Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) expressed confidence in US support for Taiwan under US President Donald Trump’s administration in an interview with Al Jazeera published yesterday.
“Taiwan and the US have a very strong and solid relationship, and Taiwan has cross-party support from the US Congress,” Chiu said in the interview.
Chiu said he believes Washington would never accept an “unreasonable request” from Beijing to alter the terms of its relationship with Taiwan, despite widespread concern that Trump could use Taiwan as a bargaining chip in its dealings with China.
Photo: Liao Chen-hui, Taipei Times
The report said many Taiwanese are worried that Trump could abandon Taiwan to win concessions in trade talks with China.
Chiu said Taiwan has much to offer the US, from its strategic position within Washington’s first island chain defense strategy aimed at checking Chinese expansion in the Pacific, to its position as the world’s foremost chipmaker.
“We think that we can demonstrate to the US people and to the US people that Taiwan is a very good partner, and we are irreplaceable,” Chiu said.
Chiu said Taiwan would continue to observe the Trump administration, “Taiwan’s government has a very consistent position of protecting our sovereignty, our freedom and democracy.”
In the interview, Chiu also said he was most concerned about the leadership style of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).
Chiu said that Taiwan’s government continues to try to communicate with Beijing through official channels, as well as liaising through intermediaries from the business world, nonprofit sector and academia.
Chiu, however, criticized China’s communications with the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), which he characterized as part of Beijing’s divide and rule and “United Front” tactics employed against Taiwan.
“We are constantly facing United Front tactics, infiltration and division in Taiwanese society. They are everywhere,” Chiu said.
“The Xi regime is a new type of authoritarianism. He has been inciting a fanatic nationalism, and that’s why we are seeing military hegemony and wolf warrior diplomacy,” Chiu said.
“Mainland China right now is not a very rational decision-making party, and this nationalism poses a great threat to its neighboring countries,” he added.
“If you ask me what concerns me the most, I would say that it’s the essence of the Xi regime,” he said.
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