The Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), Raymond Greene, gave an exclusive interview to the Central News Agency on September 26. In the interview, Greene, who previously served as the US Ambassador to Japan, discussed the trilateral relationship between the United States, Japan, and Taiwan, emphasizing that the three parties will come to each other’s aid whenever one faces challenges. He highlighted the tight cooperation among them in various areas such as regional security, support for Taiwan’s international participation, and the resilience of the semiconductor supply chain.
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director, Raymond Greene, has been in office for nearly 3 months and granted his first media interview. With prior experience as the US Ambassador to Japan, Greene is well-versed in the dynamics of the First Island Chain. Recently, he even filmed a video with the representative of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, Kazuyuki Katayama, discussing the combined disaster response capabilities of Japan, Taiwan, and the United States.
Greene emphasized during the interview that the US, Japan, and Taiwan share common values, interests, and strong people-to-people relationships. He noted that when one of the three parties faces challenges, the other two will immediately offer assistance. For example, during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake (commonly known as 3/11), the US launched its largest-ever disaster relief operation called “Operation Tomodachi,” and Taiwan made the highest donation to Japan globally.
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, despite Taiwan’s ongoing need for masks, the country donated millions of masks to hospitals and frontline emergency personnel in the US, leading to the AIT warehouse being stacked with masks. Though the exact number of lives saved is unknown, the US greatly appreciated Taiwan’s assistance. In return, when Taiwan faced its own health crisis the following year, the US and Japan reciprocated by donating vaccines to Taiwan, acknowledging Taiwan’s previous generosity.
Greene mentioned that the US and Taiwan jointly established the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF), with Japan being the first member to join, thereby encouraging other countries to participate in the mechanism. Japan was also the first country to voice support for Taiwan at the World Health Assembly (WHA) alongside the US.
Addressing the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait at various international summits in recent years, Greene pointed out that in 2021, President Joe Biden and former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga mentioned Taiwan’s security in a joint statement for the first time in 50 years. This narrative has since been reiterated in subsequent US-Japan summits and adopted by many countries globally. Greene reiterated that in matters of regional security, meaningful international support for Taiwan, or enhancing the resilience of the semiconductor supply chain, the US, Japan, and Taiwan are closely cooperating partners.
Regarding the increasing military threats from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in recent years towards Taiwan, including missile tests and provocations crossing the Taiwan Strait median line, Greene stated that these actions have raised concerns among other regional countries about sustaining strategic balance. He stressed that America’s regional allies also face pressure from the CCP, with countries like Japan in the East China Sea, the Philippines and Southeast Asian nations in the South China Sea, and even Bhutan and India in the Himalayan region, seeking more collaboration to enhance overall deterrence capabilities and maintain strategic balance to prevent conflict. Greene expressed support for President Lai’s call for dialogue with the CCP, as dialogue is the only way to resolve differences.
In conclusion, Greene reaffirmed that the US, in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act, assists Taiwan in maintaining self-defense capabilities, utilizing all tools available to maintain Taiwan’s asymmetric warfare capabilities, including the President’s extract authority, foreign military financing, and foreign military sales. The US welcomes the defense reforms proposed by former President Tsai Ing-wen and current President Lai Ching-te, including the reinstatement of a one-year mandatory military service and the establishment of a National Defense Mobilization Agency.
(Translated from Central News Agency)