"If Trump Regains Power, the US Will Abandon Taiwan," China Shakes Again

Taiwan Official: "Taiwan Can Be Discarded Like a Pawn at Any Time"

An official responsible for Taiwan affairs in China expressed the view that former U.S. President Donald Trump would abandon Taiwan if he were to regain the presidency in the next election.

Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China, responded on the 31st at a regular press conference to a question about Trump's remarks on Taiwan, saying, "The United States will always pursue America First, and Taiwan will at any time be turned into a discarded pawn in the chess game."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He went on to address a New York Times (NYT) report about declining trust in the U.S. among Taiwanese people, stating, "Taiwanese are realizing that they cannot trust outsiders," and raised his voice, saying, "The United States always thinks only of its own interests, and their support for Taiwan is actually harming Taiwan."

This appears to be an attempt to heighten security concerns ahead of the inauguration of Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in May, aiming to drive a wedge between the U.S. and Taiwan.

At the press conference, Chinese authorities took an active and conciliatory stance on exchanges and cooperation between the two sides, while repeatedly emphasizing that future relations depend on the attitude of the DPP government.

Spokesperson Chen added that the continuation of the Cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) between China and Taiwan "depends on what kind of policy line the DPP authorities pursue."

Regarding the resumption of cross-strait air routes and tourism, he stated, "The DPP authorities must lift unreasonable restrictions," and expressed the position that "there are no obstacles on the mainland side for mainland tourists traveling to Taiwan."