Admits US Special Forces Train Its Military, President Tsai Ing-wen: Taiwan Is Not Alone And Not Subject To Pressure

President Tsai Ing-wen gives a briefing to the Taiwan Marines. (Wikimedia Commons/中華民國總統府)

JAKARTA - The President of Taiwan said threats from China came every day on his country's territory, confirming the presence of United States troops on her country's territory.

In an exclusive interview with CNN, President Tsai Ing-wen called Taiwan, located less than 200 kilometers from China's southeast coast, a beacon of democracy that needs to be defended.

"This is an island of 23 million people who are trying hard every day to protect ourselves and protect our democracy, ensuring that our people have the freedoms they deserve," she said.

"If we fail, then it means people who believe in these values will doubt whether these are the values they (should) strive for," she continued.

Currently, relations between Taipei and Beijing are at their lowest point in decades. Earlier this month, China's military sent a record number of warplanes into the air around Taiwan while diplomats and state-run media warned of a possible invasion unless the island followed CCP lines.

On that occasion, President Tsai became the first leader of Taiwan to acknowledge the presence of US troops on its territory to provide training.

Officially, the last United States garrison left the country in 1979, as Washington's official diplomatic recognition shifted from Taipei to Beijing. Although media reports suggest there are still small-scale deployments.

Taiwan military illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/中華民國總統府)

The U.S. military posted but later deleted a video in early 2020 showing U.S. Army special forces training soldiers in Taiwan. In November 2020, Taiwan's Ministry of Defense announced and later denied to local media that US troops were training their troops on the island.

"We have various partnerships with the United States aimed at increasing our defense capabilities," he said, although he did not specify the number of US troops training them, but underlined that there were not as many as one might think.

On Taiwan's National Day on October 10, in response to China's escalating military action, President Tsai said Taiwan cannot be forced to follow "the path that China has laid out for it."

"There must be absolutely no illusion that the Taiwanese people will succumb to pressure," she stressed.

President Tsai also said she believed the United States would help Taiwan if China came to attack. However, the United States and its regional partners do not have an agreement guaranteeing assistance to Taiwan. However, a number of countries have expressed their support, along with the recent conditions between Taipei and Beijing.

Moreover, at CNN's Town Hall last week, President Joe Biden explicitly stated that he would defend Taiwan if China invaded.

President Tsai said she believed that if Taiwan were to come under attack from mainland China, the US and other regional democracies would help it, "given the long-standing relationship it has with the US."

"Taiwan is not alone because we are a democracy, we respect freedom and we are peace lovers. And we share values with most countries in the region and geographically we have strategic interests," she said, pointing to the island's main role in the supply chain global semiconductor.

Asked whether Taiwan could defend itself without military assistance, President Tsai said Taiwan would defend itself "as long as we can."