Breakfast with Taiwan’s 'cat warrior'

Bi-khim Hsiao loves cats, and as Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the United States, she has turned that into a brand: “cat warrior.” It’s her response to what has come to be known as China’s aggressive, “wolf warrior” diplomacy.

“Cats are adaptable in difficult environments,” Ms. Hsiao explained when I asked about the nickname after our Monitor Breakfast for reporters on May 30. “They’re flexible. They can walk on tightropes, and they have nine lives.”

It is an apt metaphor for the precarious position of Taiwan, an island of 23 million people sitting off China’s coast – a “bad neighborhood,” as Ms. Hsiao put it. In recent years, authoritarian China has grown increasingly bellicose toward democratic Taiwan, which it sees as part of its territory. Taiwan, a leading global economy, has trod carefully but deliberately as it prepares for all possibilities.

The idea that China could invade Taiwan at some point infuses our discussion. The unassuming Ms. Hsiao plays things cool, but makes clear her government is working to avert any attempt at a takeover.

“There’s nothing imminent about the possibility of war,” says the American-educated diplomat and former politician. “And we are doing everything we can to deter and to prevent any potential for conflict.”

My article on the breakfast drew rough parallels to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a tragedy that Taiwan is watching closely. Ms. Hsiao hopes that Ukrainians’ fierce resistance – and strong Western support – will itself help deter China. The New York Times’ coverage of the breakfast has more on this theme.

The C-SPAN video of the breakfast can be viewed here.

After our breakfast ended, Ms. Hsiao had to run off to her next appointment. But in our quick chat about felines, she asserted that “cats are more likable” than wolves. Certainly that’s true when considering which to keep as a house pet. In fact, when Ms. Hsiao came to Washington three years ago to take up her post, she brought her four cats, and they’re still here with her.

Cats can also have an independent streak – another reason the metaphor works for Taiwan.