US has troops stationed on Taiwan, island’s leader Tsai Ing-wen confirms for first time
- American troops are training local forces, Taiwanese president says in interview
- Tsai says Taiwan has support of ‘the people of the US as well as Congress’
Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen said she believes that the United States would help to defend the island in the event of an attack by China, amid confusion about the US administration’s position on military intervention.
Speaking to CNN in an interview aired on Wednesday, Tsai also confirmed for the first time that US troops were stationed on the self-governing island, explaining that Taiwan had a “wide range of cooperation with the US aiming at increasing our defence capability”.
The US does not have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but is required by law to aid its efforts to defend itself militarily, including through arms sales.
Different people had interpreted Biden’s remarks in different ways, Tsai told CNN. But as for her own interpretation about whether the administration would defend Taiwan if China attacked, Tsai was unambiguous.
“I do have faith, given the long term relationship that we have with the US; and also the support [from] the people of the US as well as the Congress and the administration has been very helpful,” said Tsai, who was reelected as Taiwan’s leader in a landslide victory last year.