Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi told CNN in an exclusive interview on July 15 that Taiwan will continue to ensure that the Taiwan Strait remains open.
Chen said Taiwan will uphold and protect freedom of international navigation and overflight, and maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Strait by strengthening Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities and reinforcing the Taiwanese people’s determination to defend their homeland.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a press release issued on July 17 that Chen was interviewed by Jim Sciutto, host of CNN’s The Briefing, where he explained the Taiwanese government’s position on issues including the Chinese Communist Party’s escalating military threats against Taiwan, the security situation in the Taiwan Strait, and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
Chen said that the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) extends beyond the possibility of a direct military invasion. It also includes daily gray-zone coercion, such as the PLA’s continuous military exercises around Taiwan and the recent redeployment of China Coast Guard vessels to conduct so-called “law enforcement” operations in waters off Taiwan’s east coast.
He said these actions are highly dangerous and pose a challenge to maintaining the Taiwan Strait as an open and secure international waterway.
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US arms sales to Taiwan
Regarding U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, Chen Ming-chi said that last year the United States completed the largest arms sale package to Taiwan in its history, demonstrating Washington’s support for Taiwan’s defense reforms and efforts to strengthen its self-defense capabilities.
He added that additional arms sales are still under review by the U.S. government, and Taiwan respects that process. However, he stressed that as China continues to rapidly expand its military capabilities, Taiwan urgently needs these defensive capabilities to meet increasingly severe security challenges.
He also noted that Taiwan has already approved part of its special national defense budget, demonstrating its determination to strengthen self-defense and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Chen emphasized that defending Taiwan is the responsibility of all Taiwanese people. He said Taiwan will continue advancing defense reforms by demonstrating its determination to defend itself, building asymmetric warfare capabilities, and deepening cooperation with like-minded partners to jointly safeguard the security of the First Island Chain and preserve peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Security situation in the Taiwan Strait
Addressing the security situation in the Taiwan Strait, Chen said the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz highlights the critical role that international shipping lanes play in global security and the world economy.
He warned that the consequences of any closure of the Taiwan Strait would be unimaginable. Taiwan, he said, will continue to ensure that the Taiwan Strait remains open, respect and uphold the freedom of international navigation and overflight, and maintain the status quo across the Strait by strengthening its self-defense capabilities and reinforcing the Taiwanese people’s resolve to defend their homeland.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that Chen gave the CNN interview while leading a delegation to the Aspen Security Forum, a prominent international security dialogue held in the United States.
During the forum, he exchanged views with government officials, leading scholars, and opinion leaders from various countries on issues including regional security and supply chain resilience. He also gave interviews to several international media outlets to explain Taiwan’s position to the international community.
