In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Ming-Shih Shen, director of the Institute for National Defense and Security Research’s national security division, expressed that China would be “afraid” of former President Donald Trump being elected to the White House again, should the country be considering an attack on Taiwan. Shen’s assessment is based on the understanding that Beijing views President Biden’s stance toward China as more moderate compared to Trump’s. “If China’s attitude is…to maintain the stability and peace in [the] Taiwan Strait and increase relations between the United States and China, then either is no problem,” Shen explained. “But if China [shows] increased aggressive posture , I think China [would be more] afraid of Trump than Biden.” Shen emphasized Trump’s likelihood to respond forcefully to a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan. However, he clarified that it was not just Trump himself, but also the officials he appointed, including China hawks like former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Matthew Pottinger, who served on Trump’s National Security Council. Notably, China sanctioned 28 members of the former Trump administration, including Pompeo and Pottinger, on the day Biden took office in January 2021, accusing them of violating China’s sovereignty. Dr. I-Chung Lai of The Prospect Foundation, a Taiwanese think tank, acknowledged Taiwan’s appreciation for both Trump and Biden’s handling of the situation between their island and China. He pointed out the significant expansion of U.S.-Taiwan relations under Trump. “We…notice that it is during Trump, when he became president in the year 2016, the whole policy over time has experienced fundamental changes, as well as policy toward China, and actually for the better for Taiwan,” Lai remarked. “It is also under Trump that the U.S. started to regularly sent ships through the Taiwan Strait, which helped to address the security issues here tremendously.” Lai added that while many in Taiwan were appreciative of Trump’s actions, they also expressed similar appreciation for the Biden administration’s efforts. However, Lai noted that some of Trump’s more provocative statements, such as his claim that the Taiwanese semiconductor industry was “stealing” jobs from the U.S., had caused concern. “Those are words that are a little bit concerning to us,” Lai said. The U.S.-Taiwan partnership in the semiconductor industry is crucial to both governments, with Taiwan producing approximately 60% of the world’s semiconductors. Trump made those comments after the Biden administration reached an agreement with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd to expand its operations in Arizona. Biden’s Commerce Department signed the $6.6 billion deal, which is expected to create over 25,000 new jobs in manufacturing and construction, in April of this year. Despite the differing approaches of Trump and Biden, the U.S. remains committed to Taiwan’s security and opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan’s Defense Expert: China Fears Trump’s Re-Election Amidst Possible Invasion Threat
