For the first time in many years, the US Marine Corps last September accepted visitors from its Taiwan counterpart to its headquarters near San Diego, marking a significant improvement in ties between the two sides, defense sources said yesterday.
Over ten officers of the marine corps, from different fields of speciality, visited the US Marine Corps' headquarters for more than a week. They were mostly majors and lieutenant colonels.
During the visit, they saw quite a number of hardware that the US Marine Corps had never before discussed with the Taiwan military.
These included a mobile airport whose runway and control tower could be assembled within a short time on a flat surface.
A defense official said the mobile airport design is quite suitable to Taiwanese conditions and that the US Marine Corps might be trying to promote the product to the country.
"The US marine corps' first-ever opening of its headquarters to Taiwan military personnel is significant not just because of the introduction of new products. It is also a sign that the marines of the two nations are moving toward greater cooperation and exchange," the official said.
"In a few years' time, Taiwan will hold coalition exercises with the US. The marine corps will be the first in the military to participate in the exercises and is already preparing for it," he said.
"This is the reason why it sent officers from different speciality fields on the visit last September," he said.
The marines had close contacts with its US counterpart before the severing of diplomatic ties in 1979.
After that, the marine corps became gradually isolated, having no opportunity to exchange experience with counterparts in other countries.
The situation improved in recent years, especially after George W. Bush became the US president over two years ago.
The marine corps not only increased contact with the headquarters of its US counterpart -- it also escaped a proposed downsizing because of help from the US Marine Corps.
According to original plans by the Ministry of National Defense, the marine corps would be cut by half by personnel streamlining efforts starting next year.
The army played a major role in shaping the plans. Its leaders argued that the marine corps's role and function could be taken over by the army.
As the marine corps had no one to speak for them in the country, a delegation from its US counterpart came to their rescue last August.
The US delegation, tasked with the mission of assessing the combat strength of the local marines, gave them very high marks. This humiliated army leaders who strongly promoted the downsizing of the corps, analysts said.
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