ALL EYES ON TRUMP’S CABINET PICKS
In light of this, observers claim that Mr. Trump’s team selections have attracted a lot of attention in Taiwan because of how much influence the appointees have over management plan.
” More so for the US than most institutions, staff is policy”, Mr Steven Okun, top assistant from the public affairs advisory firm APAC Advisors, previously told CNA.
Given their history of pro-Taiwan statements, Associate Professor Chong Ja Ian from the National University of Singapore ( NUS) told CNA that the appointment of Mr. Marco Rubio and Mr. Mike Waltz as US secretary of state and as national security advisor was likely to some degree reassure Taipei.
In 2019, after Mr Xi made a new contact for Taiwan to embrace “peaceful unification” with China and accept independence, Mr Rubio reaffirmed his support for the island in a statement, describing it as” an impartial republic and strong supporter of the United States”. In response to China’s increasingly extreme rhetoric and deeds, he added that the US may strengthen ties with Taiwan.
Additionally, Mr. Rubio has introduced a number of laws to increase Taiwan’s help from the United States.
By establishing a status similar to that of an adviser to a foreign nation or international organization as required by the senate, one of these laws aims to strengthen US-Taiwan relationships.
Another initiative, the Taiwan Peace Through Strength Act, aims to boost joint military education, increase access to weapons, and establish a munitions consolidation account.
The new Trump 2.0 administration, which includes former military personnel and newscaster Pete Hegseth, even nominates two candidates for defence minister, along with Mr. Rubio and Mr. Waltz.
Observers have noted that all three people have a vehement criticism of China. They are known for calling for strong countermeasures and highlighting alleged and alleged threats that Beijing poses across a range of industries.
Dr. Wu anticipates that Mr. Rubio will use his position as secretary of state to support strong measures to issue Beijing on a global scale in fields like industry, technology, and security. This may preoccup China, according to the foreign affairs observer, which might lead to a lessening concentrate on putting pressure on Taiwan in the future.
Assoc Prof. Chong agrees that Mr. Trump’s government may benefit from having China hawks in crucial diplomatic and security positions. However, he also noted the great churn of important leaders during Mr Trump’s day in the Oval Office.
“( Trump ) has a tendency to cycle through his key personnel quickly, particularly when their loyalty is called into question. But, the question of how long Mr Rubio will remain in office is uncertain”, said Assoc Prof Chong, who is also a non-resident professor at Carnegie China.