ALL EYES ON TRUMP’S CABINET PICKS
Against this backdrop, observers say Mr Trump’s team picks have drawn significant attention in Taiwan due to the considerable sway the appointees have in determining administration policy.
“More so for the US than most governments, personnel is policy,” Mr Steven Okun, senior advisor from the public affairs consultancy firm APAC Advisors, previously told CNA.
Taipei is likely reassured to some degree by the appointment of Mr Marco Rubio as US secretary of state and Mr Mike Waltz as national security advisor, given their history of pro-Taiwan statements, Associate Professor Chong Ja Ian from the Department of Political Science at the National University of Singapore (NUS) told CNA.
In 2019, after Mr Xi made a fresh call for Taiwan to embrace “peaceful reunification” with China and reject independence, Mr Rubio reaffirmed his support for the island in a tweet, describing it as “an independent democracy and strong ally of the United States”. He further emphasised that the US should strengthen ties with Taiwan “in the face of China’s increasingly aggressive actions and rhetoric”.
Mr Rubio has also introduced several pieces of legislation aimed at boosting American support for Taiwan.
One such legislation aims to strengthen US-Taiwan ties by elevating the US representative to Taiwan to a Senate-confirmed position, akin to how an ambassador to a foreign country or international organisation must be confirmed by the senate.
Another, the Taiwan Peace Through Strength Act, focuses on expediting US arms sales to Taipei, increasing joint military training and establishing a munitions acquisition fund.
Alongside Mr Rubio and Mr Waltz, the emerging Trump 2.0 administration also includes military veteran and news commentator Pete Hegseth as the nominee for defence secretary.
Observers have pointed out that all three men are outspoken critics of China. They are known for highlighting alleged and perceived threats posed by Beijing across various domains, and advocating for tough countermeasures.
Dr Wu expects Mr Rubio as secretary of state to advocate for tough measures to challenge Beijing on the international stage, across multiple fronts like trade, tech and security. The international affairs observer suggests this could preoccupy China, potentially resulting in a less immediate focus on exerting pressure on Taiwan.
Assoc Prof Chong concurs that having China hawks in key diplomatic and security roles within Mr Trump’s cabinet may benefit Taiwan. However, he also noted the high turnover of key officials during Mr Trump’s time in the Oval Office.
“(Trump) has a tendency to cycle through his key personnel quickly, particularly when their loyalty is called into question. So, the question of how long Mr Rubio will remain in office is uncertain,” said Assoc Prof Chong, who is also a non-resident scholar at Carnegie China.
