◀ anchor ▶
Amid escalating tensions between the United States and China, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen made the first public announcement about the presence of U.S. forces in Taiwan.
China strongly opposed it.
Correspondent Lee Hae-in from Beijing reports.
◀ Report ▶
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has officially confirmed the presence of U.S. forces in Taiwan, which had only been rumored.
[차이잉원/대만 총통(CNN 인터뷰)]
(Is the US military helping Taiwanese troops?)
“Yes. We are working extensively with the United States to strengthen our defense capabilities.”
He said he believes President Biden’s words that the United States will protect if China invades.
[차이잉원/대만 총통(CNN 인터뷰)]
(Do you believe that the US will protect you if China invades Taiwan?)
“Yes. I really believe it.”
President Biden said on the 21st that he would defend Taiwan, and at the East Asia Summit on the 27th, he emphasized once again that he made a “rock-solid promise to Taiwan.”
China reacted immediately.
[왕원빈/중국 외교부 대변인]
“Taiwan independence is the path of death. Supporting Taiwan’s independence is also an irreversible path.”
Military tensions are rising as the Biden administration supports the Taiwanese government, including arms sales and accession to the United Nations.
There are concerns that the successive remarks of the two leaders of the United States and Taiwan could become the detonation of a military confrontation between the United States and China.
The Chinese military has released a video of an attack training exercise in Taiwan, and has been invading Taiwan’s airspace daily with military aircraft, continuing high-intensity armed protests.
In addition, the arms race between the US and China is intensifying, with China building a large-scale intercontinental ballistic missile storage and testing hypersonic missiles.
In the midst of this, if the US military aid to Taiwan crosses the so-called ‘red line’ that China cannot tolerate, it cannot be ruled out that it will take action.
This is Lee Hae-in from MBC News in Beijing.
MBC News awaits your report 24 hours a day.
▷ Tel 02-784-4000
▷ Email mbcjebo@mbc.co.kr
▷ KakaoTalk @mbc report
.
