US Navy ‘invited’ to go to Taiwan and ‘have fun’ after Beijing bans port visits to Hong Kong
- While a visit to the self-ruled island would be certain to anger the Chinese government, Taiwanese internet users say American sailors would be welcome
- Beijing banned US warships in retaliation for Donald Trump signing the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act into law
Beijing’s decision to suspend US military port calls in Hong Kong has been greeted with a degree of derision in Taiwan, with many suggesting that the Americans would be welcome to come to the island instead.
Although the United States is unlikely to risk angering Beijing further by sending warships on a port call to the self-ruled island, many Taiwanese internet users said the southern port city of Kaoshiung would “win big” if the Americans did decide to visit.
The US military has never made an official port call to Taiwan, while Beijing opposes all forms of military exchanges between Washington and Taipei.
A person on the PTT terminal bulletin board system joked such a visit would happen only when “US-China [trade] talks fall apart or reach a standstill”.
A Taiwanese blogger wrote on Facebook that such a move could “stimulate spending in Kaoshiung by US naval officers and elevate Kaoshiung’s skills in naval vessel repairs”.