Taiwan’s prime diplomat in Washington has a message for each the island’s Chinese language adversaries and its American pals: Don’t fear that Taiwan’s new president-elect will worsen relations with Beijing and presumably draw the U.S. right into a battle.
President-elect Lai Ching-te plans to maintain the established order within the Taiwan Strait, Alexander Tah-Ray Yui instructed The Related Press on Thursday in his first interview with a global information group since he arrived within the U.S. in December.
The Chinese language authorities has referred to as Lai a troublemaker who will push Taiwan towards independence. However Yui mentioned Lai is prepared to have interaction with Beijing, even because the island seeks to strengthen its unofficial ties with Washington for stability within the area.
“We want the status quo. We want the way it is — neither unification, neither independence. The way it is is the way we want to live right now,” mentioned Yui, Taiwan’s de-facto ambassador to the U.S., noting the stance is essentially supported at residence and can information the brand new administration.
Yui spoke to the AP 5 days after Lai won the presidential election with greater than 40% of the vote in a three-way race. Lai will succeed Tsai Ing-wen when he’s inaugurated in Might.
His victory, which supplies the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Social gathering an unprecedented third presidential time period, was not welcomed by Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its personal, to be taken by drive if mandatory.
Navy motion within the Taiwan Strait may attract the USA, which is obligated below a 1979 regulation to supply Taiwan with ample navy {hardware} and expertise.
Beijing refused to have any dialogue with Tsai as a result of her social gathering rejects China’s declare of sovereignty over the island, and earlier than the election had urged to voters that they might be selecting between battle and peace.
It stays unclear if Beijing might be prepared to have interaction with Lai, who prior to now described himself as a “pragmatic worker of Taiwan’s independence.”
Two days after Lai was elected, China wooed away Nauru, a small Pacific island nation, which has left Taiwan with solely 12 international locations around the globe that acknowledge its statehood. Nevertheless, China has not launched huge navy workouts across the island, as it has in past times of elevated tensions.
Yui mentioned Lai intends to comply with the identical line as his predecessor “but also to offer an olive branch to mainland China by saying that he’s also willing to engage with mainland China.”
On the identical time, Taiwan will work with the U.S. to spice up its protection and deepen financial and cultural ties, Yui mentioned, calling relations with Washington “one of the most important aspects in our foreign affairs.”
The USA doesn’t have a proper relationship with Taiwan, nevertheless it has stepped up its assist prior to now a number of years, angering China, which has urged the U.S. to “exercise extreme prudence in handling Taiwan-related issues.” President Xi Jinping instructed President Joe Biden that Taiwan is essentially the most delicate challenge in U.S.-China relations.
Shortly after Taiwan’s election, Biden instructed reporters that his administration doesn’t assist Taiwan’s independence.
Scott Kennedy, senior adviser and trustee chair in Chinese language enterprise and economics on the Heart for Strategic and Worldwide Research, a Washington-based assume tank, mentioned he anticipated tensions to stay largely the identical below Lai.
“Beijing will continue to develop its military capabilities and push the boundaries of military threats and economic coercion,” he mentioned. “The U.S. will continue to assist Taiwan with its defensive preparedness and push Taiwan to move more assertively on the various elements needed for effective self-defense.”
However Kennedy mentioned Beijing may additionally open up some channels for the 2 sides to convey messages and scale back misunderstanding.
Yui mentioned it’s incumbent upon each Beijing and Taipei to maintain the Taiwan Strait peaceable.
“I have to stress, we’re not the aggressors. We’re not the ones, you know, making waves in the Taiwan Strait, making things nervous and tense,” he mentioned, alluding to Beijing’s elevated navy actions close to the island prior to now a number of years.
Yui mentioned Taiwan is decided to safeguard its homeland, noting that the island is growing its protection price range and has prolonged the obligatory navy service from 4 months to at least one yr.
He mentioned Beijing’s luring away of Nauru was an try and punish the Taiwanese individuals for selecting the chief they needed and can solely backfire.
“They were just trying to find an appropriate time and excuse to slowly pluck all of our allies,” Yui mentioned. However, as a technological powerhouse and a democracy, Taiwan has “become a common word in the international community” and international locations around the globe have turn out to be extra prepared to have interaction with it, he mentioned.
Yui, who met with Republican Home Speaker Mike Johnson shortly earlier than Taiwan’s election, mentioned he’s been inspired by the assist from each the Republicans and Democrats.
“If you go to the U.S. Congress, your heart warms up because everywhere you go you meet friends,” he mentioned.
Sen. Ben Cardin, the Democratic chair of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee, referred to as Taiwan “a key U.S. partner in the Indo-Pacific and beyond” and mentioned he can be “working closely with the newly elected leadership of Taiwan to deepen our economic, security, and people-to-people ties.”
Yui, who was born to a diplomat’s household, attended highschool in Panama and acquired each his bachelor’s and grasp’s levels from Texas A&M College. He beforehand served as Taiwan’s ambassador to Paraguay and as its vice overseas minister.
Earlier than he got here to Washington, Yui briefly served as Taiwan’s consultant to the European Union and Belgium. Yui succeeded Hsiao Bi-Khim, who left the publish in November to be Lai’s working mate. Hsiao, who’s credited with deepening Taiwan-U.S. ties when heading the Taipei Financial and Cultural Consultant Workplace in the USA between 2020 and 2023, would be the subsequent vice chairman.
