Washington [US], March 10: US Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, has expressed confidence that China will not take any military action against Taiwan during President Donald Trump’s tenure, according to reports from Taipei Times. This statement comes amid rising concerns over China’s stance on Taiwan, which it considers a part of its territory.
In a recent interview, Bessent was asked whether he believed Chinese President Xi Jinping would take military action against Taiwan. He responded, “I follow President Trump’s lead, and he is confident that President Xi will not make that move during his presidency.”
China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, made waves last Thursday by declaring that “China will achieve reunification with Taiwan, and this is inevitable,” further intensifying global anxieties over the situation. While Beijing has not ruled out using military force to assert control over Taiwan, both the US and Taiwan have taken measures to ensure the island’s defense.
At the White House’s announcement of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s USD 100 billion investment in the US, President Trump addressed concerns regarding a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, calling it “a catastrophic event, obviously,” as reported by Taipei Times.
Elbridge Colby, whom President Trump appointed to head Pentagon policy, emphasized the catastrophic consequences for American interests if Taiwan were to fall to China. Colby urged Taiwan to increase its defense spending to better deter Beijing and recommended the US Department of Defense expedite preparations to counter any possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan. He also stressed the importance of preventing conflict in the Taiwan Strait.
In a similar vein, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio underscored America’s unwavering position on Taiwan, stating, “We have a longstanding position on Taiwan that we’re not going to abandon. We are against any forced, compelled, coercive change in the status of Taiwan. That’s been our position since the late 1970s, and that continues to be our position, and that’s not going to change.”
With high-level US officials, including President Trump, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, and Elbridge Colby, reaffirming their commitment to Taiwan’s security, the United States remains firm in its resolve to deter any Chinese aggression towards the island.