US Lawmakers Demand Clarity on Trump's Taiwan Policy Amid China Tensions

At a Select Committee hearing titled "Lies, Lawfare, and Leverage: The CCP's Gaslighting and Manipulation to Marginalise Taiwan" on Wednesday (local time), Ranking Member Ro Khanna questioned witnesses on whether the administration's approach was strong and predictable enough to deter Beijing.

"Would you say you have concerns about President Trump's policy in his second term in terms of being clear and consistent enough to guarantee Taiwan security?" Khanna asked Shriley Kan, a founding member of the Advisory Board of the Global Taiwan Institute.

Kan replied, "One question has been about the uncertainty of his policy from day to day. Whether the disruptions are welcome or not, is he a statesman? Or is he a peacemaker? Or is he a madman? But I do want to re-emphasise that the Taiwan Relations Act does not permit the president to decide alone on both coercion as well as use of force."

Khanna pressed further, asking whether the president needed to be stronger in certain areas.

"In terms of being stronger, I do not agree with the so-called packaging. We should not be talking about packages of arms sales. There should not have been eight different programs that totalled $11 billion of arms sales to Taiwan," Kan said.

Khanna also questioned Dr Mira Rapp-Hooper, Partner at The Asia Group.

"Do you believe that President Trump, in his second term, has been consistent and clear enough to guarantee the security of Taiwan?" he asked.

Rapp-Hooper responded, "I do believe it would be to the benefit of the United States to see a clarification of the United States policy towards Taiwan by way of a clear statement of elements of that policy."

Julian Ku, the Maurice A. Deane Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law at Hofstra University, suggested steps to reinforce deterrence.

"A rhetorical campaign reaffirming from the president's own mouth that he is affirming peaceful stability across the Taiwan Strait and that he committed to deterring any conflict (would be one way)," he said.

He added, "I think this administration has been a bit better on this, but the president obviously counts, so I would prefer if he would just say that the 'One China' policy is the policy of the United States and that his administration is committed to it just as he was in the first administration."

Other Democrats echoed those concerns.

Congressman Seth Moulton warned that the stakes were high "because what we are talking about is deterrence - preventing a war that would not just cost Taiwan its freedom, independence, and millions of lives, but will cost America perhaps hundreds of thousands if not millions of lives -- a war that could literally be World War III."

He added, "I hope we can come together in an honest, forthright, and bipartisan way to support strengthening our posture of deterrence towards China, and strengthening our alliance between Taiwan and the United States of America."

Congresswoman Kathy Castor criticised what she called mixed signals to allies, saying, "In response, President Trump told her to stop provoking China. What kind of signal does that send to an ally like Japan?"

She later added, "And clearly...when Trump says 'stop provoking China,' that would embolden Xi Jinping."

Congresswoman Jill Tokuda stressed that "there needs to be the beauty that Taiwan is not a bargaining chip for trade. 100 per cent...Congress needs to take decisive action to disavow this notion that somehow, they are on the negotiating table."

Congressman Greg Stanton said, "Deterrence is not just about a weapons system. It's also about clarity, consistency, and credibility in American policy towards Taiwan. The PRC is watching every signal we send."

He said he was disappointed when Trump suggested Taiwan's status was "ultimately up to Xi Jinping," and criticised the so-called "Donroe Doctrine" as "fueling speculation...in which the United States would seek to assert predominance in the Western Hemisphere while leaving the PRC to consolidate power in East Asia."

"I hope that this Committee can be bipartisan in calling for more clarity in this administration's policies to guarantee the security of Taiwan," Khanna concluded.

Under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, the United States maintains unofficial ties with Taiwan and is required to provide it with defensive arms.

Washington formally recognises Beijing under its "One China" policy but opposes unilateral changes to the status quo.

Tensions across the Taiwan Strait have risen in recent years as China has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure on the island.

- IANS