The US Department of Defense is committed to strengthening Taiwan’s defense capabilities, despite growing concerns over the economic impact of US tariffs, a Pentagon official said on Wednesday.
The department is “working to prioritize our security systems to Taiwan,” US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs John Noh told a US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee hearing.
US President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs, slapped on countries worldwide, came into effect on Wednesday and have become the center of US political debate.
Photo: REUTERS
However, hours after they came into effect, Trump announced that he would pause them for 90 days for all countries but China, reverting to a baseline tariff of 10 percent.
The nation’s stock market has taken a hit since the announcement, with the TAIEX posting its highest single-day percentage loss on record on Monday.
“If we hurt the Taiwanese economy, how can the administration demand that Taiwan spend more on its own defenses?” US Representative Eric Sorensen asked at the hearing on Indo-Pacific security challenges.
“Arming Taiwan and strengthening Taiwan’s defense capabilities is extremely important for not only the defense of Taiwan, but for strengthening our posture and re-establishing deterrents,” Noh said.
US President Donald Trump “has stated that China will not attack Taiwan on his watch. Thus, we must, with urgency and focus, prioritize efforts to strengthen deterrence against Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific,” he then said in a written statement.
Although Taiwan has committed to increasing its defense budget to 3 percent of GDP, “it must do significantly more,” he added.
Sorensen pledged his support for Taipei, saying he would first “acknowledge Taiwan, both as a democracy and a strategic ally.”
“While we work to boost our own domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, we must ensure that Taiwan is able to contribute to our supply chains,” he said, adding that the US and Taiwan must work together to develop new technologies.
“That means that we must also remain steadfast partners in the region as China continues to develop its offensive power,” he said. “The future of Taiwan does matter to American interests.”
US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo said that Beijing’s “aggressive” maneuvers around Taiwan “are not just exercises — they are dress rehearsals for forced unification.”
China’s “unprecedented military modernization” includes advancements in artificial intelligence, hypersonic missiles and space-based capabilities, which pose “a real and serious threat,” he said in a written statement.
Paparo reaffirmed the US’ commitment to helping Taiwan build a “credible, resilient, distributed and cost-effective” defense capability, in line with the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiques and the “six assurances.”
Last year, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) demonstrated growing capabilities, with military pressure against Taiwan escalating by 300 percent, he said.
“While the PLA attempts to intimidate the people of Taiwan and demonstrate coercive capability, these actions backfire, drawing increased global attention and accelerating Taiwan’s own defensive preparations,” he said.
The key to accelerating the delivery of US weapons to Taiwan would be to eliminate bureaucratic limitations, liberalize and certify supply bases, and ensure a steady flow of funds, he said.
Paparo has said that his strategy would be to turn the Taiwan Strait into an “unmanned hellscape,” filled with uncrewed undersea vehicles, surface vehicles, air systems and loitering munitions.
The tactic does not involve gaining air or maritime superiority over China, but denying that superiority to the PLA at low human cost, he said.
Taiwan’s investments in the necessary autonomous systems to execute the “hellscape” strategy are aligned with those of the US, he said.
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