スピーキングチャレンジ【CNN10】バイデン大統領台湾保護を宣誓・サル痘の流行｜2022年5月24日

Q: Do you think the U.S. will send out troops to defend Taiwan?

[Transcript]

Biden Vows to Protect Taiwan if China Invades

During a news conference in Tokyo last Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden made a comment that got a lot of international attention and analysis. And yes, you’ve guessed it, it concerns Taiwan. For decades, the Taiwanese government, which sees itself as an independent democracy, has been at odds with the government of China, which sees Taiwan as part of the communist mainland. The two governments are not currently at war, but China has been holding military drills near the island in recent months.

As an ally of Taiwan, the U.S. doesn't want China to forcibly try to take control of the island. But the question is, if China does invade, how would the U.S. government react? Would it stand by, or would it get involved in a war with China to protect Taiwan? The U.S. clearly doesn't want China to invade Taiwan, nor does it want Taiwan to push for independence from China. But when Biden was asked the question, “Are you willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if it comes to that?”, the President rescinded with a clear statement, “Yes. That’s a commitment we made.”

Soon after the statement was made, Biden’s administration in Washington D.C. quickly walked back his comments, saying America's One-China policy hasn't changed. The U.S. is committed to peace and stability in the Asian region, but America would continue to provide Taiwan weapons to defend itself. Taiwan, an island of 23 million people, is a vibrant democracy and a U.S. ally that sits just across the sea from the world's largest one-party state. Talk about David vs. Goliath, folks. Check out today’s CNN10 video for more on cross-strait political relations.

The Monkeypox Outbreak

With more than 216 million people, Nigeria has Africa's largest population. The country is located in a region of Africa where a virus known as monkeypox is currently endemic, meaning outbreaks are more common there. What's unusual is that dozens of recent cases have been reported in countries where monkeypox isn't common. For example, Australia, Canada, Israel, the United States, and at least 11 nations in Europe.

Monkeypox does not spread as easily as COVID-19. Officials say people have to come in close contact with one another in order to catch the virus. Its symptoms are said to be like the flu at first⏤fever, chills, aches, fatigue⏤swollen lymph nodes and a rash on the face and body can follow, and that usually goes away after a couple of weeks. Fortunately, unlike the coronavirus, monkeypox is not a new virus; there are treatments that can be used for diseases like it, including an antiviral drug.

And just last week, President Joe Biden spoke from Tokyo about how this is a virus that we know well, it doesn't spread as easily as COVID-19, people should not panic, but we should definitely be aware. And the CDC here in the US and the World Health Organization have both said they are investigating these cases and will release more information as they learn more. So stay tuned.

[Sentence of the day]

Both sides acknowledged that despite the existence of two governments, there's only one nation of China, and that paved the way for economic and cultural cooperation.

[Vocabulary words]

1. acknowledge
to accept, admit, or recognize something

i.e. The people refused to acknowledge the new government so they started a revolution.

2. existence
the fact of something being or someone existing

i.e. Till this day, many people question the existence of God.

3. pave
to cover an area of ground with a hard, flat surface of pieces of stone, concrete, or bricks

And just so you know, another word for sidewalk is what British people call pavement

i.e. The area near the beach is paved with bricks set in patterns.


Alright, that’s all we have time for today.
Now folks, here’s a real debate.
Do you think the U.S. will send out troops to defend Taiwan
If Beijing decides to attack, or as they call it, take back the island?
Let me know in the comment section down below.
This is Ken Miao with CNN10. I’ll see you again next week.

Thanks for the script. I think US military will take actions if China force Taiwan. I strongly wish for peace negotiations?‍♀️