Washington d.c.: A safe Taiwan can help “Make America Great Again,” and the United States’ security and prosperity would be directly threatened if China took Taiwan by force, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) head Chiu Chui-cheng said in a speech at a think tank in Washington D.C.
According to Focus Taiwan, Chiu was invited to deliver a speech at The Heritage Foundation, quoting a political slogan popularized by U.S. President Donald Trump. In his speech titled “Maintaining the Peaceful and Stable Status Quo Across the Taiwan Strait is in Line with the Shared Interests of Taiwan and the United States,” Chiu, Taiwan’s top official on relations with China, emphasized the island country’s strategic importance, which he said is “closely tied” to U.S. interests.
Geopolitically, Chiu pointed out, Taiwan sits at the “core position” of the first island chain-an arc running from Japan, through Taiwan and the Philippines, to Borneo, an island shared by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. He stated that Taiwan was on the front line against red China’s expansion and remains at the forefront of the confrontation between the democratic camp and authoritarian camp.
If Taiwan were forcibly taken over by China, Chiu warned, such a move would trigger a “domino effect” that would undermine the regional balance of power and “directly threaten the security and prosperity of the United States.” He highlighted Taiwan’s economic and technological clout, noting that the chip-making powerhouse produces about 90 percent of the world’s most advanced semiconductors and plays a key role in global artificial intelligence (AI) and information and communications technology (ICT) supply chains. Chiu asserted that compromising Taiwan’s role would be a significant loss to the international community, particularly the U.S. and its technology industry.
Chiu, a scholar of cross-strait relations before entering government, described Taiwan as a mature, free, and democratic country whose democratic experience and achievements can “penetrate the border of China” and inspire people across the Taiwan Strait to “pursue freedom and a better life.” He also pointed to the MAC’s “rich experience” in dealing with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), expressing Taiwan’s willingness to share its research findings with the U.S. to effectively respond to “the many challenges posed by China’s rise.”
When questioned about Beijing’s reported push for a U.S. shift on Taiwan-from “not support” to “oppose” independence-that could emerge from a potential Trump-Xi meeting later this year, Chiu stated that Taiwanese authorities “have always been happy to see” the U.S. and China engage in communication, believing that such exchanges can maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Chiu’s speech at the Heritage Foundation was part of his visit to the U.S. from September 6 to 14, during which he met with executive-branch officials and members of Congress, including those on the House Select Committee on the CCP. Committee Chairman John Moolenaar of the Republican Party mentioned discussions on countering CCP disinformation and United Front activities, as well as strengthening U.S.-Taiwan security and economic ties.
During his nine-day trip, Chiu also met think tank experts and members of Taiwanese communities in the U.S. The MAC stated that these meetings aim to “explain the government’s cross-strait policy and encourage broader attention to Taiwan Strait issues.” Chiu’s first visit to the U.S. since taking office in May last year has drawn criticism from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), MAC’s counterpart across the Strait. In a regular news briefing, TAO Spokesperson Chen Binhua said China “firmly opposes any form of official exchanges between the U.S. and China’s Taiwan region.”
