Following an incident on March 31 where two fighter jets from the People's Republic of China (PRC) unexpectedly crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, causing serious concerns from the United States, European Union and Japan and strongly condemned by the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the ROC (Taiwan) President Tsai Ing-wen will speak at a video conference with three American think tanks at 6pm, April 9, 2019.
The three Washington-based think tanks are Center for Strategic and International Studies, Brookings Institution, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The video conference will be live streamed on the ROC Presidential Office's website (https://www.president.gov.tw/). President Tsai is expected to deliver her remarks at 6.25pm (India time) on that day.
Immediately after the PRC's jet incursion on March 31, President Tsai had directed Taiwan's armed forces to take all necessary combat preparedness measures to ensure national security. The ROC Presidential Office also released a statement to condemn such behavior as irresponsible and provocative and is a threat to regional security and stability.
US National Security Adviser John Bolton on April 1 tweeted “Chinese military incursions won’t win any hearts or minds in Taiwan, but they will strengthen the resolve of people everywhere who value democracy.” He further reiterated that “the US would uphold its commitment to Taiwan under the US's Taiwan Relations Act,” whose 40th anniversary is celebrated by both Taiwan and the US this year.
In addition, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga and a spokesperson for the European External Action Service expressed their concerns about the situation and hoped peace and stability can be maintained and promoted in the Taiwan Strait. The US Department of Defense also issued a statement saying that “Beijing’s efforts to unilaterally alter the status quo are harmful and do not contribute to regional stability.”
At a video conference with the US-based Heritage Foundation on March 28, President Tsai said "...despite our (Taiwan’s) best intentions, China has used every opportunity to alter the status quo. They have continued to undermine our democratic institutions, heighten military tensions, and degrade our international space."
"China's actions have underscored the need for Taiwan to increase our self-defense and deterrence capabilities. To be clear, we seek peace, not hostility. But we must be capable of defending our freedom, democracy, and way of life," President Tsai said, adding Taiwan will continue to seek closer partnerships with like-minded countries so that by supporting one another, countries can remain free and sovereign without being subject to coercion.
Appendix 1 (Presidential Office statement regarding China’s fighter jets crossing Taiwan Strait’s median line)
Appendix 2 (Transcript of President Tsai's Remarks at a Videoconference with US Heritage Foundation on March 28, 2019)
