TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) on Monday denied the presence of US troops at Taiwan’s Joint Firepower Coordination Center.

A United Daily report claimed US troops were stationed at the military facility in Dazhi, Taipei, to oversee operations and assist Taiwanese personnel. The center is intended to coordinate asymmetric firepower across the military, per United Daily.

Koo said the report was completely false and that there was no “US oversight,” CNA reported. Taiwan–US military exchanges have been institutionalized, he said, and cooperation across various areas has deepened to strengthen Taiwan’s defensive operations. He added that existing command mechanisms remain in place.

American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene said on Thursday that the US is working with Taiwan’s industrial sector to expand its domestic defense industrial base and transform the country into a major hub in the global defense supply chain, according to AIT. He said Northrop Grumman has set up a medium-caliber ammunition test range in Taiwan, allowing the defense ministry to test ammunition according to global standards.

Greene also praised President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) focus on purchasing asymmetric weapons, building resilient and distributed communications and battlefield-awareness capabilities, and integrating air and missile defense systems.