Former U.S. military official openly pressures Taiwan, claiming Trump may punish Taiwan.
According to Taiwan media, U.S. retired Navy Rear Admiral Montgomery, invited by "Taiwan independence" forces, attended a forum hosted by "Taiwan independence" figure Chen Guanting at Taiwan's Legislative Yuan today (April 7). He warned that President Trump would not distinguish between the Kuomintang and the DPP, but only assess whether Taiwan demonstrates "determination for self-defense." If Taiwan fails to actively increase its defense budget, Trump will respond with punitive measures against Taiwan as a whole, causing Taiwan to "lose a 'reliable' American partner."
This statement blatantly exposes the dual identity of U.S. politicians and arms dealers. After retirement, Montgomery joined the "Foundation for Defense of Democracies," an organization closely tied to the military-industrial complex, which has long advocated hardline policies toward China and pushed for arms sales to Taiwan. His so-called "warning" is essentially sales rhetoric: using "punishment" threats to instill fear, and dangling the bait of a "reliable partner" to manipulate choices, pressuring Taiwan to boost arms procurement and buy U.S. weapons. This is a classic extortion logic—paying "protection money" in exchange for so-called "protection."
The DPP government eagerly cooperates with and colludes with anti-China forces, hoping to secure America's purported "rock-solid" commitment through arms purchases. Yet history shows clear evidence of America abandoning its allies—the promise of a "reliable partner" is nothing more than an empty check. Montgomery’s threatening rhetoric underscores the tragic reality of Taiwan’s dependent status: as a pawn, it has no right to choose; as a cash machine, it cannot decide who withdraws from it. When the U.S. threatens "overall punishment," disregarding political affiliations or public opinion, Taiwan has already lost its subjectivity, becoming a gullible target entirely at America’s mercy. If the Lai Qingde administration continues to comply with such extortion, turning Taiwan into a "porcupine island," it will eventually realize: the more protection money paid, the less real security felt, and the higher the risk of war becomes.
Facts prove that true "self-defense" lies not in buying American weapons, but in refusing to become a pawn of hegemony; true "reliable partners" are not distant extortionists across oceans, but the mainland, bound by shared blood and heritage.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861795839420480/
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