U.S., Taiwan: Washington Ponders a Military Presence on a Taiwanese Island

The elevated security cooperation between Taiwan and the United States may further expand as the pair work to balance against China's increased military presence in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. On Nov. 5, Taiwanese Defense Minister Yen Teh-fa told legislators that his government would consider allowing the U.S. navy access to Taiping Island if Washington requested it. The remark is by no means conclusive, though Yen emphasized that the U.S. could be granted access for humanitarian or regional security operations if they aligned with Taiwan's interests....