Taiwan’s representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim called for international support for Taiwan in interviews with US news broadcasts over the past week. The interviews followed US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to Taiwan. Pelosi’s visit was followed by a series of Chinese military live-fire drills around Taiwan lasting almost two weeks.
In the interviews, Hsiao explained Taiwan’s government policy and position, and refuted China’s claim to sovereignty over Taiwan. She spoke to major US news media outlets including CBS News, PBS News, MSNBC, CNN and Fox News.
Hsiao said China had already prepared for the drills long before Pelosi’s Taiwan visit. She emphasized that the drills were unnecessary and irrational. She said Taiwan will do everything it can to ease tensions, but that it will never give up its freedom.
Ambassador Hsiao said visits to Taiwan by members of the US Congress have been an important part of Taiwan-US relations for many years. She said it is Beijing that’s creating the crisis and not Taiwan or the US.