TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — U.S. military personnel will be invited to this year’s Han Kuang exercise, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) confirmed on Thursday (March 7).

At a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, Chiu said U.S. military staff would be observing this year’s Han Kuang war games, per Storm Media. Taiwan’s relationship with the U.S. is close due to the weapons and military support the U.S. provides, he said.

Chiu said U.S. military attendance would not be higher than before. Teams are sent to observe the exercise every year, he added.

There would be "no increase or decrease in the number of U.S. military personnel coming to Taiwan, but the frequency of their visits will increase," according to Chiu, CNA reported. Some one-year conscripted soldiers will partake in U.S. military training courses during their service, he added.

When asked about Taiwan Army units sent to the U.S. for training, Chiu said it was part of the intelligence and training exchanges between the two countries, and news reports were “likely true.”

Chiu’s comments come as the U.S. is reported to have stationed special forces in Taiwan to train with their Taiwanese counterparts. This year's computer simulation portion of the Han Kuang exercise will be extended from five to eight days, and it will emphasize defense capabilities, joint decision-making, and planning behavior by different levels of the military structure.