Photo suggesting US major general joined Taiwanese tabletop drills triggers debate

The revelation that a US Indo-Pacific Command major general may have attended a meeting on preparations for Taiwan’s biggest annual military exercise has sparked public debate on the island.

Some saw this as a milestone in long-standing US-Taiwan military ties, while others warned that it risked undermining mutual trust over keeping high-level military exchanges discreet.

The row was triggered by reports that Major General Jay Bargeron, director of strategic planning and policy at the US Indo-Pacific Command, attended a tabletop exercise in Taipei on Friday – ahead of the 41st Han Kuang exercise this summer.

A photo released by the Taiwanese military appeared to show Bargeron seated to the left of Taiwanese Defence Minister Wellington Koo Li-hsiung.

Bargeron led a US delegation to mainland China three months ago for operational safety talks.

Although the person concerned was not visible in the Taiwanese photo, a name tag next to Koo bore the title “J5 Maj General”, indicating that it was Bargeron. The J5 department of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff involves strategy, plans and policy.