NPR’s Steve Inskeep interviews US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan in Washington, DC on January 5, 2023.
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NPR’s Steve Inskeep interviews US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan in Washington, DC on January 5, 2023.
Catie Dull/NPR
Tensions between the United States and China over Taiwan have increased the likelihood of a military conflict, but national security adviser Jake Sullivan believes such a scenario is possible. avoid.
“There is a danger of conflict with respect to Taiwan, but I believe with responsible management we can ensure that this fallback never happens. And that’s our responsibility,” he told Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep in an exclusive interview.
However, Sullivan admits that achieving this goal will require “hard work” and “coordination with allies.”
“That would require us to comply with the commitments of the Taiwan Relations Act, which for 40 years now has provided that we will provide defensive terms to Taiwan. And it will require an exception. delivered directly to Taiwan.” [People’s Republic of China]”, he said. “We must make this a priority to ensure that there is no war in the Taiwan Strait.”
On December 23, China urged the US to stop checks Beijing’s “red lines” over Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory.
“The United States must seriously consider China’s legitimate concerns, stop preventing and halting China’s development, and especially stop using salami tactics to continuously challenge China’s red lines. “, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. said in a statement.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping raised the Taiwan issue with President Biden during their meeting at the G20 summit in Bali in November 2022. He reiterated that the Taiwan issue was a “core interest.” China’s core” and is the “first red line” in the tie bilateral relationship.
Beijing has further heightened tensions by conducting numerous military exercises in the Taiwan Strait over the past year. At the end of December, China sent 71 military planes and seven ships to the island within 24 hours after Beijing expressed anger over Taiwan-related provisions in a multiple spending bill. .
Sullivan’s comment on Taiwan as part of the interview addressed several other national security issues, including semiconductors, Ukraine and the Middle East. Here are some notable points:
On the implications of a potential air strike on Taiwan…
“I don’t want to delve into theories about what a particular military situation would be like. But I will say this. When we took office, more than 90% of the most advanced semiconductors were made in Taiwan. Loan The remaining percentage is produced in [Republic of Korea]. 0% percent made in the United States.”
“We’re still reliant on importing those chips from Taiwan and from South Korea, and we’re going to have to build those factories and recreate the manufacturing industry that has a leading edge in the US. You can’t do that. That’s going to happen overnight. But we believe we’re on the way to doing it. And month after month, the U.S. supply chain is getting safer.”
On the occasion of the meeting between Biden and Xi…
“I believe that the meeting between the two presidents in Bali has in fact laid the foundation for the relationship. It has brought more stability and direction to groups in both Beijing and Washington to deal with issues. For example, there is no reason why the United States and China, as the world’s two largest carbon emitters, should not find a way to work together to reduce overall world carbon emissions and contribute to solving the climate crisis.”
“There’s no reason the United States and China can’t work together to reduce the flow of chemical precursors to fentanyl that is killing tens of thousands of Americans.”
“That doesn’t erase the fact that we have fundamental differences and different disagreements with China, and we won’t be shy about those things, whether it’s speaking out about human rights, for whether it is repelling provocations around Taiwan, or not. that is how the People’s Republic of China acts in a threatening and coercive manner towards its neighbors.”
About the technology competition between the US and China…
“Semiconductors, as many now know, have actually been only since the COVID-19 pandemic, which is fundamental to powering our economy across all sectors, whether it be cars, our home appliances or any high-tech products, our iPhones, our computers. etc. Semiconductors are also at the heart of military power. It is the semiconductor that powers the advanced missile guidance system, the same semiconductor that is present in every part of a nuclear submarine.”
“The United States has done two things in the last two years. First, we said we would invest again in the United States to become a powerhouse in semiconductor manufacturing. […] Second, we have said that we will no longer allow the most advanced chips designed in the United States to be used in the weapons systems of countries that are our strategic competitors. , like China.”
NPR’s Steve Inskeep interviews national security adviser Jake Sullivan in Washington, DC on January 5, 2023.
Catie Dull/NPR
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About the war in Ukraine…
“The essential driver of American policy is […] provide Ukraine with the means to put itself in the best possible position on the battlefield, to gain as much benefit as possible. And finally, if there’s a negotiating table they choose, because it’s up to them, that they’re in the best possible position at the table. Predicting exactly how the war will turn out, how it will play out, in what time period it will take place, I will leave that to the others.”
On my upcoming trip to Israel…
“The first thing that I intend to convey is the fact that […] The United States is absolutely committed to Israel’s security and that will not change. President Biden was a fundamental and staunch supporter of the state of Israel throughout his time in public service. Second, we will discuss the challenges and opportunities in the Middle East region. There are significant challenges, including the threat posed by Iran. On the other hand, there are real opportunities, including what we’ve seen in the deepening normalization between Israel and some Arab states.”
“We continue to support the two-state solution, and we will oppose policies and practices that undermine the viability of the two-state solution or drastically curtail the historic status quo in Jerusalem. And I will speak clearly and directly on those points.”
Lilly Quiroz produced the audio of this interview. Majd Al-Waheidi edited the highlights of the interview.
