US policy undercuts Taiwan’s ability to defend against mainland China, lobbying group says

A Trump administration could adopt a clearer policy towards Taipei sooner and be more open to arms sales than a Democratic one, leader adds

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A US-made TOW-2A wire-guided anti-tank missile is launched by Taiwanese soldiers from a M1167-TOW carrier vehicle during a live-fire exercise at the Fangshan training grounds in Pingtung county, Taiwan, on Monday. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:00am, 29 Aug 2024Updated: 11:05pm, 29 Aug 2024

Washington’s policy of strategic ambiguity has undercut Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against Beijing, sending mixed signals amid the mainland’s blockades and grey-zone activities, the head of an influential business association said on Wednesday.

Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the US-Taiwan Business Council, a non-profit group fostering trade and business relations between the two sides, believed an administration led by Donald Trump could adopt a clearer policy towards Taiwan sooner and be more open to arms sales than a Democratic one.

Strategic ambiguity is typically understood as intentionally creating uncertainty for both Beijing and Taipei about whether the US would intervene in an armed conflict.

Hammond-Chambers explained that while the current policy offered no guarantees of American defence support, it restricted Taipei’s ability to acquire comprehensive defence capabilities, with the US “directing Taiwan only to buy in a certain area and only providing technologies in that area”.

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“In an era of strategic clarity, which I certainly believe the US should move to, we could have a division of responsibility where the United States and Taiwan come to an understanding about where Taiwan will apply its resources and the US provides some guarantees that it will provide coverage in those other areas,” he said.