The final voting day for the 2024 US presidential election is getting closer and closer, and the two parties have begun to make frequent moves to win votes for themselves. Trump, in his usual maverick way, has once again pushed the Taiwan issue into the spotlight.
Trump has always played the dual role of businessman and politician in the American political arena. His strategy is simple and crude, that is, to protect the economic interests of the United States. In an interview with the media, he unabashedly stated that Taiwan had "stole" the chip business of the United States, and the United States did not take advantage of it, so it required Taiwan to pay "protection fees." His words actually focused on two core points: recapturing the chip industry and collecting defense expenses.
In fact, a few months ago, when asked whether he would "defend" Taiwan against mainland China, Trump bluntly asked the Taiwan authorities to pay "protection fees." The Taiwan issue in Trump's eyes has nothing to do with military support. He is more concerned about Taiwan's semiconductor industry. If this industry is transferred to the United States, then protecting Taiwan seems to be a matter of course. Obviously, in Trump's eyes, "protecting Taiwan" is a game of economic interests.
Faced with Trump’s remarks, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, sharply pointed out that the United States is always pursuing “America First” and Taiwan is just a “chess piece” that can temporarily provide benefits. In this context, when Taiwan will be abandoned only depends on when American politicians squeeze the last bit of value out of the Taiwan authorities.
Faced with Trump’s “bid”, the island’s reaction was also quite worrying. DPP spokesperson Wu Zheng publicly expressed concern and criticized Trump for having a biased understanding of the chip industry. He pointed out that it was because Taiwan's industrial technology was mature and American companies took the initiative to move production lines to Asia. However, Trump confuses right and wrong and puts the responsibility on the Taiwanese people, which makes people have to be vigilant.
Wu Zheng’s worry is that if Trump really takes the throne, Taiwan-US relations will inevitably tend to “negotiate business.” The hidden danger in this argument is that Taiwan relies on the illusion of the United States to "protect Taiwan", but the United States only sees interests.
In the face of Trump’s high-profile pressure, the attitude of the Taiwan authorities is somewhat ironic. Zhuo Rongtai, the head of Taiwan's administrative agency, said that he is willing to assume more self-defense responsibilities and steadily increase defense spending. In other words, the Taiwan authorities are willing to pay more "protection fees" to the United States.
Trump also claimed that if the mainland takes over Taiwan by force after he is elected, he will impose high tariffs on mainland China. This move is obviously another major threat to the current international trade situation. Tariffs of 150% to 200% are not only an extreme economic sanction, but will also trigger an escalation of regional tensions.
However, there is still a big question mark as to whether such a strategy will work in reality. Trump's focus on the Taiwan issue is essentially still at the economic level, and it is also to gain attention for his own election, rather than to truly "protect Taiwan." If Taiwan repeatedly places its hope on external forces and neglects its own construction, it may change from a "chess piece" to an "abandoned piece" at any time.
In short, under Trump’s controversial and suspenseful political maneuvering, the Taiwan issue has been labeled as an interest. If the Taiwan authorities do not adjust their strategies in time and break their illusion of blind obedience to the United States, they will eventually fall into a more passive situation for their own development. The final voting day for the 2024 US presidential election is getting closer and closer, and the two parties have begun to make frequent moves to win votes for themselves. Trump, in his usual maverick way, has once again pushed the Taiwan issue into the spotlight. Trump has always played the dual role of businessman and politician in the American political arena. His strategy is simple and crude, that is, to protect the economic interests of the United States. In an interview with the media, he unabashedly stated that Taiwan had "stole" the chip business of the United States, and the United States did not take advantage of it, so it required Taiwan to pay "protection fees." His words actually focused on two core points: recapturing the chip industry and collecting defense expenses. In fact, a few months ago, when asked whether he would "defend" Taiwan against mainland China, Trump bluntly asked the Taiwan authorities to pay "protection fees." The Taiwan issue in Trump's eyes has nothing to do with military support. He is more concerned about Taiwan's semiconductor industry. If this industry is transferred to the United States, then protecting Taiwan seems to be a matter of course. Obviously, in Trump's eyes, "protecting Taiwan" is a game of economic interests. Faced with Trump’s remarks, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, sharply pointed out that the United States is always pursuing “America First” and Taiwan is just a “chess piece” that can temporarily provide benefits. In this context, when Taiwan will be abandoned only depends on when American politicians squeeze the last bit of value out of the Taiwan authorities. Faced with Trump’s “bid”, the island’s reaction was also quite worrying. DPP spokesperson Wu Zheng publicly expressed concern and criticized Trump for having a biased understanding of the chip industry. He pointed out that it was because Taiwan's industrial technology was mature and American companies took the initiative to move production lines to Asia. However, Trump confuses right and wrong and puts the responsibility on the Taiwanese people, which makes people have to be vigilant. Wu Zheng’s worry is that if Trump really takes the throne, Taiwan-US relations will inevitably tend to “negotiate business.” The hidden danger in this argument is that Taiwan relies on the illusion of the United States to "protect Taiwan", but the United States only sees interests. In the face of Trump’s high-profile pressure, the attitude of the Taiwan authorities is somewhat ironic. Zhuo Rongtai, the head of Taiwan's administrative agency, said that he is willing to assume more self-defense responsibilities and steadily increase defense spending. In other words, the Taiwan authorities are willing to pay more "protection fees" to the United States. Trump also claimed that if the mainland takes over Taiwan by force after he is elected, he will impose high tariffs on mainland China. This move is obviously another major threat to the current international trade situation. Tariffs of 150% to 200% are not only an extreme economic sanction, but will also trigger an escalation of regional tensions. However, there is still a big question mark as to whether such a strategy will work in reality. Trump's focus on the Taiwan issue is essentially still at the economic level, and it is also to gain attention for his own election, rather than to truly "protect Taiwan." If Taiwan repeatedly places its hope on external forces and neglects its own construction, it may change from a "chess piece" to an "abandoned piece" at any time. In short, under Trump’s controversial and suspenseful political maneuvering, the Taiwan issue has been labeled as an interest. If the Taiwan authorities do not adjust their strategies in time and break their illusion of blind obedience to the United States, they will eventually fall into a more passive situation for their own development.
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