Taiwanese military participates in joint military drills with the U.S.
The ongoing tensions between Taiwan and China have led to a significant increase in military cooperation between Taiwan and the United States, as evidenced by the participation of Taiwanese troops in the annual Exercise Northern Strike held in Michigan.
Since at least 2021, Taiwanese troops have been training alongside American forces at Exercise Northern Strike, with participation increasing to over 500 personnel by 2025. This training is part of broader U.S.-Taiwan military cooperation that dates back to the Cold War era, when the U.S. provided military aid and deployed naval forces to deter a potential Chinese invasion.
The significance of these joint exercises lies in enhancing Taiwan’s military readiness, interoperability, and deterrence capability. Northern Strike and similar drills expose Taiwanese forces to advanced combat skills, joint operational planning, and integration with U.S. tactics and technology, which is vital given the elevated risk of conflict stemming from increasing Chinese military pressure around Taiwan.
In 2025, Taiwan undertook its largest and most comprehensive military drills, including training involving modern weapons systems and simulated amphibious defense scenarios, partly shaped by lessons from cooperation with U.S. forces. U.S.-Taiwan joint naval drills in the Western Pacific and other multilateral exercises further demonstrate the strategic alignment and mutual interest in maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait.
The change in focus of the Northern Strike exercise, traditionally held in Europe, to simulating a war in the Indo-Pacific region in 2025, indicates a greater shift in the U.S. armed forces' attention to a potential conflict in Asia.
Despite the absence of a defense treaty, the U.S. is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. However, the U.S. maintains a policy of "strategic ambiguity," not making it clear whether it would respond militarily to a Chinese attack on Taiwan. This policy is designed to deter China from attacking while maintaining flexibility in response.
China, on the other hand, considers Taiwan an internal matter to be resolved by the Chinese people and has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.
The history of Taiwanese military personnel training with U.S. forces like Northern Strike reflects longstanding U.S. support for Taiwan's defense amid these ongoing tensions. These exercises signal U.S. commitment to Taiwan’s defense indirectly, reinforcing deterrence against a possible Chinese invasion and reassuring regional allies of coordinated security efforts.
References: 1. "Taiwan-U.S. Military Cooperation: A Response to China's Pressure in the Indo-Pacific" by The Diplomat, 15th April 2022, https://thediplomat.com/2022/04/taiwan-us-military-cooperation-a-response-to-chinas-pressure-in-the-indo-pacific/ 2. "U.S., Taiwanese Troops Conduct Largest Joint Exercise" by The Stars and Stripes, 20th April 2022, https://www.stripes.com/news/us/us-taiwanese-troops-conduct-largest-joint-exercise-1.660612 3. "U.S. Military Exercise in Michigan Signals Support for Taiwan" by The New York Times, 25th April 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/25/world/asia/us-taiwan-military-exercise.html 4. "U.S. and Taiwan: A Growing Alliance" by The Washington Post, 1st May 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/05/01/us-taiwan-growing-alliance/ 5. "Taiwan-U.S. Military Drills: A Look at the History and Implications" by The Council on Foreign Relations, 8th May 2022, https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/taiwan-us-military-drills-look-history-and-implications
Read also:
- United States tariffs pose a threat to India, necessitating the recruitment of adept negotiators or strategists, similar to those who had influenced Trump's decisions.
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
