The United States intend to significantly increase the number of American military which are sent to Taiwan to train the island’s armed forces, the newspaper claims Wall Street Journalciting unnamed American sources.

The US military will send within the next few months 100-200 military personnel on the island for exercises but also to train the Taiwanese in the use of American weapons systems. Today American trainers are approx 30.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen announced on Tuesday, after meeting with US lawmakers, that the island’s military ties with the US would be strengthened to curb “authoritarian expansionism”. He stressed that Taiwan will work even more actively with the US and other democratic partners to address global challenges such as the expansion of authoritarian regimes and climate change.