U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled that Taiwan should shoulder a greater share of its own defense costs, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stressed that the United States should no longer be responsible for fully subsidizing the protection of its allies abroad. Moreover, Elbridge Colby, the nominee for undersecretary ofContinue Reading
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has pledged to raise the budget for defense to 3 percent of the GDP. Lai’s pledge takes place at a time of substantial budget cuts pushed for by the Kuomintang (KMT), which controls the legislature. Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has accused the KMT of slashingContinue Reading
On February 16, 2025, the U.S. State Department quietly updated its fact sheet on Taiwan-U.S. relations, removing the long-standing phrase: “we do not support Taiwan independence.” At first glance, this might seem like a minor bureaucratic change. But in the context of China-U.S. strategic rivalry, the revision could carry far-reachingContinue Reading
On February 12, the Trump administration declared its plans to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The United States will not back Ukraine’s goals of returning to its pre-2014 borders or obtaining NATO membership. Moreover, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that U.S. troops will not participate in any peacekeeping operations inContinue Reading
