Taiwan’s representative to the United States stated on Friday (June 14) that Taiwan is deepening economic integration with other democratic countries and cooperating with partners, including the United States, to prevent Chinese Communist Party (CCP) invasion of Taiwan.
“We don’t know whether China (CCP) will take action or not. We want to ensure that Xi Jinping wakes up every day and says ‘not today’ when he looks in the mirror preparing to shave,” said Taiwan’s representative to the United States, Yu Da-wen, in an interview with Bloomberg TV.
Yu Da-wen indicated that the CCP is preparing for an invasion of Taiwan, but Taiwan is also preparing with the help of “many friends, including the United States.”
The CCP’s People’s Liberation Army initiated a new round of military exercises after the inauguration ceremony of Taiwan’s new president, Lai Ching-te, on May 20. The CCP claimed that these exercises were a stern punishment for the “splittist actions of Taiwan independence forces and a stern warning to external forces interfering and provoking.”
When asked if the CCP’s response to Taipei’s new government was excessive, Yu Da-wen said that the CCP “is just looking for an excuse to take action against Taiwan,” but he emphasized that what is escalating regional tensions is not Taiwan, nor Washington.
“It is Beijing sending warships, sending fighter jets to surround Taiwan, creating all the tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” Yu Da-wen said. “They must respect us and treat us equally.”
Yu Da-wen took office last December and stated that he is currently in contact with U.S. officials to discuss the issue of delayed delivery of defense orders. Some of the reasons for the delays are supply chain disruptions, and some Republicans believe that the Biden administration’s continued support for Ukraine worsens the problem.
Regarding U.S. weapons systems, he stated that Taiwan has paid many necessary amounts but is still awaiting deliveries.
“We have been discussing and coordinating this issue with the U.S. government,” he said.
Yu Da-wen also expressed his hope that Taiwan and the United States can reach a second trade agreement on issues such as agriculture, labor, and environment, under this initiative, Taiwan and the U.S. have reached agreements on reducing some regulatory barriers.
“Negotiating during an election year, the closer we get to November, the more difficult it becomes,” he said when asked about the upcoming U.S. election. “So, we hope to reach an agreement as soon as possible.”