The world has been bewildered by constant shifts in the international situation since US President Donald Trump took office for the second time. Perhaps it is all part of Trump’s strategy — he is making many moves so that his opponents are unclear of his true intentions.
The downside to this approach is that even Trump’s allies are confused about his real goals. Many Taiwanese have doubts about him. What is Trump’s focus? Aside from careful observation, a general idea might be gleaned from the actions of his allies.
After his inauguration, Trump shocked the world with a rant about the Panama Canal, Greenland, Gaza and more. The effects soon became apparent — Panama withdrew from China’s Belt and Road Initiative, while Denmark invested more in arctic defense and began discussions with the US over Greenland matters regarding US military defense assistance.
On the issue of Gaza, Trump shared plans for the resettlement of millions of Palestinians without the need for US troops.
However, of all the conflict zones around the world — including the regions that Trump has called attention to — the only area where the US military has actually deployed its forces is near Taiwan.
In the Philippines, the US deployed its Typhon missile system and Philippine soldiers have been training alongside US troops to learn to operate it in preparation for next month’s joint US-Philippine military exercises. The two countries have also been conducting joint patrols of the South China Sea. It is clear the US is taking large-scale actions aimed at assisting Manila to counter the Chinese threat.
On Jan. 28 in Okinawa, Japan, the US Marine Corps’ 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, with a force of 5,000 marines and sailors, boarded three amphibious warships to form a ready group. Among them was the USS America amphibious assault carrier carrying Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II stealth jets to build ready-to-deploy combat capabilities to deter China.
Geographically, Taiwan lies at the center of these two major military operations. In other words, Trump’s real strategic focus seems to be suppressing China and defending Taiwan.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has been considered pro-China. He initially considered visiting China after taking office, but once Trump began his second term, Ishiba’s first move was to travel to the US. Although Washington had yet to make any requests of Japan, Ishiba aimed to wash himself of his pro-China image by courting Trump. The primary topics of the meeting between the two were suppressing China and assisting in the defense of Taiwan.
Japan has always placed great importance on studying US strategic intentions, so Ishiba’s actions show that Taiwan indeed lies at the core of the US’ — and Trump’s — global strategy.
This is why Taiwan should work with Japan and the Philippines to strengthen its national defense, which at the very least could help Taiwan prevent Trump from wielding the tariff hammer against it. It also presents a great opportunity for Taiwan to bolster its national security and expand its place in the international community.
At this critical moment for Taiwan’s destiny, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party cannot be allowed to impose disruptive budget cuts and freezes, as it would lead the US to believe that Taiwan is not dedicated to its own self-defense. A large-scale recall of KMT legislators is necessary to demonstrate to the US Taiwan’s firm commitment to self-defense and anti-communism.
Tommy Lin is president of the Formosa Republican Association and the Taiwan United Nations Alliance.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
The first Donald Trump term was a boon for Taiwan. The administration regularized the arms sales process and enhanced bilateral ties. Taipei will not be so fortunate the second time around. Given recent events, Taiwan must proceed with the assumption that it cannot count on the United States to defend it — diplomatically or militarily — during the next four years. Early indications suggested otherwise. The nomination of Marco Rubio as US Secretary of State and the appointment of Mike Waltz as the national security advisor, both of whom have expressed full-throated support for Taiwan in the past, raised hopes that
There is nothing the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) could do to stop the tsunami-like mass recall campaign. KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) reportedly said the party does not exclude the option of conditionally proposing a no-confidence vote against the premier, which the party later denied. Did an “actuary” like Chu finally come around to thinking it should get tough with the ruling party? The KMT says the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is leading a minority government with only a 40 percent share of the vote. It has said that the DPP is out of touch with the electorate, has proposed a bloated
Authorities last week revoked the residency permit of a Chinese social media influencer surnamed Liu (劉), better known by her online channel name Yaya in Taiwan (亞亞在台灣), who has more than 440,000 followers online and is living in Taiwan with a marriage-based residency permit, for her “reunification by force” comments. She was asked to leave the country in 10 days. The National Immigration Agency (NIA) on Tuesday last week announced the decision, citing the influencer’s several controversial public comments, including saying that “China does not need any other reason to reunify Taiwan with force” and “why is it [China] hesitant
A media report has suggested that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) was considering initiating a vote of no confidence in Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) in a bid to “bring down the Cabinet.” The KMT has denied that this topic was ever discussed. Why might such a move have even be considered? It would have been absurd if it had seen the light of day — potentially leading to a mass loss of legislative seats for the KMT even without the recall petitions already under way. Today the second phase of the recall movement is to begin — which has
RSS