Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said Taiwan “should pay” the United States to defend it against China, raising doubts about relations between Washington and Taipei if he wins.
- “Money for protection”
Trump was responding to a question in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek about whether he would defend Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory. China says it will return Taiwan to Chinese sovereignty, even by force. “I know the people very well. I respect them very much. They’ve taken over 100 percent of our semiconductor business. And I think Taiwan should pay us to defend them,” Trump said. “We’re no different than an insurance company. Taiwan gives us nothing.” Although Washington has diplomatically recognized Beijing at Taipei’s expense since 1979, the United States remains the island’s strongest ally and main arms supplier. Taiwan is a major player in the vital semiconductor industry, manufacturing most of the chips the global economy needs.
- “Taiwan denounces”
Taiwan Premier Zhou Jang-tai responded to Trump’s comments on Wednesday, noting that Taipei has increased its defense budget in recent years. “We want to take more responsibility. We defend ourselves and ensure our safety,” Zhou told reporters at a news conference. “We are also clear that Taiwan-U.S. relations have been very strong in recent years,” he said, adding that “maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region is our shared responsibility and goal.”
- “International Disputes”
Trump’s first term (2017-2021) saw disagreements with his European NATO allies, as he denounced their ingratitude and asserted that the United States alone bore the burden within the framework of the alliance. Since then, he has doubled down on this issue and has drawn criticism for saying that he would encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin to “do whatever he wants” if any NATO country did not honor its financial commitments to the alliance.