President of Taiwan confirms the presence of American soldiers on her soil
The President of Taiwan confirmed in an interview with CNN the presence on her territory of a small number of American soldiers who had come to train her army.
© HANDOUT / AFP
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The President of Taiwan confirmed in an interview with CNN the presence on her territory of a small number of American soldiers who had come to train her army.
It is the first time that a Taiwanese leader publicly recognizes such a presence since the departure in 1979 of the last American garrison.
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The presence of American soldiers on Taiwanese soil was no secret.
In early October, a US official who requested anonymity had already confirmed that around 20 special forces soldiers had come to the island less than a year ago as trainers to train the Taiwanese army.
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Chinese pressures
This time, it is the Taiwanese president herself Tsai Ing-wen who says it on CNN: "
We have a range of cooperation with the United States, aimed at increasing our defense capabilities
."
The statement comes amid intense Chinese military pressure and record-breaking aviation incursions into the island state's defense air zone.
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The passes of arms have multiplied in recent days between the United States and China over the fate of this island of 23 million inhabitants, which has its own government, currency, army, but that Beijing considers one of its provinces awaiting reunification with the rest of the country.
Joe Biden had admitted the possibility of intervening militarily to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack.
The head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken had meanwhile pleaded in favor of Taipei's participation in UN bodies.
Initiatives which obviously provoked the ire of Beijing.
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"Taiwan is the place where the rivalry between the United States and China is centralized"
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Tsai Ing-wen