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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: T24 1225 TRUMP TAIWAN CHINA
HEADLINE: Taiwan prepares for Trump 2.0 amid rising Chinese military pressure
TEASER: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House is creating some uncertainties in Taiwan, prompting the island to seek to engage with the incoming administration amid rising military threats from China.
PUBLISHED AT: 12/25/2024 at 9:08
BYLINE: William Yang
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Taipei, Taiwan
VIDEOGRAPHER: Katie Tam,
VIDEO EDITOR: ELee
ASSIGNING EDITOR: Bill Ide
SCRIPT EDITORS: ELee,Bill Ide
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA Original, Reuters
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO _X_
TRT:
VID APPROVED BY:
TYPE: TVR
EDITOR NOTES: For Release Wednesday, 12/25))
((INTRO)) [[ As the world awaits United States President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House next month, Taiwan is caught between growing Chinese aggression and uncertainties surrounding U.S.-Taiwan relations. VOA’s William Yang reports from Taipei.]]
((NARRATOR))
From military personnel to civilians, Taiwan’s residents have been preparing for an uncertain future with a new U.S. president soon to take office and...
((REUTERS WITH MANDATORY COURTESY: TAIWAN COAST GUARD))
...mounting pressures from China. Beijing considers...
((END COURTESY))
self-governed Taiwan a part of China and says it will use force, if necessary, to make that claim a reality. While President Joe Biden has repeatedly said the U.S. will come to Taiwan’s aid if China were to attack, President-elect Trump has suggested Taiwan should pay the U.S. for its defense.
[[FOR RADIO: 28-year-old Taipei resident Angel Chi says she’s worries because it’s hard to tell what Trump is saying and what he is actually doing behind the scenes. She says Trump has always acted in his own interest and that of the U.S.]]
((Angel Chi, Taiwan Resident)) ((Female)) ((In Mandarin))
“I’m a bit worried because it’s hard to tell what Trump is saying, what he is actually doing, and what he’s doing behind the scenes, things that we can’t see. He has always acted in his own interests and the interests of the United States.”
((NARRATOR))
While Trump has picked prominent China hardliner Marco Rubio and Michael Waltz as potential Cabinet nominees, his comments on Taiwan have been vague.
((MANDATORY COURTESY: @FoxNews/YouTube))
Here’s Trump’s response in July 2023 in an interview with Fox News.
((Donald Trump, U.S. President-Elect))
“I don’t want to say what I’m thinking. If I answer that question, it’ll put me in a very bad negotiating position.”
((END COURTESY))
[[FOR RADIO: Michael Cole is a geopolitical analyst based in Taipei]]
((Michael Cole, Geopolitical Analyst)) ((Male, English))
“We don’t know at this point if he means it, when he says he wants to return the United States to a more isolationist position.”
((NARRATOR))
China’s position is clear from this November 7 press conference.
[[FOR RADIO: ... from its foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning]]
((Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson))
“China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the United States and Taiwan.”
((NARRATOR))
Some Taiwan residents think the democratic island’s values will help cement relations with the U.S. and like-minded countries.
[[FOR RADIO: 55-year-old Chen Cheng-yi says Trump wants to differentiate himself from Biden, so he has his personal views. But Chen doesn’t think that will affect Taiwan’s value to the U.S. and internationally.]]
((Chen Cheng-yi, Taiwan Resident)) ((Male)) ((In Mandarin))
“Trump wants to differentiate himself from Biden so he has his personal views, but I don’t think that will affect Taiwan’s value in the U.S. or as a part of the global line of defense [against China].”
((NARRATOR))
Experts also agree -- major changes in U.S.-Taiwan relations under the next administration are unlikely.
[[FOR RADIO: Lai I-Chung is president of The Prospect Foundation, a Taiwan-based think tank made up of academics and government officials.]]
((Lai I-Chung, The Prospect Foundation)) ((Male, English))
“The mood is that we will be very careful and very watchful about the development[s] but we are not panicking. // We also have very strong bipartisan support in the Congress, and that always can be Taiwan’s best bastions to sustaining and improving Taiwan-U.S. relations in all different fields.”
((NARRATOR))
While Taiwan continues to court the U.S. and prepare for the incoming Trump administration,
((Reuters with MANDATORY COURTESY: TAIWAN COAST GUARD))
China has been ramping up military pressure toward the island since Taiwan
((END COURTESY))
President Lai Ching-te took office in May –
((Reuters with MANDATORY COURTESY: TAIWAN COAST GUARD))
...with exercises around Taiwan and coast guard incursions. The actions are as much
((END COURTESY))
...directed at Taiwan’s government as its voters, says Cole.
((Michael Cole, Geopolitical Analyst)) ((Male, English))
“They are hoping that by creating this sense of embattlement and containment of Taiwan, eventually that would compel Taiwanese voters, if not Taiwanese government to engage in risk avoidance.”
((NARRATOR))
Cole says Beijing’s level of aggression toward Taiwan may depend on its assessment of the new Trump administration’s policies for Taiwan and China.
((William Yang, VOA News, Taipei, Taiwan))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Subtitles / Dubbing AvailableNo
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateDecember 25, 2024 09:25 EST
BylineWilliam Yang
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
