By Nathan Layne
MILWAUKEE (Reuters) – Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who was a finalist to be Donald Trump’s operating mate within the U.S. presidential marketing campaign, mentioned on Thursday he anticipated the U.S. would proceed to assist Taiwan below a Trump presidency.
Trump raised questions on his dedication to the democratically ruled island claimed by China along with his remarks in a June 25 interview printed this week during which he mentioned Taiwan ought to pay the U.S. for its protection.
When requested about Trump’s Taiwan feedback, Rubio advised a gaggle of reporters on the sidelines of the Republican Nationwide Conference in Milwaukee that the “existential threat” Taiwan confronted meant it ought to enhance protection expenditures.
The Florida senator, an essential voice on U.S. international coverage because the second most senior Republican on the Senate International Relations Committee and a potential candidate for cupboard posts in any second Trump administration, mentioned he anticipated Trump to proceed to again Taiwan ought to he win the White Home.
“He’ll do what he did in his first term and that is … continue to support Taiwan,” Rubio mentioned of Trump.
“I can’t speak for the Trump presidency, but I don’t have any worries about the U.S. being supportive of Taiwan and doing everything we can to discourage the Chinese from invading,” Rubio mentioned.
Robert O’Brien, one among Trump’s former nationwide safety advisers, has additionally defended the previous president’s remarks, saying on Wednesday he believed Trump meant to point that there ought to be extra burden sharing for Taiwan’s safety.
Regardless of solely having unofficial relations with Taiwan, the U.S. is its greatest backer and weapons provider within the face of years of elevated army strain by China, which has by no means renounced using power to carry the island below its management.
Below the Taiwan Relations Act, Washington has dedicated to offer Taiwan with means to defend itself, however U.S. legislation doesn’t mandate that Washington come to Taiwan’s assist if attacked.
Whereas the U.S. has lengthy adopted a coverage of “strategic ambiguity” on whether or not it could intervene militarily to guard Taiwan within the occasion of a Chinese language assault, the island’s standing is a continuing supply of friction between Beijing and Washington.
Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden has mentioned he can be keen to make use of power to defend Taiwan.
