(18 Apr 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Taipei, Taiwan – 18 April 2025
1. Wide of U.S. Republican Senator Pete Ricketts arriving and greeting Associated Press journalists before interview
2. U.S. Democratic Senator Chris Coons shaking hands with AP journalists
3. Wide of interview
4. SOUNDBITE (English) U.S. Senator, Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware:
"The United States can continue something that began under the previous administration and is extending under this administration and has strong bipartisan support, which is connecting Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan, Australia, Korea, weaving together regional partners and allies."
5. AP journalist asking question
6. SOUNDBITE (English) U.S. Senator, Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware:
"There’s 90 days (tariff pause) here, and, the Taiwanese government is getting moving quickly. So, look, they may have been a little surprised about the initial tariff rate but I did not hear that, that wasn’t really part of the conversation. It was more an optimistic and forward looking, really crisp, well-defined agenda. And I’m optimistic that we’re going to see a strong next chapter in the U.S.-Taiwan relations."
7. Wide of interview
8. SOUNDBITE (English) U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts, a Republican from Nebraska:
"I always again tell people, look past the rhetoric and look at the action. Secretary Hegseth came out here very early this administration to talk about the importance of allies and what we’re going to do to be able to support them. You look at it again that when it came to the pauses, the Philippines, Taiwan, they were not impacted by those. When you look at, for example, these trade negotiations, Taiwan is engaging already with the administration. So I think it’s been very clear that the administration is making this a priority."
9. Wide of interview
10. SOUNDBITE (English) U.S. Senator, Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware:
"Of course, there is a possibility that Xi Jinping would decide that this was the right time for the Chinese Communist Party, the People’s Liberation Army, to take aggressive action. I think it’s exactly the wrong thing.”
11. Wide of interview
12. SOUNDBITE (English) U.S. Senator, Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware:
"I think they (China) would find a a forceful and united response. Much as Putin miscalculated the response of the whole world, 50 countries, to his aggression against Ukraine and suffered significant sanctions and significant and sustained support for Ukraine as a consequence."
13. Wide of interview
14. Close of Coons’ hands
15. Wide of Ricketts and Coons shaking hands with AP journalists and leaving
STORYLINE:
Two U.S. senators made their first trip to Taiwan under the new Trump administration a bipartisan one, aiming to show both Taiwan and China that U.S. support for Taiwan’s defense remains broad, despite the harsh words and harsh tariffs President Donald Trump has had for the Taiwanese.
Taiwan’s leaders so far are messaging back just as hard, assuring the Republican U.S. administration that they have taken in Trump’s complaints and are acting on them.
Many Asia-Pacific nations are eschewing the retaliatory criticism and tariffs of some of the U.S.’s European allies after Trump earlier this month slapped broad tariffs on many countries around the world, including a 32% one for Taiwan.
Sens. Pete Ricketts and Chris Coons, the ranking Republican and Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s East Asia subcommittee, spoke ahead of scheduled talks Friday with President Lai Ching-te.
AP Video shot by Johnson Lai and Taijing Wu
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