Republican and Democratic lawmakers made their first trip to Taiwan under the new Trump administration a bipartisan one, aiming to show both Taiwan and China that US support for Taiwan's defense remains broad, despite the harsh words and harsh tariffs President Donald Trump has had for the Taiwanese.
Taiwan's leaders so far in this week's trip by two Republican and one Democratic senator are messaging back just as hard, assuring the Republican US administration that they have taken in Trump's complaints and are acting on them.
Many Asia-Pacific nations are eschewing the retaliatory criticism and tariffs of some of the US's European allies after Trump earlier this month slapped broad tariffs on many countries around the world, including a 32% one for Taiwan.
Despite that hit, conversations in Taiwan this week were “optimistic and forward-looking,” Democratic Sen. Chris Coons said in Taipei. “And I'm optimistic that we're going to see a strong next chapter in US-Taiwan relations.”
That includes assurances from the Taiwanese that they are working fast to strike new trade and investment deals that suit the Trump administration, on top of the advanced-semiconductor giant's $100 billion investment this year alone in chip production in the US.
Taking all the lessons from Ukraine in its defense against Russia and criticism from Trump, Taiwan also says it is investing fast to make their military stronger, nimbler and less dependent on the US, as the island's strongest deterrent against China, the US lawmakers said. That includes seeking investment with Americans on drone warfare.
Sens. Pete Ricketts and Coons, the ranking Republican and Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's East Asia subcommittee, spoke ahead of scheduled talks Friday with President Lai Ching-te, Defense Minister Wellington Koo and national security adviser Joseph Wu. Republican Sen. Ted Budd also is on the trip.
The mission comes at a time that an economy-shaking trade war between the US and China has some warning that China could strike out at Taiwan, a self-governed island with a vibrant democracy and the world's top production of the most advanced semiconductors. China claims Taiwan as its territory, to be retaken by force if necessary.
Trump has repeatedly accused Taiwan of “stealing” the United States’ computer chip industry. His criticism of Taiwan, and his insistence last year that “Taiwan should pay us” for its defense, have heightened concern that the US, Taiwan’s strongest military partner, might decide not to get too involved if China were ever to attack Taiwan.
The 32% tariffs on Taiwan included in Trump’s sweeping new tariffs on trade partners this month surprised many Taiwanese, who thought that their government had shown itself a true ally to Washington.
“Look past the rhetoric and look at the action,” Ricketts said, repeating a watchword of the Republicans on Trump’s statements.
After saying he was in no rush to finish trade deals, the president said he thought he could wrap up talks “over the next three or four weeks.”
Ricketts cited the priority that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has placed on helping the Asia-Pacific secure itself against China. That included making the region one of the first he visited in office, Ricketts said.
Ricketts said Taiwan's leaders already had reached out to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick for negotiations, moving quickly in the 90-day pause that Trump announced before the United States starts enforcing the new tariffs on most countries.
Lai, Taiwan's president, has pledged to increase Taiwan's military spending to 3% of its gross domestic product, up from about 2.5%, bringing it up to nearly a fifth of its overall budget. Taiwan also is talking to Americans about partnerships in producing drones, part of taking a lesson from Ukraine in its defense against Russia in emphasizing fleet fighting forces working with portable Stingers, lawmakers said.
Taiwan's own defense industry is also producing advanced weapons from submarines to small arms and anti-air missiles.
“Of course, there is the possibility that Xi Jinping would decide that this is the right time for the Chinese Communist Party to take aggressive action,” Coons said of the Chinese president.
“I think it’s exactly the wrong thing for them to do,” Coons said. “I think they would find a forceful and united response.”
