Taiwan to Strengthen Military Cooperation with US Amid Tensions
By Yimou Lee
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan will deepen military cooperation with the United States including intelligence sharing and holding joint tabletop exercises, the island's defence ministry said in a report on Tuesday amid a heightened military threat from China.
The United States is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier at a time when China has ramped up military pressure against the democratically-governed island that it claims as its own.
The 2025 Quadrennial Defence Review (QDR) said Taiwan was planning to gradually deepen military exchanges with the U.S., including convening "high-level" strategic dialogues, observing drills, conducting joint tabletop exercises and sharing intelligence.
"The United States is an important strategic partner of our country and has close military exchanges and cooperation with us," the review said.
Based on existing cooperation, it added that Taiwan would push for strategic cooperation between the two sides "in multiple fields and at multiple levels".
The review said Taiwan would seek to enhance the interoperability of the two countries' armed forces, adding the cooperation would help boost Taiwan's defence capacity in areas including long-range precision strikes, battlefield command and control as well as surveillance and reconnaissance.
The document is due to be presented to parliament on Wednesday by Taiwan's Defence Minister Wellington Koo.
China, which has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, has stepped up military and political pressure against the island in recent years. Taiwan strongly objects to China’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s people can decide their future.
China dispatched 59 military planes to areas near Taiwan on Monday as punishment for Taiwan President Lai Ching-te's continued promotion of "separatism".
Taiwan hit back by calling China a troublemaker.
It is also holding a five-day "rapid response exercise" this week, practising how to quickly mobilise its forces in the event of China's grey-zone military harassment or Beijing turning drills into an invasion, according to defence officials.
(Reporting By Yimou Lee; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
