There has been much hyperventilating about recent comments made by Donald Trump in an interview with Bloomberg July 16. In it, Trump claimed that “Taiwan doesn’t give us anything,” and that “Taiwan should pay us for defense.” “I mean, how stupid are we? They took all of our chip business. They’re immensely wealthy. And I don’t think we’re any different from an insurance policy. Why? Why are we doing this,” Trump asked.
His comments have shocked some, with the stock price of Taiwan’s largest semiconductor company, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), dropping a few percentage points immediately after. However, Trump merely said what many Western politicians think and do quietly—namely, exploit Taiwan for its geopolitical value against China.
China’s Global Times issued a scathing editorial response by its editorial board on July 17. “Trump’s words reflect the strong intention of many U.S. politicians who attempt to replenish the U.S. economy by exploiting the Taiwan island…. In fact, Taiwan has been paying ‘protection fees’ to the U.S., a large portion of which is spent on purchasing expensive American weapons that Taiwan can’t bargain for,” they write on their Opinion page.
After posing the question of whether the U.S. will really step in to defend Taiwan in the event of a conflict with the mainland, the article concludes: “Trump’s remarks reflect the shameless but true thoughts of many U.S. politicians. The U.S. wants to maximize its exploitation of the Taiwan island’s interests, use it to contain the mainland geopolitically, and gain economic benefits as much as possible.”