Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/09/14
By: Chiang Chin-yeh and Elizabeth Hsu 

Washington, Sept. 13 (CNA) Security arrangements at the new American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) building will be the same as at AIT’s current location, a spokesperson for the United States Department of State said Thursday.

Since the de facto American embassy inaugurated its new building complex in Neihu District, Taipei on June 12, there have been news reports that Marines could be deployed at the facility, in accordance with standard U.S. practice at its embassies around the world.

In the wake of reports that the State Department asked the Pentagon to deploy a detachment of U.S. Marines to Taiwan to help provide security at the de facto embassy, CNN cited U.S. officials Thursday as indicating that the request had been rejected due to resource constraint issues and not for fear of irritating Beijing.

The decision to deny the request was made by Secretary of Defense James Mattis last month, CNN reported, citing one defense official that prior to the request being rejected, military planners had anticipated the Marines arriving in Taiwan as early as next month.
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