Donald Trump

The Trump Administration’s PRC-ROC Gaffe Funny, But Also Illustrative

Brian Hioe
A mix-up on a press release by White House spokesman Sean Spicer referring to Xi Jinping as the president of the “Republic of China” may be funny, but also a demonstrative sign of the Trump administration’s continued ineptitude regarding its Taiwan policy and handling of America’s delicate balancing act between Taiwan and China. All the more reason to be back away from hasty claims about the Trump’s administration’s “maturation” or its “normalization”...
America and the Asia PacificEnglishJuly 20176 min read

Trump, North Korea, And Taiwan

Brian Hioe
As a result of a recent US-Taiwan arms deal and increased tensions between the US and North Korea, an ally of China, some claim that this represents the worsening of US-China relations under the Trump administration after a period in which the Trump administration became strangely friendly with China, a country long at odds with the United States historically. This is a premature conclusion...
America and the Asia PacificEnglishInternationalJuly 20177 min read

US-Taiwan Arms Deal Temporary Extension Of Status Quo, Nothing More

Brian Hioe
News of an arms deal between the US and Taiwan will no doubt prove reassuring to those who bank on America as Taiwan’s guarantor of its existing de facto independence from China. Nevertheless, in truth, skepticism is needed. This is merely indicative of a temporary extension of the US-Taiwan status quo, rather than affirming a stronger stance on behalf of Taiwan by the Trump administration...
America and the Asia PacificEnglishInternationalJuly 20176 min read

Reflexive Defensiveness Of The Trump Administration From Western Commentators On Taiwan?

Brian Hioe
It is strange to observe the means by which many otherwise sharp western observers on Taiwanese politics, particularly Americans, continue to cling to strange delusions regarding Trump’s potential positive influence on Taiwan or at least his lack of any harmful influence on Taiwan. Such views may ultimately be reflexive in nature for many...
America and the Asia PacificEnglishInternationalMay 201719 min read