American Institute in Taiwan director Sandra Oudkirk.

American Institute in Taiwan

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American Institute in Taiwan

American Institute in Taiwan director Sandra Oudkirk.

American Institute in Taiwan

When President Biden and Chinese chief Xi Jinping met on the APEC summit this November, one of many high agenda gadgets was Taiwan, an island China claims as its personal. Xi referred to as Taiwan the “most important” and “most sensitive” challenge driving U.S.-China tensions.

The high U.S. consultant in Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk, is making an attempt to navigate that difficult terrain.

Who is she? Oudkirk turned the director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) — the U.S. workplace in Taipei — in July 2021.

What is the newest?

• Taiwan is gearing up for presidential elections in Jan. 2024. Taiwanese civil society teams warn Chinese state actors may plant false narratives on Taiwan’s social media platforms and information retailers within the run as much as stoke concern amongst Taiwanese voters and mistrust for the U.S.
• Taiwan is expressing low ranges of confidence within the U.S. as a steady associate for Taiwan. A latest ballot from the distinguished Taipei-based analysis institute Academia Sinica discovered 34% of people agreed that the U.S. was a trustworthy country, a drop of greater than 11 share factors since 2021.

Biden and Xi stroll collectively after a gathering in the course of the APEC Leaders’ week in November.

Brendan Smialowski/AFP by way of Getty Images

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Brendan Smialowski/AFP by way of Getty Images

Listen to the State of the World episode on how China is trying to gradually wear down Taiwan’s defenses without ever invading.

What is she saying? Oudkirk spoke to NPR in Taiwan this week. Here’s what she mentioned.

On whether or not the U.S. would heed China’s request to cease promoting arms to Taiwan and to help it utilizing peaceable means to take management of the island:

The U.S. One China Policy is longstanding. It’s received bipartisan help. It hasn’t modified. Part of that method to Taiwan is the settlement that the United States will promote defensive weapons to Taiwan, type of linked to the extent of risk that Taiwan faces. So that is a dedication that the United States has made, and that is not going to alter.

On whether or not she thinks China is planning to invade Taiwan within the close to future:

There’s an vital distinction between planning and coaching troops and really, you realize, on the point of do one thing. And I believe we’ve got even heard from the PRC [People’s Republic of China] themselves that their desire could be for a peaceable reunification. And the United States is assured that there is no such thing as a imminent risk of invasion for Taiwan.

On how she thinks the U.S. can push again on false claims and conspiracy theories circulating by Taiwanese social media and information that the U.S. shouldn’t be a dependable associate to Taiwan:

The strategy to push again in opposition to disinformation and type of deliberate data manipulation is to speak and to interact and to be approachable and in addition to work on issues like media literacy.

On the United States’ financial relationship with Taiwan – and the way it’s not nearly semiconductor chips, which Taiwan leads the world in manufacturing:

They are an enormous marketplace for agricultural items. They’re the sixth largest supply of international college students within the United States. So there is a large relationship there… Taiwan is now our fourth quickest rising international direct investor within the United States.

Taiwanese sailors salute the island’s flag on the deck of the Panshih provide ship after collaborating in annual drills in Jan. 2018.

Mandy Cheng/AFP by way of Getty Images

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Mandy Cheng/AFP by way of Getty Images

What now?

• The Senate is deliberating on a proposed navy help invoice that would give extra money to protection initiatives that counter China and assist Taiwan defend itself. The bill has hit a snag, principally from lawmakers who wish to pare down funding and separate out funding streams to Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and to the US-Mexico border.
• Taiwan’s presidential elections in Jan. 2024 are heating up. The island’s opposition KMT and TPP events tried to work collectively and run on a joint ticket earlier this November however their short-lived collaboration dramatically fell aside after the candidates could not agree on who would run because the presidential nominee.
• Meanwhile, Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the U.S. Bi-khim Hsiao is working because the vice presidential candidate on the ticket of the ruling social gathering, the DPP. Their greatest challengers would be the KMT, which has picked a deeply-conservative vice presidential candidate who favors nearer ties with China.

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