WASHINGTON, July 18, (AP): Former US president Donald Trump demanded the self-governed island of Taiwan pay for US protection, dodged the question of whether he would defend the island from Beijing's military action and accused the island of taking the computer chip industry away from the United States.
"Taiwan should pay us for defense,” the Republican presidential candidate said in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek. "You know, we're no different than an insurance company."
Trump's remarks, made public Tuesday, add uncertainty to Trump's approach to Taiwan at a time his running mate, JD Vance, has called China the "biggest threat” to the United States. President Joe Biden has said he would send troops to defend the island.
In Taiwan, Premier Cho Jung-tai responded that Taiwan is "willing to take on more responsibility" and would defend itself.
In a statement, Taiwan's de-facto embassy in Washington said it is in the interest of the US and the international community to preserve peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait because it is an indispensable part of global prosperity.
"As the threat of military coercion increases, Taiwan is doing its part by actively strengthening deterrence capabilities with the support of the United States under the Taiwan Relations Act," the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office said.
As the rivalry between Washington and Beijing heats up, Taiwan - an island that broke away from mainland China in 1949 following a civil war - has become one of the thorniest issues in US-China relations.
Beijing claims sovereignty over the island and vows to take it by force if necessary to achieve unification. Washington insists any differences be resolved peacefully and U.S. law obligates it to supply Taiwan with hardware and technology for self-defense. In the past several years, ties between Washington and Taipei have grown stronger, as Beijing ratchets up military and diplomatic pressure on the island.
Last month, the Biden administration approved a $360 million weapons sale to Taiwan, sending the island hundreds of armed drones, missile equipment and related support material. Taiwan pays for the military equipment.