Speaking with CNN in an exclusive interview Tuesday, Tsai became the first Taiwanese leader in decades to confirm publicly the presence of US troops on the island for training purposes and said the threat from Beijing is growing"every day."
China's rebuke to Tsai's comments is only the most recent evidence of growing tension between the US and China over Taiwan. The island nation's status and its relationship to the US -- always a fraught issue for Beijing's rulers -- are now among the thorniest points of disagreement in the increasingly tense US-China relationship.
She said while military tensions have escalated in the last few years, Taiwan has become more confident due to growing support from the international community and she said she has faith that the United States will come to its rescue if China were to launch an invasion. At the same time, the US maintains formal diplomatic ties with China and acknowledges Beijing's position that there is only one Chinese government. China's ruling Communist Party claims sovereignty over Taiwan, a democratic island of more than 23 million people, despite the two sides being governed separately for over 70 years.
Hyten added that the US will have to work in concert with allies."It's not just the United States, but the United States and our allies, because that's the thing that really changes the game," Hyten said."If it's the United States only, it's going to be problematic in five years. But if it's the United States and our allies, I think we can be good for a while.
On CNN's Newsroom on Thursday morning, Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, urged caution when asked about China's harsh response to Tsai's comments about US troops in the interview with Ripley.
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