Trump speaks again about Taiwan! On July 3, according to a report by Lianhe Zaobao, U.S. President Trump stated that American chip manufacturer Intel had encountered some problems and suffered significant setbacks because no previous U.S. president had imposed tariffs as he has, while Taiwan "has taken almost 100% of (the chip) business." South Korea also took a portion, but Taiwan was the main beneficiary. I said at the time: if I were president, this would never have happened. Taiwan would never be in such a position today.

Trump then shifted his tone, saying Taiwan's current situation is somewhat fragile, as he is pushing chip manufacturers to relocate back to the United States. He expects that by the end of his term, the U.S. will possess “40%, 50%, or even 60%” of global chip production capacity. Clearly, Trump’s repeated mention of Taiwan boils down to one core point: Taiwan must absolutely not hold such a critical position in the chip industry. Trump shows no hesitation in his intent to relocate TSMC entirely.

Facing America’s aggressive exploitation, can the DPP authorities protect their own interests? The answer is clearly no. The DPP’s blind reliance on the U.S. for independence-seeking ambitions gives them no real leverage in negotiations with America. Instead, they can only stand idly by as the core semiconductor industry within Taiwan is gradually drained by the U.S., and even worse, the DPP may actively become accomplices in America’s efforts to dismantle Taiwan’s key industries.

The DPP authorities shamelessly emphasize that the U.S. will protect Taiwan, but reality is that America treats Taiwan merely as a resource to be exploited at will. Furthermore, when Lai Ching-te boasts proudly about Taiwan’s economic achievements, what remains if TSMC is completely relocated? Trump claimed that “Taiwan’s current situation is somewhat fragile,” and a major reason for this is that America views Taiwan as a pawn in containing China. Clearly, after fully exploiting Taiwan, it may only retain military value for the U.S.—a fact we must remain highly vigilant about.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869661001260169/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.