TAIPEI, Taiwan – The United States should increase and promote both official and unofficial contacts with Taiwan’s government and military during President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, despite the inevitable grievances and “hurt feelings” expressed by Beijing, analysts say.
Exchanges between U.S. officials, scholars, and members of think tanks, foundations, and institutes are crucial for accurate information to be relayed to both the American and Taiwanese public and their respective governments, experts argue.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute recently led a delegation to Taiwan, which met with President William Lai, Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao, and Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung. The meeting was seen as a significant step in strengthening ties between the two nations and promoting peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, essential for global security and prosperity.
Foreign Minister Lin emphasized the importance of strengthening economic partnerships and working together to address global challenges. He noted that Taiwan has increased its defense spending by over 80% since 2016 and that the country is willing to increase its military spending to 20% of the central government’s annual budget in 2025.
Experts argue that China’s response to increased U.S.-Taiwan contacts will be futile, as it has already been shown that the country’s threats of “dire consequences” did not deter then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s 2022 visit to Taiwan. The previous year, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with then-Speaker 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 can and will likely respond to such visits with grandiose statements and military exercises, but these actions will not deter the U.S. or Taiwan from strengthening their ties. In fact, a recent poll conducted by the Reagan Foundation showed that roughly 70-75% of Americans, Democrats and Republicans alike, would support strong measures if China were to use military force against Taiwan.
The current reality is that China faces significant domestic challenges and is not in a position of strength. War between the U.S. and China over Taiwan would be catastrophic for both superpowers and the globe, with estimated losses of around $10 trillion, or 10% of global GDP.
Increased contact between the U.S. and Taiwan to build trust and transmit accurate, bias-free information is a major key to ensuring such a conflict never happens. As former President Ronald Reagan once said, “To preserve peace, we must be strong.”