During a recent interview at the Chicago Economic Club, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump offered a provocative perspective on the issue of U.S. military involvement in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. When asked directly if the U.S. would deploy troops to defend Taiwan, Trump sidestepped the commitment but confidently asserted, “If I’m elected, they (referring to Beijing) won’t be doing that.”
Trump’s comments reflect his long-standing reluctance to explicitly commit to a military response regarding Taiwan. Earlier this year, in a June interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, he stated that Taiwan is taking away business related to American semiconductors and suggested that Taiwan should contribute to America’s defense budget.
In a separate September interview with a columnist from The Washington Post, Trump expressed his belief that China would not attack Taiwan during his presidency. However, he acknowledged that such a move could happen eventually. He described the situation involving Taiwan as complex, noting, “Don’t forget, Taiwan is 9,000 miles away from the U.S. (about 14,000 kilometers) but only 100 miles (about 160 kilometers) from China.” Trump urged Taiwanese leaders to significantly increase their defense spending over the next four years, advocating for a defense budget that reaches 10% of Taiwan’s GDP.
For context, Taiwan’s current defense budget for this year stands at approximately NT$606.8 billion, accounting for 2.5% of its GDP, while the proposed budget for next year is NT$647 billion, roughly 2.45% of GDP.
When pressed again on whether Taiwan should pay for U.S. protection, Trump’s answer remained affirmative. Host John Micklethwait from Bloomberg referenced recent military exercises by the Chinese military that simulated a total blockade of Taiwan. He asked Trump directly whether he would send U.S. forces to defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion. Trump responded, “The reason they (Beijing) are doing this now is because they know they won’t be able to do it after I’m elected.”
