Taipei (AFP) – President Donald Trump’s suggestion that US arms sales to Taiwan could be a bargaining chip with China has set off alarms across the world, but in Taipei, people told AFP the situation was beyond their control. A week on from Trump’s remarks to Fox News and aboard Air Force One, feverish speculation bubbled over whether decades of US policy on the democratic island has been upended. While the United States switched official diplomatic relations from Taipei to Beijing nearly 50 years ago, Washington is Taipei’s most important security backer.
Though Taiwanese government officials have been anxiously waiting for Trump’s decision on the latest arms package, people on the streets of Taipei were calm. Nicole Lee, a 46-year-old nurse, said she didn’t put much stock in Taiwan’s military hardware in a war against China, which claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to seize it. “Even if they give us weapons, if we really had to use force against (China), I don’t think there would be much we could do,” she said.
Delivery driver Ben Wu, 41, echoed those comments, likening US arms sales to Taiwan to a “protection fee” and noting that even with the “best weapons it would still be very hard to win” against China. Taiwan has spent many billions of dollars buying fighter jets, high-tech missiles, and drones from the United States to bolster its defences against a potential attack from China.
Still, Taipei has been at pains to remind Trump of US commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act, which was passed by the US Congress in 1979 and requires the United States to provide weapons to Taiwan. US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, have insisted nothing about US policy on Taiwan has changed.
Cynthia Kuo, a 29-year-old elementary school teacher, said Trump was the “kind of person who just says whatever pops into his head.” “So I feel like whatever decisions he makes, he only makes them if he thinks they’re good for the United States,” she said. “He’s not going to take other countries into account.” A 78-year-old retiree, who spoke on condition that her name not be used, said the one thing that was certain is that Trump can’t be relied upon. “He’s totally untrustworthy,” the woman said. “I often feel that Trump is a hooligan in international politics.”
In any case, Washington’s conclusion on the weapons and Beijing’s next steps on Taiwan will be decided far from Taipei. “I’m not that worried,” 22-year-old university student Matt told AFP. “Whether we worry or not doesn’t really change anything.”
© 2024 AFP
