Taiwan confirms funding for US observers at Han Kuang drills — South China Morning Post
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has for the first time confirmed funding for a program under which the US Indo-Pacific Command sends a retired general and other specialists to observe the largest annual Han Kuang military exercises. South China Morning Post reports that NT$82.4 million, or about US$2.5 million, has been allocated for the program for the 2026 and 2027 exercises.
Of this amount, NT$41.219 million is earmarked for the current year. The Annual Assessment by Senior Observers and Exchanges program pays for the participation of a retired US general as a senior observer, as well as a delegation of military specialists and civilian personnel organized by the US Indo-Pacific Command.
Assessment of the exercises
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said that US observers assess the exercises in line with the defined training objectives and provide recommendations for improving the Taiwanese forces’ capacity for joint operations. Their conclusions are included in the final report on the Han Kuang exercises and used as a guide for force development and combat training.
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The details were disclosed after Kuomintang opposition lawmaker Ma Wen-chun raised questions about the program’s implementation, the seniority of representatives sent to Taiwan, and its expected benefits. Lawmakers froze NT$1 million in funding and required the ministry to submit a written explanation before the money can be released.
US participation was previously not commented on
The presence of US military personnel at the Han Kuang exercises had been reported previously, but Taiwan’s defense ministry avoided confirming details. During the 41st Han Kuang exercises last year, local media reported that the senior observer and adviser to Taiwan’s Chief of the General Staff, Admiral Mei Chia-shu, was retired four-star US Army General Robert B. Abrams, the former commander of US Forces Korea. At the time, the ministry did not comment on individual cases.
Max Lo, executive director of the Taiwan International Strategic Studies Society, believes that the key aspect of the current disclosure is not the funding itself, but the official acknowledgement of senior US officers’ participation in the exercises. Researcher Chieh Chung of the Association of Strategic Foresight noted that the observation enables the United States to assess the results of its own recommendations to Taiwan on military training, modernization of the targeting system, special operations, and reserve training.
