Taipei, Taiwan – Analysts say the United States should increase and promote both official and unofficial contacts with Taiwan’s government and the Taiwanese military during President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, despite “anger” and “hurt feelings” by Beijing. Regardless of the inevitable reaction.
Experts say exchanges between U.S. officials, scholars, as well as members of think tanks, foundations and institutions will be critical to delivering accurate information to the American and Taiwanese publics and their respective governments.
On Thursday, a delegation from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute met with Taiwanese President William Lai, Vice President Bi-Khim Hsiao and Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung.
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Taiwan President William Lai, at right, meets with David Trulioo, president and chief executive officer of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, in Taipei. (Official photo by I Chen Lin/Office of the President)
“We deeply appreciate the bipartisan support of our American friends and welcome delegations from the United States and like-minded countries,” Lin told Fox News Digital in exclusive comments.
“These visits demonstrate solid support for Taiwan and contribute to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, which is essential for global security and prosperity,” the foreign minister said.
Speaking from Taipei, David Trulioo, president and CEO of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, told Fox News Digital, “We met with the President, the Vice President, the Secretary of State and other government leaders to advance President Reagan’s legacy and our shared values. “Peace through freedom and democracy, economic opportunity and strength.”
President-elect Donald Trump speaks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida on January 7, 2025. (Reuters/Carlos Barria)
Describing Taiwan as “a vibrant democracy and a major economic partner of the United States”, Trullio said that visits to Taiwan by American civil society groups, foundations, think tanks, and official US government officials would be “valuable opportunities to maintain the relationship”. Works as. “Taiwan’s leaders address challenges and opportunities and clearly promote shared values.”
The Reagan Foundation, which includes national security and business leaders, met with representatives of all three main political parties as well as top Taiwanese government officials during a weeklong visit to Taiwan, a self-ruled island which But it has never been ruled. Communist China. Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and never misses an opportunity to make bombastic statements against what it calls “separatist forces.”
Screen taken from a video shows the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command launching large-scale joint military exercises around Taiwan with naval ships and military aircraft in China on May 24, 2024. (Feng Hao/PLA/China Military/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s 2024 New Year address included a claim that “reunification” was a “historical inevitability” despite the two sides ruling separately for more than 70 years. Beijing refused to pledge to use only peaceful means to achieve “unity” with Taiwan and said it reserved the option of using military force.
While Foreign Minister Lin did not directly reference then-Republican candidate Trump’s US pre-election comments that “Taiwan should pay us for defense,” he did not ignore the issue. In comments to Fox News Digital, Lin said, “Taiwan has increased its defense spending by more than 80% since 2016, reaching US$20 billion in 2024. In 2025, if military procurement If the special budget for military operations is included, Taiwan’s total military spending is expected to be 20% of the central government’s annual budget – which is more than that of the US.”
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President William Lai meets with a delegation from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. (Official photo by I Chen Lin/Office of the President)
This marks the second time in as many years that the Reagan Foundation is leading a delegation to Taiwan. A recent poll conducted by the foundation showed that about 70-75% of Americans – Democrats and Republicans alike – would support stronger measures if China chooses to use military force against Taiwan. For example, a significant majority agreed that if there was an attack, the US should immediately recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation.
The current reality is that China faces significant domestic challenges and is not in a strong position. In 2022, despite threats of “serious consequences”, then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, and the Chinese response was hardly “serious”. The following year, after the Republicans took control of the House, then-President Tsai Ing-wen met with then-Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy during a stop in California, marking a historic first meeting between a Taiwanese president and a US House speaker. Was. America’s land.
People walk past a billboard welcoming then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Taipei, Taiwan, on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
China responded with three days of war games and a simulated blockade of the island, but those exercises and maneuvers did not demonstrate any new capabilities that the US or Taiwan defense departments were not already aware of. Speaking after meeting with McCarthy in 2023, President Tsai told the media, “To maintain peace, we must be strong,” clearly paraphrasing former President Ronald Reagan.
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“China can and will frown upon those visits, especially those that involve personnel from U.S. government offices,” Liam Keane told Fox News Digital via email. “But we cannot in any way allow the theatrics of a fake blockade and firing rockets into the sea to prevent closer US-Taiwan exchanges.” Keane, who is part of the US-based NGO Formosan Association for Public Affairs, said her organization strongly supported and played a key role in helping get the Taiwan Travel Act passed in Congress and signed into law by then-President Donald Trump in 2018. Had played.
The Taiwan Travel Act – which China predictably criticized strongly – lifted many of the previous restrictions on travel to Taiwan by US officials. “The legislation passed unanimously in the U.S. Senate,” Keane said. “I think China calling it a ‘red line’ has emboldened sponsors of the legislation like Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and others.” [former] Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, which is exactly the right way to respond to the Chinese Communist Party’s bullying.”
Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung speaking to a US delegation (Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Foreign Minister Lin told Fox News Digital that Taiwan’s government looks forward to working with the new US administration. “It is also important to strengthen the economic partnership,” he said. “Taiwanese businesses, such as TSMC, with its $65 billion investment in Arizona, are increasingly investing in the U.S.,” Lin said Taiwan President Lai has stressed the importance of Taiwan’s global role, Lin said Lai “The more secure Taiwan is, the more secure the world will be,” he was quoted as saying.
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A war between the US and China over Taiwan would be disastrous for both the superpowers and the world. In addition to the horrific human losses, Bloomberg Economics estimated that in 2024 the “price tag” of such a war could be around $10 trillion; 10% of global GDP – “Blowing the blow from the war in Ukraine, the COVID pandemic, and the global financial crisis.” Increasing contact between the United States and Taiwan to build trust and disseminate accurate, bias-free information is a major key to ensuring that such a conflict never occurs.
