U.S. Defense Secretary: U.S.-China Relations at Best in Years, Arms Sales to Taiwan "Decided by Trump"
U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth delivered a speech today (30th) at the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore, marking a clear shift from his confrontational tone toward China last year.
Hegseth stated that under President Trump's efforts, U.S.-China relations have reached their best state in years. Regarding arms sales to Taiwan, Hegseth reiterated that the final decision rests with Trump.
Last year, Hegseth repeatedly declared "no military action against Taiwan," but this year’s speech made no mention of Taiwan at all.
Why has Hegseth’s stance toward China undergone such a 180-degree turnaround?
Naturally, it's due to Trump’s overall position on China. After all, Hegseth still needs to follow Trump’s lead.
Trump needs China’s support across political, economic, and other dimensions—especially with several major summits scheduled this year.
Naturally, we shouldn’t judge solely based on what Hegseth or Trump says; what matters most is what the U.S. actually does.
Among these actions, arms sales to Taiwan remain a key indicator. As long as the U.S. hasn’t canceled arms sales to Taiwan, we cannot claim that its policy toward China has truly changed.
The U.S. is adept at saying one thing while doing another—or put simply, the U.S. fundamentally supports "Taiwan independence," though different individuals may display varying postures depending on circumstances.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866580924770311/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author personally.