US, Taiwan military ties closer than ever as Donald Trump challenges Beijing
- Washington is approving arms deals at a much faster pace than before, as Taipei faces growing threats from mainland China
- Self-ruled island has also been releasing information on US Navy movements in Taiwan Strait that would previously have been kept quiet
US President Donald Trump’s pushback against Beijing’s military expansion and diplomatic strategy in the Indo-Pacific region has seen defence ties between Washington and Taipei become closer than ever in recent months.
Washington has been approving arms deals with Taipei at a much faster pace than under Barack Obama and George W Bush, while the self-ruled island has been making public US military movements near the Taiwan Strait – information that would not have been released under previous US administrations.
Since Trump took office in January 2017, both his administration and Congress have shifted from a policy of not enraging Beijing when it comes to Taipei, to a new policy of challenging the mainland government and focusing more on Taiwan’s defences.
But analysts say the government of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen needs to evaluate the significance and impact of that new direction, given the hypersensitive relations between the US, mainland China and Taiwan.
Earlier this month, US Assistant Secretary of Defence for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver confirmed that Washington was moving towards a “more normal foreign military sales relationship” with Taiwan.