Representative to the US Alexander Yui (俞大?) said in an interview published on Saturday that he is not worried that Taiwan would be used as a bargaining chip, adding that the US would sell more weapons to Taiwan according to its needs as China’s threat level increases.
The comments were in reference to concerns after US President Donald Trump said that a planned US$14 billion arms sale to Taiwan would be a good “negotiating chip” in US talks with Beijing.
In the interview with Politico, Yui said he is not worried that Taiwan would be “traded off” to China in any way.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US
There are many current affairs between the US and Taiwan, not only in the security field, but also in trade, investment, science and education, he said, adding that these engagements show no sign that US attention to Taiwan is decreasing.
Taiwan would respect the pace at which the US announces the arms sale, he added.
“We have relayed to the US side that we need those arms purchases in the face of mounting aggression by mainland China,” he said.
The arms sale is aimed at enhancing Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities, particularly in asymmetric warfare preparation, defense against Chinese missiles and improving communications, Yui said.
US arms sales are commensurate with the level of threat Taiwan faces, he said, adding that “as the threat level is increasing, the United States will sell us more arms as needed.”
Asked about the Trump administration omitting Taiwan from its National Defense Strategy and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth not mentioning Taiwan during a speech at last month’s Shangri-La Dialogue security forum, Yui said that Hegseth had mentioned the First Island Chain.
“We’ve been saying that Chinese aggression is not only focused just on Taiwan, though it’s an important part of it. It’s the whole First Island Chain,” he said.
“I feel more encouraged, because they included us as part of this partnership that includes Japan, the Philippines and other countries,” he added.
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