In her first interview with international media in nearly two years, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said she had 'faith' in an American response if China were to attack.
when he answered"yes" to a question about whether he would defend Taiwan from a Chinese attack. The president said the U.S. had a"commitment" to Taiwan's defense, in remarks quickly walked back by the White House less than an hour later.Senior policy analysts say while it's objectively untrue that the U.S. has any legal commitment to defend Taiwan, Biden's comments at least display staunch personal intent, and Beijing will be listening.
"People have different interpretations of what President Biden has said," Taiwan's President Tsai said in her interview—the first to international media in nearly two years since her landslide re-election in January 2020. Asked whether she had faith in American military assistance in a hypothetical cross-strait conflict, she added:"I do have faith, given the long-term relationship that we have with the U.S., and also the support of the people of the U.S. as well as theTsai said the people of Taiwan are aware of the threats they face."We have to get ourselves better prepared, but we're not panicked, we're not anxious," she added.
Taiwan would defend itself for"as long as we can," she told CNN."But let me reiterate, it's important that we have the support of our friends, and also like-minded countries." Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen takes part in an interview with CNN that aired on October 28, 2021, Taipei time, in the Presidential Office Building in Taiwan's capital.