– Taiwan took our semiconductor industry. How stupid are we? They took all our chip production. They are incredibly rich – Donald Trump said in an interview with Bloomberg. The US presidential candidate would like Taiwan to pay the United States for protection. “I don't think we're any different from an insurance policy. Why? Why are we doing this?” the politician wondered.
Donald Trump is not satisfied with relations with Taiwan
Donald Trump has made it clear that his attitude toward Taiwan is “lukewarm” at best, despite the U.S. House recently expressing bipartisan support for the territory. But Trump is known for his transactional approach to foreign policy. And, as you can see, his dependence on Taiwanese chip production seems to bother him.
Another factor that makes him skeptical about supporting Taiwan is what he called “practical” issues. It is, after all, a small island on the other side of the world from the U.S. “Taiwan is 9,500 miles away. It is 68 miles away from China,” Trump said.
Trump could turn US foreign policy upside down
Abandoning Taiwan would be a huge shift in the direction of U.S. foreign policy; it would be a turnaround comparable to halting support for Ukraine, Bloomberg points out. But Donald Trump sounds like he’s ready for radical changes in both relationships.
If Trump wins in the fall, a change in approach to Taiwan and Ukraine could be just the beginning. The politician blames Joe Biden and Barack Obama for the breakdown of relations with Saudi Arabia. Trump is also not a fan of sanctions on Russia.