Lindsay Maizland, Council on Foreign Relations: U.S. Military Support for Taiwan: What’s Changed Under Trump?
The Trump administration has made bold gestures in support of Taiwan, including more frequent movement of U.S. ships in the Taiwan Strait. They come at a time of growing anxiety about the U.S.-China relationship.
For three months in a row this year, U.S. military ships have sailed through the Taiwan Strait, seen as a show of support for Taipei and a challenge to Beijing. They are just one aspect of Trump administration’s backing for Taiwan, and combined with China’s more aggressive approach to the democratic island, many analysts fear a cross-strait crisis.
Trump Is Raising the Stakes
In the past nine months, U.S. ships have sailed through the Taiwan Strait six times. During the Obama administration, passages were far less frequent, at just one to three times per year. Even though the Taiwan Strait is an international waterway, China is sensitive to the U.S. military’s presence and considers any transits of U.S. ships through the strait “provocative actions.”
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WNU Editor: I disagree with the above analysis that President Trump is raising the stakes. I see China as the one who has raised the stakes (and threats) in the past few years over border disputes and Taiwan belonging to China, and everyone, including the U.S., are now responding.
