Taiwan admits paying for retired US general to observe largest annual war games
Taiwan’s defence ministry has confirmed for the first time that it has allocated funding for the US Indo-Pacific Command to send a retired general and other personnel to observe the island’s largest annual war games. The disclosure sheds rare official light on military exchanges that Taipei and Washington have traditionally kept out of public view, as security cooperation between the two sides…
Taiwan’s defense ministry has confirmed allocating funds for a retired U.S. general to observe the island’s largest annual war games. This disclosure marks the first official acknowledgment of military exchanges between the two countries, which have traditionally kept such activities out of public view. The funding, amounting to NT$82.4 million (US$2.5 million), covers the Han Kuang exercises in 2026 and 2027 and includes NT$41.219 million for the current year.
The program pays for the retired general to serve as a senior observer during the exercises and also supports a delegation of U.S. military professionals and civilians. The observers assess the drills based on their training objectives and provide recommendations to improve the Taiwanese military’s joint operational capabilities.
These findings are incorporated into the final exercise report and used as a reference for the military’s force development and combat preparations. While previous reports have mentioned American military personnel observing Han Kuang, the ministry had previously avoided confirming their participation. The disclosure of these details indicates a growing willingness by both Taipei and Washington to acknowledge sensitive military exchanges, reflecting the deepening security cooperation between the two sides amid increasing pressure from Beijing.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
