00:00 On Thursday, Taiwan's Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng affirmed the presence of U.S. Army
00:06 Special Forces personnel stationed on Taiwan's remote islands, characterizing their deployment
00:11 as a part of a reciprocal arrangement aimed at enhancing Taiwan's military capabilities
00:16 through shared learning experiences.
00:19 Responding to queries from reporters during a legislative hearing, the defense minister
00:23 addressed recent media reports, suggesting that Army Special Forces of America, commonly
00:28 known as the Green Berets, were conducting training sessions for Taiwanese troops in
00:32 Kinmen and Penghu.
00:34 Chiu clarified that the U.S. presence was designed to bolster Taiwan's armed forces
00:38 by identifying the potential weaknesses or blind spots and facilitating exchanges with
00:43 allied teams or nations.
00:45 He further emphasized that these deployments foster a mutual observation and learning opportunity
00:50 without entailing any discussion concerning the procurement of military equipment.
00:56 Earlier this month, the U.S. military news outlet also disclosed that military instructors
01:01 from the U.S. Army Special Forces had assumed permanent role at the Taiwanese Army's Amphibious
01:06 Command Centers in Kinmen and Penghu.
01:09 Their responsibilities included conducting regular training sessions and joint exercises
01:13 with Taiwan's elite forces.
01:15 These deployments were conducted in accordance with the U.S. 2023 National Defense Authorization
01:20 Act, which mandates the establishment of a comprehensive training, advising, and institutional
01:25 capacity-building program for Taiwanese military forces in consultation with appropriate officials
01:31 in Taiwan, consisting with the U.S.'s Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act.
01:36 Although the Taiwanese aviation and special forces proposed acquiring the micro-drone
01:40 from the U.S. through military sales channel, a Pentagon spokesperson has declined to comment
01:45 on specific operation engagement or training earlier this month when asked about to address
01:50 the issue.
01:51 Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen had also previously acknowledged the presence of U.S.
01:55 Special Forces in Taiwan's territory during an interview back in 2021, but she refrained
02:00 from disclosing the specific detail regarding their location at that time.
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