TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Vice President Kamala Harris responded to the issue of a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, expressing her support for Taiwan's defense for the first time in an interview with “60 Minutes.”
On Monday (Oct. 7), CBS aired interviews by journalist Bill Whitaker with Harris and her running mate Governor Tim Walz on their proposed domestic and foreign policy strategies. Harris said that the US must win in its competition with China, while not seeking conflict and protecting US business interests.
When Whitaker asked Harris whether the US would use military force to protect Taiwan if China attacked, she declined to “get into any hypotheticals.” However, Harris stressed her administration would maintain Washington's “one China" policy while “supporting Taiwan's ability to defend itself.”
She also said her administration would take steps to ensure freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait. Harris emphasized the importance of maintaining open lines of dialogue with China, especially military-to-military communication, to avoid conflict.
This interview marked the first time Harris has officially fielded a question about China's possible invasion and expressed her policy towards Taiwan's defense since declaring her candidacy for president in July.
