Contrary to a recent news report, there are no US special forces permanently stationed in Kinmen County, US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral John Aquilino said on Wednesday, adding that there were “absolutely” plans to create a “Home Guard” in Taiwan.
Aquilino refuted the report when he was asked during a US House of Representatives Committee on Armed Services hearing whether US “Green Berets” have been stationed permanently in Kinmen to train Taiwanese troops.
The question, raised during the hearing on the US’ military posture in the Indo-Pacific region, cited the US military news outlet SOFREP, which reported earlier this month that military instructors from the US Army Special Forces had “started to take up permanent positions” at the Taiwanese army’s amphibious command centers in Kinmen and Penghu.
Photo: AP
The missions of the US forces there include regular training and exercises alongside Taiwan’s elite forces, and those deployments had been made in line with the US 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, the report said.
Responding to lawmakers’ questions on the issue, Aquilino said the information was inaccurate.
“Let me just say the article is incorrect. There is no permanent stationing of US forces there,” he said. “We can talk in a classified setting for further evaluation, but that is just inherently inaccurate.”
Also during the hearing, US Representative Matt Gaetz expressed concern over the possible infiltration of Taiwan’s military by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the consequences of such a scenario.
“I worry whether or not we’re gonna be able to rely on the uniformed service there [in Taiwan],” Gaetz said. “So, is there a plan at the [US] Department of Defense to kind of make these assessments about a Home Guard and ensure that you have small arms in the hands of these people that might deter a Chinese invasion?”
Aquilino said there “absolutely” is such a plan, but he would prefer to discuss it in a classified setting.
In a prepared statement, Aquilino also testified that all signs suggest Beijing is sticking to ambitions to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027.
China is building its military and nuclear arsenal on a scale not seen since World War II, he said.
In the three years since he took command, the PLA has added more than 400 fighter aircraft, more than 20 major warships and doubled its inventory of ballistic and cruise missiles since 2020, he said.
The Chinese military has also been rehearsing various tasks linked to operations against Taiwan such as simulating an encirclement with a maritime and air blockade, Aquilino said.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg
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