Ex-U.S. Army Pacific Commander visits Taiwan, observes Han Kuang drills

Taipei, July 12 (CNA) Retired U.S. Army Pacific Commanding General Charles Flynn observed the ongoing Han Kuang military exercises, including an inspection of defense deployments along the Tamsui River, according to a report by the Chinese-language newspaper Liberty Times.

A delegation of retired high-ranking U.S. military officers recently arrived in Taiwan to observe the live-fire phase of the annual Han Kuang drills, which began on Wednesday and will run for 10 days, the report said, citing a source familiar with the matter.

Among the visitors was Flynn, who served as commander of the U.S. Army Pacific command from 2021 to 2024, the Saturday report read.

The retired general, who served in combat zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan, visited the Tamsui River area in New Taipei on Friday along with U.S. military instructors in Taiwan who help train Taiwan's Army, according to the report.

After assessing defense deployments along the Tamsui River -- a key waterway leading from the Taiwan Strait into Taipei -- Flynn offered constructive suggestions on strengthening defenses at both the river mouth and along its course, the report added.

In addition to Flynn's presence in the Tamsui River area, the Liberty Times reported that the group of veterans also visited multiple exercise sites to gain firsthand insight and provided guidance on enhancing specific defense deployments and reprioritizing contingency measures.

The report did not specify the group's date of arrival or departure.

A source familiar with the matter confirmed Flynn's recent visit to Taiwan to CNA, saying it was aimed at deepening exchanges on United States-Taiwan military cooperation projects.

Flynn's trip was not made solely for the live-fire component of the Han Kuang drills, the source said, noting that U.S.-Taiwan military exchanges are currently frequent and that the scope of Flynn's visit extended beyond the exercises.

Flynn has voiced support for increased U.S. training for Taiwanese troops, emphasizing its importance during a May hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

As a witness at the hearing, titled "Deterrence Amid Rising Tensions: Preventing CCP Aggression on Taiwan," he cited Harpoon anti-ship missile launching systems as an example to illustrate why training is essential.

"We can give them 400 Harpoon systems, but they, if they don't have 400 crews that actually know how to man them, use them, employ them, site them and have a primary, alternate and supplementary firing position. It doesn't matter how many things they have," Flynn told the committee at the time.