In Washington’s conservative policy circles, Taiwan’s standing has become a hot topic — and not always flattering. The line is that, in US President Donald Trump’s second term, Taipei has “played the wrong card.” The criticism goes well beyond handshake etiquette or missed calls, targeting strategic areas like trade, cultural values and defense — as if Taiwan had gone overnight from “strategic partner” to “that friend who always needs a ride, but never chips in for gas.”
On the surface, this sounds like a major diplomatic misstep, but zoom out and it is clear that the picture is more complex. The political climate has shifted everywhere, not just in Taipei. From NATO to Tokyo and Seoul, Trump 2.0 has meant repricing alliances: defense quotas, trade terms and autonomy are all back on the table. Even first-term favorites are relearning his transactional style. Taiwan must adjust, but blaming the chill solely on partisan preference oversimplifies the reality.
Critics also point to a values gap with “MAGA” proponents on gender equality, environmental protection and diversity. True — Taiwan’s human rights diplomacy aligns neatly with traditional Democrat approaches, but these values are homegrown, not imported, built through decades of democratization. Flipping them overnight to please MAGA conservatives would damage Taiwan’s image and fracture domestic consensus.
Economics is another sore spot: tariffs on US farm goods and automobiles, tight financial market access, and constraining rules on investment. These are “anti-business” red flags to some. Yet Trump’s economic nationalism spares no one — Canada, the EU and Japan have all faced similar demands. For Taiwan, high tariffs tie into food safety and sustainable rural livelihoods; and market openings need strong regulatory safeguards. The energy transition is not just a weekend home-improvement job. Concessions must be calculated by return, not by press release. Otherwise, it is like leaping off the high dive before realizing (fatally) the pool is half-drained.
On defense, a complaint is that Taiwan’s spending lags behind, with Israel’s 10 percent of GDP often cited as a benchmark, but that ignores geography and strategy. Taiwan is an island betting on asymmetric defense, while Israel has multiple land borders. Taiwan has raised budgets, modernized reserves, deployed more missiles and invested heavily in drones. It might not meet every MAGA wish list, but it is far from doing nothing.
This is not a “loss,” so much as a repositioning in a polarized Washington. The goal is not to pick a side, but to keep chips on both, widening engagement beyond handshake tours to include the US Congress, as well as governors, think tanks and industry leaders from both parties.
Dealing with Trump’s US requires more than upbeat press releases about “smooth communication” between the two countries. Taiwan must show its cards in ways the other side can count — concrete proposals on defense, agriculture and investment; common ground on religious freedom, family values and a shared skepticism of authoritarianism. At home, the public deserves the full forecast.
The Taiwan-US dynamic is like a poker tournament in which a five-time world champion has entered the game on the last day — and this one plays fast, loud, aggressively and with a bigger chip stack. The strategy that won your last hand might flop here. It is not about whether your hand looks good, but whether you know your chip count — and how to stay in long enough to catch the right card. Trump’s return is a challenge and an opportunity. Read the table, adjust your play and be ready with a new strategy when you lean in to say: “Deal me in.”
Bonnie Yushih Liao is an assistant professor at Tamkang University.
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