On October 27, Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo criticized Beijing for launching cognitive warfare on the occasion of Retrocession Day, pointing out that the People's Republic of China was only founded in 1949 and has nothing to do with the War of Resistance, and said that the Taiwanese military will closely monitor the situation and take precautionary response measures.
On October 2, the first two of the 66 F-16V (Block 70) fighter jets Taiwan purchased from the United States (serial numbers 6727 and 6728) arrived at the Zhihang Base in Taitung. Defense Minister Wellington Koo said that more than two jets will be delivered this year, and that he could not disclose deployment details.
Taiwan Defense Minister Wellington Koo said on the 29th that the 66 F-16V fighter jets Taiwan ordered from the United States have entered production and can be delivered at any time, and that arms sales to Taiwan worth approximately US$14 billion are also continuing to be discussed with the U.S. side.
On August 5, 2026, Taiwan's Han Kuang 42 exercise began a 10-day, 9-night live-force drill, mobilizing over 5,000 reserve soldiers to participate and equipping them with US-style rifles, while Taiwan's defense minister Wellington Koo publicly confirmed for the first time that US troops had been stationed to assist with training.
Wellington Koo, Taiwan's defense minister, stated that Taiwan and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command engage in close and diverse military exchanges at all levels, though specific assistance projects cannot be publicly disclosed.