Taiwan’s Ministry of Defence announced on Wednesday (Oct 22) that it plans to deepen its military collaboration with the United States through reciprocal visits, observation of exercises, and other strategic initiatives to help maintain regional peace and stability. While the US, like most countries, does not maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, it remains the island’s key international supporter and is legally committed to providing Taiwan with the means to defend itself. In a report to parliament, Taiwan’s ministry described the US as an important strategic partner.

“Our armed forces continue to strengthen Taiwan-US communication channels and advance multi-domain, multi-level strategic cooperation on defence and security,” the ministry said, noting plans to gradually expand collaboration. This includes high-level strategic and security policy dialogues, reciprocal visits, exercise observations, and operational discussions aimed at maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Although military cooperation between Taiwan and the US is already significant—such as Taiwanese F-16 pilots training in Arizona—most activities are kept low-profile due to their sensitive nature. Taiwan has expressed concern over increasing military and political pressure from China, including frequent Chinese war games around the island. The ministry described China’s actions as “normalized” harassment designed to exert psychological pressure, degrade Taiwan’s defense capabilities, and demonstrate the ability to prevent third-party intervention, posing a serious regional security challenge.

Taiwan also highlighted its use of international channels to share intelligence and technology, enabling better tracking of Chinese military activity, early warning, and rapid response to potential threats. The government reiterated its rejection of Beijing’s sovereignty claims, asserting that only Taiwan’s people can determine their future.