US - Taiwan relations

US House of Representatives Speaker

09 Jan 2024 4 2

Wen-Ti Sung

Inserted 1 year ago

“Some may be concerned about whether another visit at this time may be too unnecessarily provocative, as partners are already stretched thin with helping Ukraine. They may think that there is better timing than this current moment to be pursuing another US Speaker visit to Taiwan. And Taiwan wants to be seen as an understanding friend. as long as Tsai [Tsai Ing-wen] receives upgraded protocol treatment on her next trip, it can be considered a win for Taiwan.”

Political scientist who teaches at Australian National University’s Taiwan Studies Program

08 Mar 2023 3 2

Nicholas Burns

Inserted 1 year ago

“The US has a unique responsibility to Taiwan and is obligated to maintain a military presence in the region. The passing of the Taiwan Relations Act in 1979 meant that the US has the obligation to ensure that Taiwan is able to deter possible Chinese invasion, present or future.”

US ambassador to China

28 Feb 2023 4 4

Joe Biden

Inserted 1 year ago

“I absolutely believe there need not be a new Cold War. I've met many times with Xi Jinping. And we were candid and clear with one another across the board. And I do not think there's any imminent attempt on the part of China to invade Taiwan. And I made it clear that our policy in Taiwan has not changed at all. We're going to compete vigorously, but I'm not looking for conflict. I'm looking to manage this competition responsibly. And I want to make sure that every country abides by the international rules of the road.”

President of the United States

14 Nov 2022 2 7

Ross Feingold

Inserted 1 year ago

“The US has provided weaponry to Taiwan for many, many decades, but the timing of the new sale had political or public relations value coming amid heightened tensions between Taipei and Beijing. To be frank this sale is relatively small. The bulk of the sale is related to the maintenance of existing radar facilities. China is likely to respond, and has already started with statements. Beijing could also launch more incursions in Taiwan's air defence identification zone, start new military exercises, ban certain Taiwanese products from being imported to China, impose sanctions against US and Taiwanese government officials, or take action against US companies doing business in China. So China always has the options, of using any of those tools. It won't stop this particular weapons sale though.”

Asia political risk analyst based in Taipei

02 Sep 2022 2 3

Tsai Ing-wen

Inserted 1 year ago

“Sixty-four years ago during the Aug. 23 battle, our soldiers and civilians operated in solidarity and safeguarded Taiwan, so that we have the democratic Taiwan today. That battle to protect our homeland showed the world that no threat of any kind could shake the Taiwanese people's resolve to defend their nation, not in the past, not now, and not in the future. We too will show the world that the people of Taiwan have both the resolve and confidence to safeguard peace, security, freedom and prosperity for ourselves. As Taiwan stands on the front line of authoritarian expansionism we continue to bolster our defence autonomy, and we will also continue to work with the United States on this front.”

President of Taiwan

23 Aug 2022 3 2

Tsai Ing-wen

Inserted 1 year ago

“Economic security is an important pillar of national and regional security. Taiwan is willing and able to strengthen cooperation with democratic partners in building sustainable supply chains for democracy chips. Building on our existing foundation of collaboration, I look forward to our supporting one another, and advancing hand in hand, forging closer relations and creating even deeper cooperation.”

President of Taiwan

22 Aug 2022 3 2

Nancy Pelosi

Inserted 1 year ago

“We have said from the start that our representation here is not about changing the status quo in Taiwan or the region. The Chinese government is not pleased that our friendship with Taiwan is a strong one. It is bipartisan in the House and in the Senate, overwhelming support for peace and the status quo in Taiwan.”

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

05 Aug 2022 3 4

Nancy Pelosi

Inserted 1 year ago

“Sadly, Taiwan has been prevented from participating in global meetings, most recently the World Health Organization, because of objections by the Chinese Communist Party. While they may prevent Taiwan from sending its leaders to global forums, they cannot prevent world leaders or anyone from travelling to Taiwan to pay respect to its flourishing democracy, to highlight its many successes and to reaffirm our commitment to continued collaboration.”

