US, Japan draw up joint military plan for possible Taiwan emergency
By Ellen Mitchell
December 23 2021
The U.S. and Japanese militaries have made a draft plan for a joint operation should an emergency with Taiwan arise, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported Thursday.
The report cited unidentified Japanese government sources.
Under the draft plan, the U.S. Marine Corps would deploy troops to and set up temporary bases on the Nansei island chain, an archipelago of Japan that stretches toward Taiwan, at the first sign of a Taiwan emergency, Kyodo said.
Japanese armed forces, meanwhile, would provide logistical support with ammunition and fuel supplies.
Asked about the draft plan, a Defense Department spokesperson told The Hill that the United States and Japan “share a strong commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait” and are “committed to enhancing resiliency and interoperability between U.S. and Japanese forces and deepening operational cooperation during peacetime and various regional contingencies.”