TAIPEI, Taiwan – 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, regardless of the inevitable Beijing response of “anger” and “hurt feelings,” analysts say.
Exchanges between U.S. officials, scholars, as well as members of think tanks, foundations, and institutes, will be crucial for accurate information to be relayed to both the American and Taiwanese public and their respective governments, say experts.
On Thursday, a delegation from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute met with Taiwan President William Lai, Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao and Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung.
TRUMP CABINET PICKS DELIGHT TAIWAN, SEND STRONG SIGNAL TO CHINA
“We deeply appreciate the bipartisan support from our American friends and welcome delegations from the U.S. and like-minded nations,” Lin told Fox News Digital in exclusive comments.
The foreign minister added, “These visits demonstrate concrete support for Taiwan and contribute to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, essential for global security and prosperity.”
Speaking from Taipei, David Trulio, president and CEO of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, told Fox News Digital, “We met with the President, Vice President, Foreign Minister, and other government leaders to advance President Reagan’s legacy and our shared values of freedom and democracy, economic opportunity, and peace through strength.”
Describing Taiwan as “a vibrant democracy and key economic partner of the United States,” Trulio added that visits to Taiwan – by U.S. civil society groups, foundations, think tanks, and official U.S. government officers – serve as “valuable opportunities to maintain relationships with Taiwan’s leaders, address challenges and opportunities, and visibly promote shared values.”
The Reagan Foundation, comprised of national security and business leaders, met with representatives from all three of Taiwan’s main political parties, as well as top Taiwanese government officials, during a weeklong visit to Taiwan, a self-ruled island that has never been governed by Communist China. Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and never misses a chance to make bombastic statements against what it calls “secessionist forces.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s 2024 New Year’s address included claims that “reunification” was a “historical inevitability,” despite the two sides being separately ruled for more than 70 years. Beijing has refused to pledge to seek only peaceful options for “unity” and says it reserves the option of using military force.
While Foreign Minister Lin did not directly reference pre-U.S. election comments by then-Republican candidate Trump that “Taiwan should pay us for defense,” he did not sidestep the issue. In comments to Fox News Digital, Lin said, “Taiwan has increased its defense spending by over 80% since 2016, reaching US$20 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. In 2025, if the special budget for military procurement is included, Taiwan’s total military spending is expected to account for 20% of the central government’s annual budget—higher than that of the U.S.”
CHINA OFFICIALLY ‘DOESN’T CARE’ ABOUT TRUMP WIN; UNOFFICIALLY, EXPERTS SAY BEIJING IS RATTLED
This is the Reagan Foundation’s second time leading a delegation to Taiwan in as many years. A recent poll conducted by the foundation showed roughly 70-75% of Americans – Democrats and Republicans alike – would support strong measures should China make the ill-advised choice to use military force against Taiwan. For example, a significant majority agreed that should there be an attack, the U.S. should immediately recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation.
The current reality is that China faces significant domestic challenges and is not in a position of strength. In 2022, despite threats of “dire consequences,” then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, and the Chinese response was hardly “dire.” The following year, after Republicans took control of the House, the then President Tsai Ing-wen met with then-Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy during a stop in California, a historic first meeting between a Taiwanese president and a U.S. House speaker on U.S. soil.
China responded with three days of war games and a simulated blockade of the island, but those exercises and maneuvers demonstrated no new capabilities that the U.S. or Taiwanese defense departments were not aware of already. Speaking after meeting with McCarthy in 2023, President Tsai told the media, “To preserve peace, we must be strong,” clearly paraphrasing former President Ronald Reagan.
“China can and will huff and puff over visits, especially ones involving in-office U.S. government personnel,” Liam Keen told Fox News Digital via email. “But we cannot allow the theatrics of mock blockades and firing rockets into the sea to in any way deter closer U.S.-Taiwan exchanges.” Keen, who is part of the U.S.-based NGO Formosan Association for Public Affairs, noted his organization strongly supported and was instrumental in helping the Taiwan Travel Act get passed in Congress and signed into law by then-President Donald Trump in 2018.
The Taiwan Travel Act – which China predictably harshly criticized – removed many previous restrictions on travel to Taiwan by U.S. officials. Keen noted that “The act passed unanimously in the U.S. Senate. I think China calling it a ‘red line’ only emboldened sponsors of the law such as Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and [former] Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio., which is exactly the right way to respond to bullying by the Chinese Communist Part.”
Foreign Minister Lin told Fox News Digital that Taiwan’s government looked forward to working with the new U.S. administration. “Strengthening economic partnerships is also crucial,” he said. “Taiwanese businesses, such as TSMC with its $65 billion investment in Arizona, are increasingly investing in the U.S.” Lin noted that Taiwanese President Lai has emphasized the importance of Taiwan’s global role, with Lin quoting Lai as saying, “The more secure Taiwan is, the more secure the world will be.”
War between the U.S. and China over Taiwan would be catastrophic for both superpowers and the globe. Aside from horrific human losses, Bloomberg Economics estimated in 2024 that the “price tag” of such a war could be around $10 trillion; 10% of global GDP – “dwarfing the blow from the war in Ukraine, COVID pandemic and global financial crisis.” Increased contact between the United States and Taiwan to build trust, and transmit accurate, bias-free information is a major key to ensuring such a conflict never happens.
