00:00Taiwan's troops, trained with M1A2T Abrams tanks, bought from the U.S.,
00:08Taiwan's most important defense backer, which last month announced it would sell
00:12even more arms to Taiwan, $11 billion worth, as Taiwan works to build up its defenses in
00:19case of an attack from China, which has not ruled out taking control of the country by force.
00:25Then, this week, U.S. President Donald Trump, in an interview with the New York Times,
00:30made a striking statement on China's claims to Taiwan and its plans for the country.
00:36Appearing to address a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan, he had this to say,
00:41That's up to him, referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
00:45I've expressed to him that I would be very unhappy if he did that, and I don't think he'll do that.
00:50I hope he doesn't. He may do it after we have a different president,
00:53but I don't think he's going to do it with me as president.
00:56In response, Taiwan's foreign ministry said the U.S. continues to demonstrate a consistent stance
01:02on Taiwan, adding that it remains in close contact with Washington.
01:06Others in Taiwan, gathered for a forum on how to deal with Beijing,
01:11are taking Trump's comments as supportive and as a warning to China.
01:15That's right.
01:45In this case, it's very important to say that Trump is very friendly, but it's also very
01:53clear to me. I'm not happy. I think this is a warning to Xi Jinping.
02:00Japanese lawmaker Seki He, who is currently on a visit to Taiwan and is known for his hard line
02:07on China, added that Beijing wouldn't take the decision to attack Taiwan lightly because the
02:12risks are great.
02:32Born in China, but now a naturalized Japanese citizen, Seki is banned from entering the country
02:37of his birth because of his criticism of Beijing. His Taiwan visit also comes
02:42with tensions running high between Tokyo and Beijing after Japan's prime minister said
02:47Japan could respond militarily if China attacked Taiwan. But even as some in Taipei view Trump's
02:54comments as a positive sign, they also come as Trump and Xi are expected to meet in just a few months.
03:00If the leaders discuss Taiwan, it may also be a big moment to see how Trump's message may change
03:06or remain consistent. Ryan Wu and Keynes Kuranta for Taiwan Plus.
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