US denial of Special Forces presence in Taiwan

On 20 March, an official denial came from Washington concerning the alleged permanent presence of US special forces on the island of Kinmen, a territory belonging to Taiwan and located in close proximity to mainland China. Admiral John Aquilino, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, clarified the situation during a hearing at the U.S. House Armed Service CommitteeHe categorically denied rumours of a stable deployment of American Green Berets to train Taiwanese troops on the island.

Speculation had emerged following a article published by the authoritative US military news portal SOFREPin early March, which suggested that US Army Special Forces instructors had begun to establish permanent positions at the Taiwanese army's amphibious command centres in Kinmen and Penghu. It stated that the US forces' missions included regular training and exercises with Taiwan's elite forces, in line with the National Defence Authorisation Act of 2023 of the United States.

During the hearingHowever, Admiral Aquilino was quick to refute this information, describing it as inaccurate. "Let me tell you that the article is wrong. There is no permanent presence of US forces there' he said in response to questions from lawmakers, adding that further details could be discussed in a classified context.

Furthermore, during the hearing, Republican Representative Matt Gaetz expressed concerns about a possible infiltration of the Taiwanese army by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the consequences of such a scenario. Gaetz asked about the existence of specific plans by the US Department of Defence to assess the situation and ensure effective deterrence against a possible Chinese invasion.

To these questions, Admiral Aquilino replied in the affirmative, confirming the existence of contingency plans, although he preferred to reserve more specific details for a confidential context.