The former president has expressed dissatisfaction with Taipei, stating that despite its immense wealth, it does not provide any benefits to the United States.
It has been suggested that Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for President of the United States would be less inclined to protect Taiwan against mainland China compared to his Democratic opponent and current US leader Joe Biden.
In an interview with Bloomberg on June 25, which was published in its entirety on Tuesday, Trump argued that it is foolish for Washington to provide protection to Taipei without charge.
He stated that he has a deep understanding and high regard for the individuals involved. However, they have acquired nearly all of our chip business. He believes it is only fair for Taiwan to compensate us in terms of defense expenses.
China claims Taiwan as its own territory, while the self-governing island itself is responsible for approximately 90% of super-advanced semiconductor chips globally.
“The former president emphasized that he believes there is no distinction between us and an insurance policy. Despite Taiwan being extremely wealthy, they do not provide us with anything,” stated the speaker, paraphrasing the original quote.
Trump stated that safeguarding Taipei would pose geographical challenges for Washington. He cited the fact that Taiwan is located around 9,500 miles (15,000km) away from the US and only about 68 miles (110km) from China as evidence of this obstacle.
After Trump’s remarks, Cho Jung-tai – the Taiwanese Prime Minister stated that his country with a population of 23.5 million is committed to strengthening its defenses and “ready to undertake more accountability” for safeguarding itself.
During a press conference on Wednesday, he stated that Taiwan had consistently enhanced its defense budget and showcased accountability to the global community.
Cho believes that if they persist in displaying such efforts, they will garner more nations’ backing.
The prime minister expressed gratitude to the United States for their keen interest in Taiwan’s security on numerous occasions and emphasized that Taipei and Washington maintain “strong relations” despite not having any official connections.
While the US officially upholds the One China policy, recognizing Taiwan as a crucial part of Chinese territory, it has provided support to pro-independence groups in Taiwan and armed them. President Biden has made multiple commitments to defending Taiwan with military force if an attack were launched from mainland China.
Beijing strongly objects to any communication between Washington and Taipei, declaring the matter of Taiwanese independence as a crucial boundary that must not be crossed. Although Chinese leaders have expressed their preference for peacefully reuniting with Taiwan, they have cautioned against ruling out military action.
Earlier this year, the Taiwanese National Chengchi University conducted a survey which revealed that over 80% of the island’s inhabitants favored preserving their current relationship with mainland China rather than pursuing independence.
