Sat, Jan 10, 2026 page8

• Trump’s China strategy evolving

  • By Juan Fernando Herrera Ramos
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  For Taiwan, the intensifying confrontation between the US and China is often discussed through arms sales, military exercises and diplomatic statements in the Indo-Pacific region. Yet events in Latin America suggest that Washington’s approach to deterring Beijing is no longer confined to Asia alone. Instead, it is increasingly global, with direct implications for Taiwan’s security environment and diplomatic space.

  That shift became clearer on Saturday last week when the US conducted a military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of then-Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Both were transferred to New York, where they face federal charges related to narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. While the operation unfolded far from East Asia, its strategic logic is closely connected to Washington’s broader effort to constrain Chinese influence across multiple regions.

  The US Department of Justice has long accused Maduro of leading the “Cartel of the Suns,” an organization that has been designated a terrorist organization. The accusations now looming over the former president and his wife allege that the Venezuelan state itself had become deeply entangled with transnational criminal networks.

  The arrest immediately polarized international opinion. Supporters of the military action argued that Maduro had lost legitimacy years earlier and did not represent the Venezuelan people, while critics contended that the operation violated Article 2 of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against the sovereignty of another state.

  Since 2019, more than 50 governments, including the US and most EU members, have refused to recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate president. For years, Washington relied on sanctions, indictments and diplomatic isolation without showing too much interest in engaging in direct action. That long-standing posture changed only after Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, when opposition forces released detailed voting records showing that Edmundo Gonzalez, backed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, had won decisively. The combination of prolonged nonrecognition and a documented electoral defeat marked a turning point that preceded direct US enforcement action.

  The US last month sent the biggest aircraft carrier in the world to the Venezuelan coast, and since its arrival the administration of US President Donald Trump has claimed to have taken out more than 30 vessels and more than 100 people that were allegedly involved in drug-smuggling operations.

  For Taiwan, the significance lies less in Venezuela’s domestic politics than in what the episode signals about US willingness to escalate against governments closely aligned with Beijing. China has invested heavily in Venezuela as a strategic partner, securing access to energy resources and political backing in international forums. In practical terms, there is no other nation that has been so consistent in its support for China and that has done so much work as an amplifier of anti-US rhetoric in the region. The removal of such a partner weakens Beijing’s position in the western hemisphere while reinforcing the message that alignment with China does not guarantee immunity from US pressure.

  This pattern extends beyond Venezuela. In Central America, Washington has placed renewed emphasis on countering Beijing’s diplomatic inroads. Honduras’ decision in 2023 to sever ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing was widely seen as part of China’s strategy to further shrink Taiwan’s diplomatic space. US political engagement in Honduras has raised the possibility of a reassessment of that decision. Trump in November last year endorsed presidential candidate Nasry Asfura from the National Party, who was one of the two candidates that obtained most of the votes and promised to restore ties with Taiwan if elected. This underscores how Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic partnerships are increasingly embedded in great-power competition rather than bilateral considerations alone.

  The economic dimension is equally important. Venezuela’s vast reserves of gold, iron ore and rare earths have strategic value in an era where supply chains are central to national security. China’s dominance over rare earths has given Beijing leverage in trade disputes, prompting the US to treat them as a strategic vulnerability. Reducing Chinese access to such resources in Latin America complements Washington’s parallel efforts in Asia to limit Beijing’s technological and military advantages.

  These global moves intersect directly with Taiwan policy. A central pillar of Washington’s approach has been the approval of a US$11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan, the largest in history. US officials have framed the sale as defensive, aimed at strengthening deterrence and enhancing Taiwan’s capacity to respond to coercion, particularly scenarios involving blockades or limited military pressure. The package was approved amid heightened Chinese military activity around Taiwan, signaling that US commitments to Taiwan are being reinforced even as tensions rise.

  Beyond the arms deal itself, the Pentagon has made several statements describing the sale as a deal that “serves US national, economic and security interests by supporting Taiwan’s continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces.” Remarks that are very telling about the US direction and that indicate the importance of the role that places on Taiwan.

  Beijing’s response was swift. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army conducted large-scale exercises simulating a blockade of Taiwan, reinforcing concerns in Taipei that military pressure would remain a central tool of Chinese policy. President William Lai’s (賴清德) pledge to defend Taiwan and strengthen resilience reflected a growing consensus that deterrence now depends both on the construction of regional alliances and on the credibility of US actions globally.

  From this perspective, developments in Latin America and the Indo-Pacific region are not separate stories. They are components of a single strategic framework in which Washington seeks to counter Chinese influence diplomatically, economically and militarily. For Taiwan, this means that US actions far beyond Asia can shape the balance of power that ultimately determines the nation’s security and international standing.

  The arrest of Maduro therefore matters in Taipei not because it concerns Venezuela itself, but because it illustrates a broader shift in US strategy. As competition with China intensifies, Taiwan sits at the center of a global contest in which actions taken thousands of kilometers away can still have direct consequences for the nation’s future.

  Juan Fernando Herrera Ramos is a Honduran journalist based in Taipei.
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