The US is “confident” that Taiwan does not face an imminent threat of a Chinese invasion, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Sandra Oudkirk told a US public radio show, adding that Washington remains committed to defensively arming the nation.
She made the comment during an interview on All Things Considered, broadcast on Friday on US-based National Public Radio.
“There is an important distinction between making plans and training troops, and getting ready to do something,” Oudkirk said, on whether she thinks Beijing plans to attack Taiwan in the near future.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
Chinese officials have told Washington that “their preference is for peaceful reunification, and the United States is confident that there is no imminent threat of invasion for Taiwan,” she added.
Last month, US President Joe Biden met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on the sidelines of the APEC summit in San Francisco, where they discussed the security situation in the Taiwan Strait.
The White House said that Biden called on China to exercise restraint regarding military activity in and around Taiwan, while Reuters reported that Xi demanded that the US stop sending weapons to Taiwan and support Beijing’s plans to annex it.
On whether Washington would halt weapons sales to Taipei at Xi’s request, Oudkirk said that selling Taiwan defensive weapons is part of the US’ long-standing “one China” policy, which has bipartisan support among US lawmakers and remains unchanged.
“Part of that approach to Taiwan is the agreement that the United States will sell defensive weapons to Taiwan, sort of linked to the level of threat that Taiwan faces,” she said. “So that’s a commitment that the United States has made, and that isn’t going to change.”
A recent survey titled, “American Portrait,” conducted by Academia Sinica’s Institute of European and American Studies, showed that only 34 percent of Taiwanese believe the US is a trustworthy country, a drop of 11 percentage points from 2011.
Regarding how the US can counter disinformation and false claims spread online about the US, and people in Taiwan who say that Washington is an unreliable partner, Oudkirk said that the US should be talking more.
“The way to push back against disinformation and sort of deliberate information manipulation is to talk and to engage and to be approachable, and also to work on things like media literacy,” she said.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old