WEBVTT FILE
X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=MPEGTS:0,LOCAL:00:00:00.000

1
00:00:01.990 --> 00:00:04.920
- Washington's top diplomat
in Taipei said on Friday

2
00:00:04.920 --> 00:00:07.910
the US is committed
to bolstering Taiwan's ability

3
00:00:07.910 --> 00:00:09.330
to defend itself.

4
00:00:09.330 --> 00:00:11.290
Sandra Oudkirk,
who heads the de facto

5
00:00:11.290 --> 00:00:12.970
US embassy in Taiwan,

6
00:00:12.970 --> 00:00:14.730
said that in the first
news briefing

7
00:00:14.730 --> 00:00:17.510
since she took her post in July.

8
00:00:17.510 --> 00:00:20.520
- So the United States
has a commitment

9
00:00:20.520 --> 00:00:25.620
to help Taiwan provide
for its self-defense.

10
00:00:25.620 --> 00:00:28.120
And that's part of
the Taiwan Relations Act.

11
00:00:28.120 --> 00:00:30.960
It's a commitment
we take very seriously.

12
00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:35.410
Our commitment to Taiwan
is rock-solid and contributes

13
00:00:35.410 --> 00:00:37.700
to the maintenance
of peace and stability

14
00:00:37.700 --> 00:00:41.110
across the Taiwan Strait
and within the region.

15
00:00:41.110 --> 00:00:42.670
- Tense cross-strait tensions

16
00:00:42.670 --> 00:00:44.470
and the surge of Chinese
military jets

17
00:00:44.470 --> 00:00:47.030
into Taiwan's air defense zone
set off alarms

18
00:00:47.030 --> 00:00:50.460
that Beijing could try bolder
moves to bring in what it views

19
00:00:50.460 --> 00:00:53.030
as a rogue province
under its control.

20
00:00:53.030 --> 00:00:54.470
Chinese President Xi Jinping

21
00:00:54.470 --> 00:00:58.360
pledged peaceful reunification
in a key speech on October 8th

22
00:00:58.360 --> 00:01:01.010
but did not rule out
military options.

23
00:01:01.010 --> 00:01:04.090
Washington has long followed
a policy of strategic ambiguity

24
00:01:04.090 --> 00:01:06.350
on the question
of military intervention

25
00:01:06.350 --> 00:01:08.530
in the event
of a Chinese attack,

26
00:01:08.530 --> 00:01:11.200
but there have been
clearer signs of US-Taiwan

27
00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:12.710
relations warming.

28
00:01:12.710 --> 00:01:15.630
Oudkirk's remarks came after
Taiwanese leader Tsai

29
00:01:15.630 --> 00:01:19.140
Ing-wen told CNN
that a small team of US soldiers

30
00:01:19.140 --> 00:01:21.510
are on the democratically
ruled island

31
00:01:21.510 --> 00:01:24.620
to provide support
and training to local troops.

32
00:01:24.620 --> 00:01:26.860
While the United States,
like most countries,

33
00:01:26.860 --> 00:01:29.940
has no formal ties
with the Chinese-claimed island,

34
00:01:29.940 --> 00:01:32.910
it is its most important
international backer

35
00:01:32.910 --> 00:01:34.810
and main arms supplier.

36
00:01:34.810 --> 00:01:37.180
President Joe Biden's
administration has moved

37
00:01:37.180 --> 00:01:40.580
to restate that support,
to the anger of Beijing.