Donald Trump has said Taiwan should pay the United States for its defense against China and questioned whether the United States would support Taiwan’s democracy if Trump returns to power in November’s presidential election.
In response to Trump’s comments, Taiwan Premier Zhao Chung-chi said Taiwan and the United States had good relations despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, but added that Taiwan was strengthening its defence capabilities.
In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek on Tuesday, Trump was asked if he would defend Taiwan against China if he wins the U.S. presidential election in November. The Chinese Communist Party claims Taiwan as a province and has vowed to annex it, even if it does not rule out the use of military force. The United States does not formally recognize Taiwan, but it is Taiwan’s most important security partner.
Answering Trump’s questions Said He argued that Taiwan should pay for its defense to the United States, that the United States is “no different from an insurance company” and that Taiwan “hasn’t given us anything.”
The United States has sold billions of dollars’ worth of arms to Taiwan under its legal obligation to provide it with the means to defend itself, and these sales have increased significantly during Trump’s term in office.
But Trump’s comments on Tuesday suggested his support for Taiwan was not guaranteed. “If I were in Taiwan, I wouldn’t feel very safe,” he said, referring to China’s increasing military aggression against the island. [Taiwan]” He questioned why the United States was acting as Taiwan’s “insurance company” even though Taiwan has acquired U.S. semiconductor businesses.
Trump has repeatedly accused Taiwan, without evidence, of making up “almost 100 percent” of the U.S. semiconductor industry.
Taiwan produces more than 90 percent of the world’s most advanced semiconductors, most of them through Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world’s largest producer and a key supplier to Apple and Nvidia. TSMC is spending billions of dollars to build new factories overseas, including a $65 billion investment in three factories in Arizona, but says the bulk of its manufacturing will remain in Taiwan.
Responding to Trump’s remarks on Wednesday, Taiwan Premier Zhao Yongtai said at a press conference that Taiwan appreciated U.S. support and that Taiwan was “working hard” to maintain relations “as a member of the international community” while strengthening its defense capabilities.
“Taiwan and the United States share a shared responsibility for the Indo-Pacific region across the Taiwan Strait, and we will do more to defend and protect our security,” he said.
Zhao also said the government expects and hopes that Taiwan’s semiconductor manufacturers will keep their research and development within Taiwan.
“Keeping research and development in Taiwan is the best choice, and the government will continue to maintain that environment and work with the industry,” he said, encouraging other foreign companies to set up shop in Taiwan.
Trump’s comments added to signs that the U.S. stance toward China could be tougher, but also unpredictable, if he wins the presidential election in November.
Elsewhere in the interview, the former president promised to impose tariffs of 60-100% on China but said he would reverse his ban on the Chinese-owned app TikTok. He also said Chinese leader Xi Jinping “was a very good friend of mine” until the pandemic hit.
President Trump’s newly announced running mate, J.D. Vance, told Fox News on Tuesday that the U.S. should focus on China as its biggest security threat.
“You have to ask yourself: Will China be deterred by us taking a tough, proud stance in Europe, or by us having the weapons necessary to stop them from invading Taiwan?” Vance said.
The official U.S. policy toward Taiwan is “strategic ambiguity” and has refused to say whether it would defend the island in the event of a Chinese attack, but Biden has said multiple times that he would defend Taiwan.
Additional reporting by Lin Zhihui
