John Bolton, former U.S. National Security Advisor and Ambassador to the U.N., joins us for an exclusive interview during his visit to Taiwan.
Ambassador Bolton is a longtime friend of the country having worked with successive Taiwan administrations. He shares with Taiwan Talks why Taiwan matters to the U.S. and democracy, maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait while ensuring the country’s self-government, and how Taiwan is the “center of gravity” in the global battle against authoritarianism.
He stresses how peace comes through strength, defense articles Taiwan needs in deterring a potential Chinese invasion, and lessons from Ukrainian determination in defending their homeland. Bolton also touches on his decades-long advocacy for restoring Taiwan-U.S. diplomatic ties, the future of U.S. Cross-Strait policy, and how the island nation can boost the region’s collective deterrence.
We also hear from Vincent Chao, Taipei City Councilor and former director of the political division at Taiwan’s Representative Office in the U.S., on the current state of Taiwan-U.S. relations. Patrick Cronin, Asia-Pacific Security Chair at the Hudson Institute, then shares with us, the multifaceted approach needed in deterring Chinese military action against Taiwan.
Chapters:
0:23 Why Taiwan Matters to the U.S. and Democracy
1:19 U.S. Efforts Enough to Counter China and a Potential Blockade
2:50 Goal: Maintaining Peace, Self-Government on Taiwan
3:48 Re-Establishing Taiwan-U.S. Diplomatic Ties
4:52 Taiwan's Upcoming Presidential Elections
5:54 U.S. Arming and Stationing of Troops in Taiwan
7:25 "China Sees Taiwan's Existence as Provocative"
8:45 New China-Russia Axis
9:30 Chinese Threat Highlights Taiwan's Importance
10:40 How Can Chinese Expansionism Be Contained?
12:08 Bolton's Vision for U.S.' Taiwan Policy
13:53 Impact of Ukraine War on Taiwan
14:25 U.S. Public Support for Taiwan
15:30 Taiwan's Ties with Countries Around the World
16:42 How Taiwan Can Best Deter a Chinese Invasion
19:29 Chinese Influence Operations in the U.S. and Taiwan
20:25 Taiwanese vs. Ukrainian Determination
22:24 Preventing a Chinese Blockade of Taiwan
24:56 Economic Sanctions in Deterring Aggression
26:20 Long and Short-Term Deterrence
28:25 What Defense Articles Does Taiwan Need?
30:00 "Weakness Is Provocative"
33:37 Vincent Chao: Current State of Taiwan-U.S. Relations
41:36 China Exacerbating Support for Taiwan
43:15 Could a Republican White House Affect Taiwan?
45:36 Patrick Cronin: Military Alone Insufficient for Deterrence
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