Security talks between Taiwan and the US this week are to include discussion of military exercises and arms sales, a senior national security official said yesterday.
A delegation led by National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo (顧立雄) is to participate in the annual Monterey Talks, considered to be the most important strategic collaboration between the two countries.
Although details are not made public as a matter of course, the United Daily News said working-level meetings are to be held from tomorrow to Friday ahead of high-level talks from Monday to Wednesday next week in Washington and Annapolis, Maryland.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
The talks, the second held since US President Joe Biden took office last year, are taking place against the backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine and increased Chinese military pressure on Taiwan.
Channels of communication between Taiwan and the US are clear, Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said yesterday when asked about the talks, while declining to comment on any agreements.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) also declined to comment, saying only that the two nations would further deepen their cooperation on an already solid foundation.
Photo: Reuters
A senior national security official said on condition of anonymity yesterday that Washington is expected to focus on upgrades to existing equipment to enhance immediate combat capabilities as a response to uncertainties in the cross-strait situation.
This strategy differs from that of former US president Donald Trump’s administration, whose arms sales to Taiwan focused on new equipment, the official said, adding that cooperation on military exercises is also to be clarified.
Cooperation with the Republic of China Marine Corp would be an important topic, as the US Marine Corp has adjusted its strategy to act as “stand-in forces” for rapid deployment to the first island chain, the official said.
The US Marine Corp in December last year formalized the strategy in A Concept for Stand-In Forces.
Last month, Colonel Stephen Fiscus, assistant chief of staff for force development at US Marine Forces Pacific, said that the III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa is focused on the “ability to stand in — by our footprints, our posture, our relationship with partners and allies — to kind of get the enemy in our guard” within their engagement zone, rather than remaining at a distance.
US military officials are emphasizing cooperation with allies, the official said, adding that shifting US priorities are in part due to heightened cross-strait tensions.
The US considers any Chinese military action in the first island chain to fall within its “weapons engagement zone,” they said.
The US Indo-Pacific Command’s engagement is “closer than people think,” with interactions shifting from “transactional” to “collaborative,” the official said.
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