Chethana Janith, Jadetimes Staff
C. Janith is a Jadetimes news reporter and sub-editor covering science and geopolitics.
Despite threats by the new US administration to impose duties on semiconductors that would hit Taipei, for Washington the defense cooperation with the island serves as an important deterrent to the PRC.
It has been just over a week since the January 20 inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States, an event held on Capitol Hill and attended by numerous dignitaries, including a delegation from Taiwan. The delegation was led by Han Guoyu, the speaker of the Legislative Yuan (Taiwan’s parliament), who is a prominent representative of the opposition Kuomintang Party. Accompanying him were seven other lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan People’s Party. Before their departure to the U.S., these Taiwanese parliamentarians expressed their enthusiasm to the press, emphasizing their eagerness to convey the warm wishes of Taiwan’s 23 million residents to President Trump and his administration. According to Taiwan’s presidential office, the group was slated to meet with senior U.S. policymakers, think tank officials, and distinguished academics in Washington.
Meanwhile, as the Taipei delegation sought to engage U.S. think tanks and the new leadership at the White House, aiming to bolster defense cooperation, Taiwan’s own legislative body inadvertently jeopardized this mission. Merely hours after Donald Trump’s inauguration, Taiwan’s opposition-controlled legislature voted to freeze a critical portion of the island’s 2025 defense budget. This decision blocked millions of dollars earmarked for a submarine program, slashed 30 percent of the planned spending on military operations, and cut one-third of the funding for a drone fleet. Additionally, the advertising budget of Taiwan’s Defense Ministry was reduced by 60%. In response, Taiwanese government officials and ruling DPP lawmakers swiftly accused the Kuomintang of harboring sympathies toward the People's Republic of China (PRC) and undermining the policies of President Lai Ching-te. As Taiwanese Prime Minister Cho Jung-tai pointed out, this turn of events signals to the world that Taipei’s determination to defend itself has been substantially weakened.
This development has not gone unnoticed by international experts, some of whom have highlighted that such an unexpected move by one of Washington’s closest partners will undoubtedly disappoint the new U.S. administration and carry significant repercussions. As "The Financial Times" noted, this decision increases the risk of Taiwan alienating President Trump at a time when the island urgently needs robust U.S. support. On January 25, Taiwan’s Institute for National Policy Research issued a statement asserting that following Donald Trump’s inauguration, Taipei can no longer take Washington’s backing for granted, and the bilateral relationship is not as strong as it once was. The Taiwanese government was further unsettled by recent remarks from Donald Trump regarding the potential imposition of tariffs on semiconductor imports. The U.S. president pointed out that Taiwan accounts for 98% of global manufacturing capacity in this critical sector and stressed the White House’s intention to incentivize chip manufacturers to relocate their operations back to the United States.
Nevertheless, it is crucial not to underestimate Taiwan’s strategic significance to the United States or entertain any illusions about the White House being willing to concede the island to mainland China. Despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, Washington has, for decades, been deepening its collaboration with Taiwan across a broad spectrum of issues, with a particular focus on enhancing the island’s defense capabilities. To this end, the U.S. has enacted a series of legislative measures that have facilitated the transfer of tens of billions of dollars in material and financial assistance to Taiwan annually.
The Trump administration’s "America First" policy and focus on domestic priorities do not diminish the importance of defense cooperation with Taiwan as a key tool for pressuring China. In the U.S., there is strong bipartisan consensus against China, which is viewed as a major threat to America’s economy, socio-political system, and global leadership. This perspective is reflected in the U.S. national defense strategy, which identifies Beijing as its primary adversary. The American political establishment also uses the image of China as an external threat to unite the nation and its allies worldwide.
Strategic realities indicate that the U.S. is gearing up to intensify its rivalry with China in the Asia-Pacific region. Under orders from President Donald Trump, around 20,000 American troops are set to be withdrawn from Europe and redeployed to Asia. As part of the record-breaking U.S. military budget for 2025, approximately $16 billion will be allocated to the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, a program designed to counter Beijing’s regional influence. Washington is also pressuring NATO allies to address security challenges in the Asia-Pacific, with a particular emphasis on strengthening the AUKUS alliance (comprising the U.S., UK, and Australia) to counter China. Plans are underway to invite Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea to join AUKUS this year. In this context, Taiwan remains a vital asset that President Trump is unlikely to relinquish in his geopolitical strategy against the PRC.
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