, Chiu Kuo-cheng, warned that Beijing is capable of launching a full-scale attack on the island and win with minimal losses by 2025. Despite the controversies, the special ops unit and Marines are only a small effort by the U.S. to increase Taipei's confidence in its defense. However, the support is also symbolic that bolsters the nation's confidence in fighting back against China's continued aggression to claim it as part of its territory, the Wall Street Journal reported.
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