[Herald Economy = Reporter Lee Won-yul] Taiwan’s military took part in the U.S.-based exercise Western Strike for the first time.
On the 26th, Yonhap reported, citing Taiwanese outlets including the United Daily, that earlier this month Taipei deployed a brigade-level unit to Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Washington state for the National Guard–led exercise.
Operating under a brigade command, Taiwan fielded two battalions — including an amphibious unit — that conducted live-fire drills with the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and practiced rapid deployment operations.
A source told reporters that, starting in 2021, Taiwan has been quietly sending personnel to the United States for joint training. Those deployments have included Northern Strike exercises at the Grayling Joint Training Center in Michigan alongside the U.S. National Guard to prepare for potential contingencies in the Indo-Pacific.
Su Tzu-yuan, a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), the Taiwan Ministry of Defense’s think tank, said training with U.S. forces allows Taiwan to validate joint operations and expand its combat capabilities despite the island’s limited training areas.
In a speech marking his second anniversary in office, President Lai Ching-te pledged to bolster Taiwan’s defenses to protect democracy and freedom and to deter external attempts to alter the status quo.
Relatedly, on the 22nd the Taiwan Coast Guard said Chinese coast guard vessels entered restricted waters near the frontline island of Kinmen, prompting a response from Taiwan’s forces, Yonhap reported.
The Coast Guard said four Chinese ships entered the restricted zone in two groups at about 3 p.m. the previous day.
Taiwan immediately dispatched patrol boats and broadcast warnings in Chinese and English, ordering the vessels to change course and leave the area. The Chinese ships withdrew from the restricted waters roughly two hours later, at about 5:01 p.m.
In a statement, the Coast Guard condemned Beijing’s actions as disruptive, saying they seriously undermine regional peace and constructive cross-strait interactions.
Meanwhile, Beijing has accused President Lai of being a “peace breaker” and a “troublemaker” over his defense posture, and analysts say China appears to be increasing military pressure.
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