The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, August 4, that Taiwan is breaking with longstanding secrecy to publicly acknowledge U.S. military training on the island, a move analysts say signals to Beijing that defense ties remain strong despite ambiguous remarks by President Donald Trump.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) told reporters cooperation is “far closer than you might imagine,” a rare admission of America’s behind-the-scenes role in bolstering Taiwan’s deterrence against China, the Journal said. While stressing that Taiwan’s war planning does not assume U.S. combat intervention, Koo said exchanges go well beyond arms sales to include practical combat lessons from American forces. 

The shift extends to maritime law enforcement. On July 28, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) posted a photo of a U.S. Coast Guard cutter sailing alongside a Taiwan Coast Guard vessel, saying the two sides are coordinating on search and rescue, disaster relief and interdicting illegal fishing and drug shipments. Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) posted on Facebook, calling the disclosure a meaningful U.S. step to uphold peace in the western Pacific. 

Experts say the publicity aims to counter growing doubts in Taiwan about U.S. credibility after Trump’s post-summit comments suggesting reluctance to fight far from home, the Journal noted. “Making some security cooperation visible… may be an attempt to rebut that narrative and restore confidence,” said David Sacks of the Council on Foreign Relations, a former AIT political-military officer.