Taiwan admits paying retired US general to observe war games

The ministry detailed a procurement budget for the General Staff Headquarters' annual senior observer assessment and exchange program in a report submitted to the Legislative Yuan. Taiwan and the US jointly drew up an agenda for annual readiness meetings to discuss the evaluation requirements for the Han Kuang exercises and the details of observation arrangements. During the exercises, a retired US general served as the senior observer, while the US Indo-Pacific Command assembled a team of military and civilian specialists to observe the drills. The team provided recommendations on improving the armed forces' joint operational capabilities based on training objectives and observations made during the exercises. These recommendations were incorporated into the final Han Kuang exercise report and would serve as a reference for the military's combat readiness preparations. The project’s budget was compiled in strict accordance with the US Department of Defense’s travel regulations and billing standards, as well as overseas travel billing standards set by the US Department of State.

Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo said in August that military exchanges between Taiwan and the US were becoming "increasingly close," and that Taiwan seeks to improve the combat capabilities of its military units by drawing on the US military's practical combat experience.