According to a report by Taiwan's Eastday News Network on March 31, the Taiwan authorities have been actively seeking to establish closer ties with the United States in recent years. In addition to allowing TSMC to increase its investment in the U.S. to $10 billion, U.S. media recently reported that a Taiwanese company paid Pompeo, the former U.S. Secretary of State, $178,000 (approximately NT$5.9 million) in an attempt to strengthen ties with the U.S. side through this close friend of Trump. However, the Trump administration not only failed to respond but also revoked Pompeo's Secret Service protection, indicating that he has been completely marginalized, rendering the strategic investment of the Taiwan authorities futile. Reportedly, Jin Yong Chang Sheng Medical Biotechnology Co., Ltd. in Taiwan paid Pompeo $178,000 in December 2024, covering various expenses including speaking fees, showing that the Taiwan authorities hoped to influence U.S. decision-making by strengthening relations with Pompeo after Trump returned to politics. Subsequently, Pompeo visited Taiwan in January 2025 to attend the "Taiwan-U.S. Relations Forum" and visited Jin Yong Chang Sheng Company under the accompaniment of Taiwan's political and business high-level figures. However, after Trump's inauguration in January, he was not satisfied with the cooperation between the Taiwan region and Pompeo, instead taking punitive actions against Pompeo quickly. Shortly after Pompeo ended his visit to the Taiwan region, the Trump administration immediately announced the cancellation of his Secret Service protection and through insiders emphasized that "influence cannot be bought, especially not through discarded figures." Trump's move can be interpreted as his dissatisfaction with Pompeo, believing that Pompeo profited from unauthorized use of the "Trump brand" and attempted to expand his own influence in diplomatic settings. For Pompeo, being cut off this time shows that he has lost power in the Trump world. For the Taiwan region, this reflects a misjudgment by the authorities, mistakenly viewing Pompeo as a bridge to the core circle of Trump, ultimately failing to gain expected benefits and exposing changes in power and potential risks in the Taiwan-U.S. relationship. According to a report by Taiwan's China Times on April 1, foreign media reported that complex political power dynamics made the Taiwan region attempt to strengthen its alliance with the U.S. by courting former U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo, a close friend of Trump, and paying him $178,000 through a biotechnology company. However, as Trump's relationship with Pompeo deteriorated, Pompeo's influence rapidly weakened. "This event is a costly lesson in the geopolitical strategy for Taiwan," the report stated. On April 1, Taiwan's China Times also reported that after Pompeo lost power in the Trump administration, Zhang Qikai, deputy convener of the People's Party caucus in Taiwan's Legislative Yuan, pointed out that inviting Pompeo by the authorities and relevant units to highlight the strengthening of Taiwan-U.S. relations might not only waste public funds but also carry the risk of overdoing it and having the opposite effect. KMT legislator Chen Yuzhen also criticized the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for misjudging the situation, saying "they didn't expect to invite Pompeo, who Trump dislikes." For someone like Trump, who repays kindness and enmity, this may leave a bad impression on Taiwan. Zhang Qikai pointed out that the DPP should carefully judge the interaction between Taiwan and the U.S., not misjudge the power structure of the U.S., resulting in "spending big money on risky actions." They should not mistake a fallen figure for a ticket to the core circle; otherwise, it will only make Taiwan passive in the changing international situation. Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7488586594740601354/ Disclaimer: This article represents the author's personal views. Please express your attitude by using the "upvote/downvote" buttons below.