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The pursuing is the transcript of the interrogation with Ambassador Alexander Yui, Taiwan's typical to the U.S., that aired connected "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" connected May 17, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We crook present to Ambassador Alexander Yui, Taiwan's typical to the United States. Ambassador, bully to person you present successful person. There hasn't- determination hasn't been a telephone betwixt an American president and a person of Taiwan since 1979, but President Trump indicated to reporters determination mightiness beryllium 1 coming. Is determination a telephone planned with President Lai?
ALEXANDER YUI, TAIWAN REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UNITED STATES: Well, we'll see, but President Trump, erstwhile helium was successful Beijing for the past 2 days, helium mentioned that helium heard a batch astir Taiwan, you know, helium heard a batch astir Taiwan those 2 days successful Beijing. But the occupation is helium heard lone their broadside of the story, you know, helium heard the Chinese story, oregon arsenic I would accidental successful Spanish, el cuento chino. I deliberation he, if helium has time, would emotion to archer him our broadside of the story, the Taiwan story, which is 1 that of resiliency, of a authorities staying up against the Chinese aggression. This has been going connected for 77 years. This is not thing that conscionable happened erstwhile the DPP, the existent ruling enactment successful Taiwan, came to power. This has been going connected for 77 years, since the inception of 1949 erstwhile they became a People's Republic. So this is not a caller thing, arsenic if we are the ones creating problems. It is China- People's Republic of China, creating each this problems--
MARGARET BRENNAN: -- So nary telephone scheduled yet?--
YUI: Well, the connection betwixt Taiwan and U.S. is constant, it's current. But I'll permission it to the U.S. to denote anything. If it happens.
MARGARET BRENNAN: It would beryllium a large deal. He did talk to a past president arsenic president-elect.
YUI: Yes, with President Tsai, yeah, 2015-16.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That's right. So, China refers to your president arsenic a separatist, successful portion due to the fact that Lai has talked astir being a "practical idiosyncratic for Taiwan independence." In an interrogation with Fox News, President Trump said he's not looking to person idiosyncratic accidental let's spell beryllium autarkic due to the fact that the United States is backing us. Does Taiwan person immoderate volition of declaring independency formally from China?
YUI: Well, fto maine archetypal accidental that President Trump and Secretary Rubio person been precise categorical during their sojourn to Beijing, publically stating that there's nary change, United States' longstanding presumption successful Taiwan, which we privation to explicit our appreciation for upholding this position. What is meant by Taiwan independence? My president conscionable made a connection recently, conscionable now, and it means that Taiwan is autarkic from the Chinese aggression, from the PRC, actually. The ceremonial sanction of my state is Republic of China, and we're not subordinate to the People's Republic of China, successful immoderate way, astatine all, and that's maintaining our sovereignty, our mode of life, our democracy, our- our vibrant economy, our high-tech production.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.
YUI: And that is, that is- what is meant by independence. We are sovereign, autarkic distant from the Chinese People's Republic of China's effort to swallow america arsenic 1 of their own. They person ne'er ruled oregon controlled Taiwan, ever.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.
YUI: So that's- that's- that is meant by independence.
MARGARET BRENNAN: What President Trump, though, said- helium wants Taiwan to chill it. He besides wanted China to chill it. That seems to bespeak that possibly helium was listening to Xi Jinping's mentation of events and mightiness person been persuaded?
YUI: Well, that's wherefore I, you know, if- we'd emotion to, fixed our portion of the story--
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.
YUI: Not conscionable perceive to cuentos chinos, but- but I deliberation that's a connection of saying helium wants presumption quo, President wants presumption quo, President Trump. That helium wants nary alteration successful this- successful the Taiwan Straits, neither done economical oregon subject coercion, and that the bid and stableness of the Taiwan Straits is bully for each parties concerned. And that's the presumption that Secretary Rubio mentioned during his interview, and that's the 1 that we besides agelong for. We person been a liable subordinate of- of Taiwan's Straits. We privation to strive for bid and stability. You know, President Trump doesn't privation a warfare 9,500 miles away.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That's what helium said.
YUI: We- we don't privation a war. We privation bid and stability. We privation to person our lives going connected as- arsenic usual, but we're not the ones creating each this trouble, and that's wherefore you cognize it's similar we- our house, those are intruders trying to get into our house, we're trying to beef up our information system. And past they complain, the intruder complains that due to the fact that we're trying to amended our information strategy it's making his occupation harder.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right. No, I perceive your point. And connected paper, President Trump's medication has pledged adjacent grounds amounts of antiaircraft weapons and income to Taiwan, but the deliveries haven't truly been happening. And successful Beijing, President Trump told Fox he's going to clasp connected to the latest weapons merchantability that Taiwan sought to acquisition this twelvemonth and usage it arsenic a negotiating spot with China. What interaction volition that person connected your quality to deter China if you don't get those weapons?
YUI: Well, exactly. If we don't- if we privation to forestall a warfare from happening, I deliberation it's champion that Taiwan is strong, capable to support itself, and truthful we should beryllium capable to acquire- to bargain the arms that we request to person a stronger defense, you know. We- we besides abide, we judge successful bid done strength, truthful really it makes much consciousness for United States to merchantability america the arms, truthful we tin support ourselves, and truthful you don't person to nonstop your service 9,500 miles distant to support us.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, the alleged Six Assurances that the U.S. gave to Taiwan backmost successful the Reagan-era included a pledge not to chopped disconnected arms income to Taiwan and of nary anterior consultation with Beijing connected specified sales, but this is what the President told reporters astir his treatment with Xi. Take a listen.
[SOUND ON TAPE STARTS]
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: So, what americium I going to do? Say I don't privation to speech to you astir it, due to the fact that I person an statement that was signed successful 1982? No, we discussed limb sales.
QUESTION: What's his request?
TRUMP: We discussed the Taiwan, you know, the full happening with the arms sales, it was successful large detail, actually, and I'll beryllium making decisions
[SOUND ON TAPE ENDS]
MARGARET BRENNAN: In "great detail." Did that interruption America's committedness to Taiwan?
YUI: Well, again, but President Trump has besides been precise wide successful saying that helium did not hold connected thing that the Chinese side--
MARGARET BRENNAN: --But helium did accidental he's going to clasp onto those weapons. And not springiness them--
YUI: But helium didn't accidental helium agreed to anything. So, again, the United States authorities has been accordant passim each administrations since 1979 successful providing arms to Taiwan, according to a Taiwan Relations Act, which is selling ours commensurate to the menace that Taiwan receives. And past administrations, including President Trump's archetypal term, made sizeable amounts of sales, including the F-16 container 70s. And besides successful his 2nd medication past year, helium made 2 income to Taiwan. Also, again, the past 1 besides precise sizeable magnitude of wealth connected arms sales. So, we judge again that having arms income proceed to Taiwan is successful the involvement of United States and Taiwan, to support peaceful and unchangeable Taiwan Straits.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, we volition effort to inquire the medication for updates connected erstwhile those deliveries mightiness happen. But convey you precise much, Ambassador.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Face the Nation volition beryllium backmost successful a minute. Stay with us.
English (US) ·