China says Trump may leave Taiwan if he wins US election
Kyiv • UNN
China believes that if Trump wins the US election, Taiwan will turn into a bargaining chip and the US will abandon its promises to protect the island from a potential military attack by China.
A Chinese official has said that Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election could lead to the US leaving Taiwan. UNN writes about this with reference to Bloomberg.
At a regular press briefing, Chen Binhua, a spokesman for the Beijing office that deals with issues related to the island, was asked a question related to Trump's interview. In it, Trump avoided a direct answer to the question of whether he, as president, would defend Taiwan if China attacked it.
The United States will always defend America first and foremost, and Taiwan can turn from a chess piece to a discarded one at any time
When asked by Bloomberg about Chen's remarks, a Trump campaign spokesman referred to comments he made as president in which he recognized that China was a security threat.
Bloomberg notes that China often says that the United States is not a reliable partner for Taiwan. This line is aimed at undermining the island's confidence that it can withstand a possible Chinese invasion. China has promised that it will one day take over the island of 23 million people, even by force if necessary.
Context
The United States has traditionally maintained a policy of strategic ambiguity, recognizing China's historical claims to sovereignty over Taiwan while maintaining only informal relations with Taipei and promising defense assistance. Nevertheless, President Joe Biden has repeatedly stated that the United States will defend Taiwan if it is attacked.
Washington is Taipei's main military supporter, and in late 2022 it authorized arms sales to Taiwan worth up to $10 billion over five years. Beijing reacted to the arms sales by striking back with symbolic sanctions on defense companies.