03 Aug 2022 4 3

Bob Menendez

Inserted 1 year ago

“She's a high-ranking official in the U.S. government. But it is not unusual. I was there three months ago with five other senators. We have a longstanding history of visiting Taiwan. And so we can't let the Chinese say who can and cannot visit Taiwan.”

Nytimes

US Senator for New Jersey and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

02 Aug 2022 2 5

Nancy Pelosi

Inserted 1 year ago

“America's solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy.”

Nytimes

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

02 Aug 2022 3 2

John Kirby

Inserted 1 year ago

“The United States is not going to be intimidated by China's threats or bellicose rhetoric. We will continue to support Taiwan, defend a free and open Indo-Pacific and seek to maintain communication with Beijing. United States will not engage in sabre-rattling. China might engage in economic coercion toward Taiwan. The impact on American-Chinese relations will depend on Beijing's actions in the coming days and weeks.”

Pentagon spokesman

02 Aug 2022 3 4

Mark Esper

Inserted 1 year ago

“The US should move from strategic ambiguity to strategic clarity on cross-strait affairs and re-examine its one China policy. It is my personal view that the one China policy has outlived its usefulness and that it is time to move away from strategic ambiguity. I think it is important that we begin that national discussion back in the US, but it will help that discussion and help us educate the American people if we can also point to bold decisions being made in Taipei, such as increase in defense spending, adoption of asymmetric warfare and corresponding capabilities, lengthening conscription and making it more rigorous, and improving reserve mobilization. It is important that the American people and our leaders in Washington see that the Taiwan people are fully committed to standing up to communist China and defending themselves as democracies of the world stand behind Taiwan. We cannot allow the Chinese to rise within the international system and try to dismantle it to suit their own ends, means and values. Much has changed since the one China policy was articulated in the 1970s.”

Former United States Secretary of Defense

20 Jul 2022 7 4

Grant Newsham

Inserted 1 year ago

“This statement deserves to be taken seriously. It is a clear enough statement that the U.S. will not sit by if China attacks Taiwan.”

Retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel and now a research fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies

23 May 2022 2 3

Ross Feingold

Inserted 1 year ago

“American officials will probably emphasise over the coming hours that Biden's comments meant the US would provide military equipment in the event of China's invasion of Taiwan. If he can have a do-over he'd probably change the way he replied to that question. Unfortunately, it causes a lot of confusion not just here in Taiwan, but in the United States as well as with China.”

Asia political risk analyst based in Taipei

23 May 2022 5 3

Wen-Ti Sung

Inserted 1 year ago

“This is both a useful 'slip of tongue' and a revealing reflection of a widely shared assumption within the US government. Biden has done this multiple times before, be it at the CNN Townhall in early 2021, or his statement about the non-existent 'Taiwan agreement,'. This time Biden's statement itself seems illogical but the sentiment and signal it sends are politically very useful.”

Political scientist who teaches at Australian National University’s Taiwan Studies Program

23 May 2022 4 3

Matthew Kroenig

Inserted 1 year ago

“Some say it's a carefully coordinated campaign of ambiguity. Others say that Biden is senile and misspoke. I would argue that at this point the reason doesn't really matter. In the event of a war, it would always be up to the president to decide whether to intervene or not regardless of the formal policy. We now have a clear window on what Biden's decision would be. For years, US strategists argued the ambiguity was a good thing. It kept Beijing guessing but was not an explicit threat to intervene in what the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] would see as its internal affairs. As the US-China relationship has deteriorated, and the military balance in the Taiwan Strait shifted, many US strategists have called for the US to clarify its commitment.”

Deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

23 May 2022 8 3

Jake Sullivan

Inserted 1 year ago

“We are looking to deepen our economic partnership with Taiwan, including on high technology issues, including on semiconductor supply, but we're pursuing that in the first instance on a bilateral basis.”