U.S. military trainers are secretly operating in Taiwan under the guise of “American English teachers” — or meiyu laoshi — as defense cooperation between Washington and Taipei deepens, Taiwan Defense Minister Wellington Koo acknowledged this week in a rare public disclosure. 1
The presence of these trainers, numbering around 500 according to recent congressional testimony, reflects a deliberate U.S. strategy to build Taiwan’s asymmetric defense capabilities amid escalating pressure from China. 2 Retired Navy Adm. Mark Montgomery told the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition in May 2025 that the number should double to 1,000. “If we are going to give them billions of dollars in assistance, sell them tens of billions of dollars’ worth of U.S. gear, it makes sense that we would be over there training and working,” Montgomery said. 2
“Our cooperation with the United States may be far closer than many people imagine,” Koo said in a small-group interview with reporters, offering a rare acknowledgment of the secretive American role in helping Taiwan strengthen its defense and deter China. 3 He said Taiwan continues to enhance its defensive combat capabilities through military exchanges with U.S. Pacific Command “at all levels.” 3
The disclosures come as China escalates gray-zone pressure around Taiwan. In June 2026, Beijing announced that its coast guard would conduct routine law-enforcement patrols in waters east of Taiwan — a Pacific-side expanse that Taiwan considers vital for wartime resupply from allies. 4 5 Satellite imagery published by the Telegraph in July revealed that the People’s Liberation Army has constructed full-scale replicas of Taiwan’s Presidential Office, Suao Naval Base and other key targets for rehearsal of military operations. 6
Taiwan is now urgently preparing for blockade scenarios. Officials are testing how to keep fuel and vital supplies flowing if Beijing attempts to choke off the island, which relies on imports for approximately 95 percent of its energy. 4 The American Institute in Taiwan, Washington’s de facto embassy in Taipei, released a photograph in late July showing the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) sailing alongside Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration patrol frigate Taipei (CG 5005) — the first time such joint operations had been publicly confirmed. 6 7
“We believe this announcement is highly significant,” said Kuan Bi-ling, minister of Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council. “It is a new measure by the United States to demonstrate its commitment to maintaining security and peace in the Western Pacific.” 7
Ben Lewis, founder of PLATracker, told USNI News that the capacity for the U.S. Coast Guard and Taiwan’s CGA to cooperate “could be useful for coordinating a response” to a Chinese blockade attempt, noting that recent PLA exercises have demonstrated maritime law enforcement will play a central role in any blockade enforcement. 8
Koo, Taiwan’s first civilian defense minister in over a decade, has prioritized asymmetric warfare and domestic defense production since taking office in 2024. 9 Under his leadership, Taiwan’s legislature passed a $24.8 billion, eight-year special defense budget in May 2026. 10 The Ministry of National Defense is separately seeking a NT$210 billion ($6.5 billion) special budget for uncrewed systems spanning air, surface, land and undersea domains. 11
Koo also warned that a Chinese blockade would carry severe risks for Beijing itself. “In fact, a maritime blockade would pose an even greater challenge for China,” he said, citing the impact on Chinese trade and the potential for heavy international sanctions. “Whether China’s regime could remain stable and whether Xi Jinping’s rule could be secured would be a very, very big challenge.” 3
Despite the deepening military ties, uncertainty looms over U.S.-Taiwan relations. President Donald Trump has repeatedly sown confusion over a $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan, calling it a “very good negotiating chip” after discussing arms sales with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a May 2026 summit. 12 Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund and one of Washington’s top Taiwan experts, warned that China is attempting to use gray-zone tactics — including disinformation and maritime coercion — to instill “psychological despair” among Taiwanese and erode confidence in U.S. support. 13
David Sacks, a fellow for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, argued in a June 2026 Foreign Affairs essay co-authored with Richard Haass that Xi Jinping is attempting to get the Trump administration to back away from supporting Taiwan — and that Washington must not allow Beijing to drive a wedge between the two sides. 14
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