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
When Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) sits down with US President Donald Trump in Beijing on Thursday next week, Xi is unlikely to demand a dramatic public betrayal of Taiwan. He does not need to. Beijing’s preferred victory is smaller, quieter and in some ways far more dangerous: a subtle shift in American wording that appears technical, but carries major strategic meaning. The ask is simple: replace the longstanding US formulation that Washington “does not support Taiwan independence” with a harder one — that Washington “opposes” Taiwan independence. One word changes; a deterrence structure built over decades begins to shift.
Recently, Taipei’s streets have been plagued by the bizarre sight of rats running rampant and the city government’s countermeasures have devolved into an anti-intellectual farce. The Taipei Parks and Street Lights Office has attempted to eradicate rats by filling their burrows with polyurethane foam, seeming to believe that rats could not simply dig another path out. Meanwhile, as the nation’s capital slowly deteriorates into a rat hive, the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection has proudly pointed to the increase in the number of poisoned rats reported in February and March as a sign of success. When confronted with public concerns over young
Taipei is facing a severe rat infestation, and the city government is reportedly considering large-scale use of rodenticides as its primary control measure. However, this move could trigger an ecological disaster, including mass deaths of birds of prey. In the past, black kites, relatives of eagles, took more than three decades to return to the skies above the Taipei Basin. Taiwan’s black kite population was nearly wiped out by the combined effects of habitat destruction, pesticides and rodenticides. By 1992, fewer than 200 black kites remained on the island. Fortunately, thanks to more than 30 years of collective effort to preserve their remaining
After Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing, most headlines referred to her as the leader of the opposition in Taiwan. Is she really, though? Being the chairwoman of the KMT does not automatically translate into being the leader of the opposition in the sense that most foreign readers would understand it. “Leader of the opposition” is a very British term. It applies to the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy, and to some extent, to other democracies. If you look at the UK right now, Conservative Party head Kemi Badenoch is
RSS