From Axios.com…
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen told CNN Thursday that a small number of American troops are on the island for training purposes and she has “faith” the U.S. would defend the democracy against a Chinese military attack.
Why it matters: This is the first time a Taiwanese leader has publicly acknowledged the presence of U.S. troops on the self-governing island since the last U.S. garrison left in 1979, when Washington switched formal diplomatic recognition to Beijing.
- U.S. defense officials have publicly aired concerns that China’s government will take Taiwan by force in the next four to six years, perhaps sooner as Beijing becomes increasingly aggressive — notably flying a record 145 warplanes into Taipei’s air defense identification zone earlier this month.
