âI do have faith given the long-term relationship that we have with the United States. and also the support of the people of the United States as well as the Congress,â she told CNN in an interview aired Wednesday evening U.S. time. âThe administration has been very helpful.â
The âthreat from China is increasing every day,â Tsai added, confirming that American troops are currently stationed on the island. She said however that there were ânot as many as people thoughtâ on Taiwanese soil.
âWe have a wide range of cooperation with the United States aiming at increasing our defense capability,â she added.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) claims that the self-ruled island of Taiwan is a province of China. The democratically governed island has its own constitution, military, and ruling party.
Beijing has in recent weeks escalated military harassment against the island, including a show of force from the Chinese military over Taiwanâs air defense zone.
Earlier this month, Chinese leader Xi Jinping renewed calls that Taiwan would be âreunifiedâ with the mainland, and blamed continued commitment to Taiwanâs independence as a major threat to his plan of so-called ânational rejuvenation,â a goal that observers say indicate Xiâs desire to transform the regime into the worldâs sole superpower by mid-century.
âHere is this island of 23 million people trying hard every day to protect ourselves and protect our democracy and making sure that our people have the kind of freedom they deserve,â Tsai said. âIf we fail, then that means people, that believe in these values, would doubt whether these are values that they [should] be fighting for.â
Tsai previously said that the island will do âwhatever it takesâ to safeguard the island against mounting CCP aggression.
Her latest remarks come a week after President Joe Biden told a CNN town hall event that the United States was committed to defending Taiwan if the self-ruled island were attacked by Chinaâa departure from a long-held U.S. position of âstrategic ambiguity.â
The White House later walked back his comments, while some analysts said that Biden had simply misspoken. The president was ânot intending to convey a change in policy, nor has he made a decision to change our policy,â White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Oct. 22.
Biden and Xi are expected to hold a virtual meeting before the end of the year, according to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan.