Taiwan's President Spends Day in High-Stakes Meetings With U.S. Lawmakers Transcript

The eyes of the world on Southern California today as Taiwan’s president was in town for a high stakes meeting.

President Tsai Ing-wen met with a bipartisan group of US lawmakers and spent the day with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the Reagan Library. KCAL political reporter, Tom Wait, is here now at the details. And Tom, this comes as tensions are already high with China.

Yeah, very high. And the meeting has big implications, right? So China bitterly opposed the meeting between Taiwan’s president and US leaders. China claims Taiwan as part of their territory, so this will undoubtedly ratchet up. Tensions between the US and Chinese leaders, even more.

[inaudible 00:00:40].

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen greeted by supporters as she arrived at her LA Hotel. Taiwan’s president is here trying to cement us support as tensions with China continue to rise. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Tsai spent Wednesday at the Reagan Presidential Library. It’s the highest level meeting on US soil for a Taiwanese leader in decades.

The friendship between the people of Taiwan and America is a matter of profound importance to the free world.

Fears continue to grow in Taiwan that China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, will launch a full-blown invasion and take over the democratic island nation. As part of her visit, Tsai also met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers promising to stand with Taiwan.

The urgency of keeping the beacon of freedom shining cannot be understated.

Experts say the high stakes visit is being closely watched around the world, and especially in China.

China’s watching closely to see if she’s going to make any provocative comments.

USC Professor Stanley Rosen specializes in Chinese politics and society.

Tsai Ing-wen made it quite clear that this was in the interest of peace. So she’s met with a number of officials that China obviously doesn’t like, but it could have been a lot worse.

Beijing opposed the meeting and just hours earlier launched a military patrol operation in the Taiwan Strait. Last August, China’s military conducted live fire exercises after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Tsai in Taiwan, just 100 miles from China’s coast. Pelosi offered rare praise for McCarthy over the meeting. McCarthy too emphasized support for Taiwan crosses party lines.

But when it comes to peace, freedom, and democracy, I think that unites us.

Official US policy toward Taiwan is complicated. The US recognizes Taiwan’s democratic government, right to self rule and has pledged to defend it in case of a Chinese attack. But the US also recognizes the island nation is part of communist China.

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How dire is the situation in terms of tension between China and Taiwan right now?

Well, the Economist recently had a cover story, the most dangerous place in the world. And that was Taiwan. The Taiwan Straits. This week, the Economist cover story was America versus China. It’s worse than you think.

Taiwan produces the vast majority of advanced computer chips used in everything from smartphones to automobiles to medical equipment. The ripple effect of a potential military conflict could shut down production, limiting supply and skyrocketing prices of everyday consumer products. And obviously the lives lost too in any kind of conflict would be horrific.

Yeah.

So we’re just hoping that all the tensions stay down. Right?

Yeah, no, definitely.

But an important meeting.

Very important.

Oh, absolutely.

Thank you.

Thanks a lot, Tom.