Trump ‘builds up Taiwan’s armaments’, China tells US to ‘suspend nuclear control talks’
On the 16th, Republican presidential candidate Trump said of Taiwan, “They took about 100% of our chip business.” "I think Taiwan should pay for its defense costs," he said. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 24th that China would suspend initial nuclear arms control talks with the United States in protest against U.S. arms sales.
In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, Republican presidential candidate Trump said, “The United States sends stock of Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer TSMC, but since Taiwan does not give anything to the United States, it has to pay defense costs to the United States.”
Robert O'Brien, former President Trump's last national security adviser, said at a Bloomberg roundtable on the 24th that Taiwan must significantly increase its defense spending to counter potential attacks from China.
In response to a question about Trump's 'Taiwan military build-up' remarks at a Bloomberg roundtable at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, former aide O'Brien said, "They need to increase spending to fight China and the Chinese Communist Party, and we can help them. “We can be a part of it,” he told reporters, targeting the People’s Republic of China and the ruling Chinese Communist Party.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthy, the Democratic ranking member of the bipartisan China Select Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, called Trump's comments a "betrayal." “It would be a betrayal of our country,” he said in a statement.
U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a briefing on the 24th, "If you look at the support and security cooperation we have provided over the decades, Taiwan has actually purchased military (equipment) from the United States," and added, "It was never charity from the United States."
Spokesperson Matthew Miller said of China's suspension of nuclear talks, "China has decided to follow Russia's lead," and added, "We believe this approach undermines strategic stability and increases the risk of an arms race."
Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a briefing on the 24th, “Repeated U.S. arms sales to Taiwan in recent months have seriously undermined the political atmosphere for continuing arms control discussions,” adding, “As a result, China has decided to pursue arms control.” and decided to put on hold discussions with the United States on a new agreement on non-proliferation. “The responsibility lies entirely with the United States,” he said.
Reuters reported on Lin's spokesperson, B Ping, saying, "China is willing to maintain communication on international arms control, but said to the United States, 'We must respect China's core interests and create the necessary conditions for dialogue and exchange.'" reported.
Regarding Taiwan's defense spending, Congressional Research Service data showed that military spending increased from 2% of GDP to 2.5% from 2017 to 2023.
Reuters reported that the Taiwanese government's 2024 defense budget is approximately $19.1 billion.
During the Trump administration, the United States agreed to sell billions of dollars worth of American weapons to Taiwan, but under the Biden administration, Taiwan has criticized the Democratic Party for delays in the delivery of some weapons, including Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.
Reuters reported that the United States has about 3,700 nuclear warheads in stockpile, of which about 1,419 strategic nuclear warheads have been deployed. Russia has deployed about 1,550 nuclear weapons and has a stockpile of 4,489 nuclear warheads, according to the Federation of American Scientists, while China has 500 nuclear warheads and is estimated to have more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030.
Former President Trump said in an interview, "I know the people very well, and I respect them very well. They took about 100 percent of our chip business. I think Taiwan should pay us for its defense," he said. “We are no different from insurance companies. Taiwan gives us nothing,” he said.
The United States and Taiwan recognized China in 1979, and Taiwan and the United States do not have formal diplomatic or military relations, and the U.S. Congress determines the amount of weapons sold to Taiwan in accordance with the U.S. ‘Taiwan Relations Act’.
The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives has moved to ban weapons against Taiwan after House Republican leaders abruptly reversed course in April and allowed a vote on $95 billion in military aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and U.S. partners in the Indo-Pacific. Passed an extensive foreign aid package that included support for:
China claims Taiwan as its own territory, continued war games around Taiwan for two days immediately after Taiwan's pro-American President Lai Ching-te took office in May, and recently raised military tensions in the Taiwan Strait ahead of the US presidential election. It is raising.