Taipei [Taiwan], August 20 (ANI): US-based scholars have raised concerns that Taiwan’s growing distrust of Washington—particularly over President Donald Trump’s tariffs and semiconductor policies—could undermine long-term American interests while creating openings for Beijing, according to the Central News Agency (CNA).
Bonnie Glaser and Jennifer Lan of the German Marshall Fund, a US think tank, noted that while Taiwanese citizens have historically supported the United States, this sentiment has been eroding rapidly. They cited recent public opinion polls from both American and Taiwanese sources showing increasing “distrust and skepticism” toward Washington in recent months.
A Brookings Institution survey from April 2025 revealed that 40.5 percent of Taiwanese respondents viewed the United States negatively, a sharp rise from 24.2 percent in July 2024. The authors attributed this shift partly to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC) decision to expand its operations in the US under Trump’s “America First” policy, which many in Taiwan fear could dilute the island’s strategic significance.
They also pointed to Trump’s tariffs on Taiwan, which they said have further damaged the US image. “If this shift in public sentiment continues or worsens, it could hinder US interests,” the scholars warned. “The growing anxiety might lead to hopelessness regarding Taiwan’s future, thus providing the PRC [People’s Republic of China] an opportunity to advance its strategy of persuading Taiwanese citizens that unification on Beijing’s terms is their best—or only—choice.”
The authors cautioned that Beijing could be emboldened to take bolder steps to enforce unification, including contesting Taiwan’s authority over adjacent waters, implementing a quarantine or blockade, or seizing one of Taiwan’s peripheral islands.
To address rising skepticism in Taiwan, Glaser and Lan urged Trump to make a clear statement affirming Taiwan’s importance to the United States. They recommended that Washington approve and expedite the delivery of asymmetric weaponry to Taiwan, potentially through presidential drawdown authority and foreign military financing. They also suggested the White House should “facilitate, rather than obstruct” Taiwanese presidential transits through the US, while Congress could accelerate approval of a tax agreement to remove investment barriers.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said both Taipei and Washington are closely monitoring public discourse on “US skepticism” and working to prevent “malicious actors” from exploiting it for cognitive warfare against Taiwan. In a statement, MOFA affirmed that Taiwan looks forward to continued cooperation with the US in security, economic, and trade areas as a demonstration of the strength of bilateral ties, CNA reported. (ANI)
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