Taiwan hopeful of US protection under Donald Trump amid Chinese aggression

Nov 08, 2024

Taipei [Taiwan], November 8 : The Taiwan government believes the newly elected President of the US, Donald Trump, will also continue with the resolve to protect the self-ruled island from Chinese aggression.
Taipei is expecting Trump to follow his campaign remarks that the US will protect the island nations after payment, reported Radio Free Asia (RFA).
Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo said, "We will work together with the new US administration and Congress to create a new situation in Taiwan-US relations."
As reported by Radio Free Asia, the Taiwanese residents claim the election victory of Donald Trump as the "victory of the island."
A local told RFA, "Trump is more assertive than Biden, and China won't do anything rash. He won't sit back and watch while China annexes Taiwan".
Lee, an official said, "I think the situation in the Taiwan Strait will be more secure if Trump is elected. But Trump's desire for Taiwan to increase military spending doesn't mean that spending can be expanded indefinitely".
The President-elect in an earlier interview had said that Beijing has been too aggressive in the Indo-Pacific region as they had deployed all their ships in the area. He also highlighted that the advanced semiconductor industry in Taiwan has been a significant obstruction to military invasion.
Tao Yi-fen, Associate Professor of Political Science at the National Taiwan University has also suggested the Taiwan government be in close relations with the US President as soon as possible and suggest different defence spending measures.
"On the Taiwan issue, Trump isn't expected to publicly offer a clear military commitment to Taiwan, but he will not let Xi Jinping think that he will abandon Taiwan either," Tao further highlighted.
Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949. China sees Taiwan as its territory and insists on reunification, by military force if necessary.