Taiwan’s Navy Chief to Visit US Next Week – The Chief of Taiwan’s navy, Tang Hua, is scheduled to travel to the United States next week for a military event and discussions on enhancing naval cooperation amidst growing threats from China toward the island, according to six individuals briefed on the matter.
Despite the close ties between Taiwan and the United States, the relationship remains unofficial due to Washington’s formal recognition of China, which claims Taiwan as its territory. However, Taiwan firmly rejects China’s territorial assertions. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Tang’s itinerary includes a visit to Hawaii, where he will attend a Pacific Fleet change-of-command ceremony hosted by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
Additionally, arrangements are being made for Tang to participate in the Sea-Air-Space conference near Washington from April 8 to 10, with discussions underway for a potential meeting with U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the trip, while both Taiwan’s navy and the Pentagon declined to provide comments.
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China’s defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment. China’s foreign ministry said it firmly opposed “military collusion” between the United States and Taiwan and that Washington should “refrain from sending out any erroneous signal to the forces of secession for the independence of Taiwan.”
In contrast to the openly conducted visits to the U.S. by senior officials from allies such as Japan and Britain, visits by Taiwanese officials, especially those from the military, are often kept discreet and unofficially acknowledged. Since 1979, when the U.S. shifted recognition to Beijing, Washington and Taipei have lacked an official diplomatic or military relationship.
However, the United States is legally obligated to support Taiwan’s defense capabilities. Despite Taiwan’s rejection of China’s territorial claims, Beijing has not ruled out the use of force to annex Taiwan, where the Republic of China government relocated in 1949 after losing the Chinese civil war to Mao Zedong’s Communists.
Taiwan’s navy faces significant challenges compared to China’s rapidly expanding naval capabilities, including the development of nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers. President Tsai Ing-wen’s modernization initiatives have included the unveiling of Taiwan’s own submarines last year. Quietly, Taiwan and the U.S. have strengthened military cooperation since Tsai assumed office in 2016, particularly in response to increased Chinese military pressure over the past few years.
Beijing now routinely sends fighter jets into the Taiwan Strait’s unofficial boundary. Previous visits by senior Taiwanese officers to the U.S. have included then-navy chief Lee Hsi-ming in 2015 and Deputy Defense Minister Hsu Yen-pu, who attended a Taiwan-U.S. defense industry conference in Virginia last year. Annually, Taiwan holds security talks in the U.S., neither government officially acknowledging them.
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Last year’s talks reportedly involved Taiwan’s foreign minister and the head of its National Security Council, as per Taiwanese media. Tang’s upcoming visit, part of the U.S.-led Joint Island Defense Concept aimed at countering China’s military presence within the “first island chain,” has not been confirmed for a meeting with Admiral Franchetti, according to a U.S. official. Tang recently joined President Tsai at a navy base for a ceremony marking the handover of two new Tuo Chiang-class corvette warships, dubbed “carrier killers” by Taiwan’s navy for their advanced features and anti-ship missiles.
