The Republican federal senator, Marco Rubio, stated on Thursday that if Trump becomes president, the U.S. will continue to support Taiwan to prevent Chinese Communist Party (CCP) invasion. Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, also mentioned on Friday that Taiwan must rely on its own defenses, expecting Taiwan to increase defense spending and accelerate military modernization.
In an interview published this week, Trump suggested that Taiwan should pay for its defense to the United States. This statement raised concerns among some about whether Trump would continue to support the democratic island. The CCP claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has repeatedly threatened to use force to control the island.
When asked about Trump’s comments regarding Taiwan, Rubio told reporters outside the Republican National Convention that given the “existential threat” Taiwan faces, it should increase defense spending.
As a federal senator from Florida, Rubio is a key figure in U.S. foreign policy. He is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the most senior Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee. He expressed his expectation that if Trump returns to the White House, he will continue to support Taiwan.
“He will do what he did in his first term… continue to support Taiwan,” Rubio said regarding Trump’s remarks.
Rubio stated, “I can’t speak for President Trump, but I have no doubt that the U.S. will support Taiwan and do everything we can to prevent China (CCP) from invading Taiwan.”
Some analysts believe that if Trump is re-elected, Rubio may serve in the government cabinet.
Previously, Trump’s former National Security Advisor, Robert O’Brien, also stated on Wednesday that he believes Trump’s meaning is that Taiwan should greatly increase defense spending to share more responsibility in maintaining security in the Taiwan Strait.
Despite having only unofficial relations with Taiwan, the U.S. remains Taiwan’s largest supporter and arms supplier in the face of increasing military pressure from the CCP.
According to the Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. pledges to provide Taiwan with means for self-defense, but U.S. law does not mandate Washington to come to Taiwan’s aid in the event of an attack.
Prior to his recent comments, according to The Washington Post, Trump had mentioned during a national fundraising tour in May that if Russia invaded Ukraine or the CCP invaded Taiwan during his term, he would bomb Moscow and Beijing.
Including former U.S. ambassador James Gilmore, some analysts also believe that Trump is not an isolationist and would continue to support Taiwan as president, aiming to emphasize the importance of alliance members taking defense seriously.
During an interview on “The Hugh Hewitt Show” in September last year, Trump stated that if he were to return to the White House, an invasion of Taiwan by the CCP would never happen.
Trump said at the time, “You don’t have to worry about Taiwan. If I am president, there is never going to be a (crisis) in Taiwan, which means if I am president, China (CCP) will never attack Taiwan, no chance.”
Not only Trump, but Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has also stated multiple times that he is willing to use force to protect Taiwan.
In response to Trump’s remarks, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, emphasized on Friday that Taiwan must rely on itself for defense in the face of military pressure from the CCP. He expects the Taiwanese government to continue increasing defense spending and achieving military modernization.
When asked about Trump’s comments, Wu told foreign journalists in Taipei, “We are paying close attention” to Trump’s remarks. He believes that Taiwan-U.S. relations are built on both parties’ support for Taiwan.
“I think everyone has reached a consensus on the main issue, which is the threat from China (CCP),” Wu said.
“On defense indeed, we must rely on ourselves, that is the premise. For the past 30 years of democratization in Taiwan, we have been confronting the threat from China (CCP) alone,” Wu added.
He further noted that in the past eight years, Taiwan’s defense spending has nearly doubled, currently accounting for 2.5% of GDP.
Wu said, “I expect this number to continue to rise.” However, he stressed that all countries still need to “step up efforts” as the CCP’s defense spending is also increasing.
The new Taiwanese Foreign Minister took office on May 20. He emphasized that Taiwan is reforming its military, extending conscription service from four months to one year.
Taiwan has made modernizing its defense a top priority, including ongoing development of submarines, drones, missiles, and other weapons.
Successive U.S. administrations have actively supported Taiwan in military modernization, making it a “porcupine” that the CCP finds difficult to touch, advocating for Taiwan to purchase more inexpensive and highly maneuverable asymmetric weapons that can withstand initial attacks from the CCP.
Since the Democratic Progressive Party took office in 2016, this strategy has also had the support of the Taiwanese government.
(Reference: Relevant reports from Reuters)