US Green Beret Presence on Taiwan’s Outer Islands Signals Expanded Military Cooperation: Experts

In a recent strategic development from the Taiwan Strait, U.S. forces are now stationed on the frontline Taiwanese islands of Kinmen and Penghu, according to Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng. Before presenting a report on Chinese military activities March 14 at the Taiwanese legislature’s Foreign and National Defense Committee, Mr. Chiu interacted with the press and confirmed that the U.S. Army Green Berets are permanently stationed at the Taiwanese army’s amphibious command centers in Kinmen and Penghu, Taiwanese national news CNA reported last Thursday. Experts termed the Marines’ presence an expansion of the military cooperation between traditional allies—the United States and Taiwan—and said the development shows that U.S. forces are present at Taiwan’s frontline on a more or less constant basis, with the United States finally doing what’s needed to break Taiwan from strategic isolation....