Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, was asked whether U.S. President Trump would send troops to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack. She responded that this was a hypothetical question. Taiwan's strategy is to strengthen self-defense capabilities, raise the threshold for military aggression, and turn itself into a 'porcupine' that no aggressor can easily swallow, thus deterring thoughts of conquering Taiwan by force—'War is absolutely not an option.'
According to the Central News Agency, the Taiwan Presidential Office issued a press release on the 14th stating that Hsiao's interview with Al Jazeera's Sydney correspondent was aired early in the morning.
The media pointed out that Trump had previously stated he would not intervene in another overseas war or travel the 11,500 miles to Taiwan.
Hsiao said that U.S. officials have repeatedly reiterated that their policy toward Taiwan has not changed, and that U.S.-Taiwan relations are institutionally safeguarded through the Taiwan Relations Act. Trump hopes to be a 'president of peace,' which aligns with Taiwan's vision of maintaining regional peace and stability.
She noted that Taiwan does not want to see any form of conflict, so its strategy is to strengthen self-defense and raise the threshold for use of force, making the decision to use military action much harder for aggressors. Some senior U.S. defense officials and strategists have proposed a 'denial strategy,' which is to turn Taiwan into a 'porcupine' or an entity or country that is hard to annex—this is the core of Taiwan's national defense construction.
As for whether Trump would send troops to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack, Hsiao stated that this is a hypothetical scenario. Taiwan is taking many measures to prevent certain situations from occurring; Taiwan and the U.S. are jointly promoting various forms of cooperation, including strengthening Taiwan's defensive capabilities, providing necessary defensive equipment, as well as 'many details that are not convenient to discuss.'
● Taiwan Has Long Faced Large-Scale Gray Zone Intrusions
Hsiao said that mainland China is currently adopting a two-pronged strategy: on one hand, military intimidation, and on the other hand, claiming that the people of Taiwan are members of the greater Chinese family, using gray zone tactics to threaten, coerce and intimidate, attempting to make more people accept its ultimate goal of unifying Taiwan.
Hsiao said Taiwan has long faced large-scale gray zone intrusions, including cybersecurity threats, interference in internal affairs, cognitive warfare, legal warfare, and psychological warfare, and that it must continuously enhance social resilience and strengthen democratic powers.