Nick Shiffrin:
More than any single issue, Taiwan has long been at the center of tensions between the United States and China. Last month, Taiwan elected Lai Ching-de, known as William Lai, as its president.
It is unprecedented for the Democratic Progressive Party (DP) to win three consecutive presidential elections. The Chinese government calls Lai a separatist and says his election could spark war. However, Mr. Rai has maintained in his public appearances that his policy is to maintain the status quo.
To discuss these issues and the broader relationship between Taiwan, China, and the United States, we welcome Taiwan’s top diplomat, Alexander Taley Yui, to the United States.
Representative, thank you very much.
Let’s start with the recent Strait tensions. Last week, two Chinese nationals were killed when their boat capsized during a chase about a mile off Taiwan’s Kinmen Island. Today, Taiwan chased away a China Coast Guard boat, following the fact that the Chinese Coast Guard actually boarded a Taiwanese tourist boat yesterday.
What concerns do you have about the potential for these incidents to escalate?
Alexander Turley Yui, Taiwan Representative to the United States: Well, we have always strived to maintain the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
The incident you just mentioned is occurring as a worrying trend. It is they who are changing all these events and changing the status quo. They talk about the red line. They say, “This is a fundamental issue for the people of the Republic of China, so we should not cross the line.”
But they are the ones who change the red line. They always draw a red line on top of another line. This is a worrying trend, including on Kinmen Island.