1407
This opinion, as reported by Taipei Times, was expressed by Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Jiaolong, Ukrinform reports.
"The main focus of Trump's second term will be on countering China. And while that doesn't necessarily mean supporting Taiwan, the position of this United States administration provides opportunities for Taiwan to find common interests with the United States," Lin said.
According to him, the Taiwanese government knows how to find common ground with Washington and focus on promoting policies where the interests of both sides coincide.
"Taiwan's foreign policy is not based on the interests of the United States, but is based on the interests of Taiwan," the top diplomat emphasized.
He also commented on Trump's controversial statements during his presidential campaign, accusing Taiwan of "stealing" the US chip industry a decade ago and not paying enough to the United States for providing the island's defense.
"Taiwan should take Trump's words seriously, but not literally. Trump 2.0 is showing more consistency in his policies, so President Trump's second term offers Taiwan more opportunities than threats," Lin believes.
He explained his optimistic expectations by the fact that much of the Taiwan-US cooperation during the administration of previous President Joe Biden was initiated during Trump's first term from 2016 to 2020, and by the fact that many senior members of Trump's national security team are friendly to Taiwan.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
