Taipei: With Donald Trump poised to return to the White House early next year, experts have suggested that Taiwan's approach towards the United States requires a "more refined" strategy that better accounts for U.S. national interests. At a recent forum discussing Taiwan's response to a potential second Trump presidency, Taiwanese foreign affairs experts highlighted the need for a strategic shift in light of Trump's "America First" policy, which prioritizes U.S. national interests over shared values. According to Focus Taiwan, former Legislator Lo Chih-cheng, a senior fellow at the Institute for National Policy Research, emphasized that Trump's leadership style necessitates a focus on aligning Taiwan's discussions with the U.S. national interests without compromising Taiwan's own interests. Lo described Trump as a "realist national leader" and advised that Taiwan should demonstrate how its national interests overlap with those of the U.S., translating everything into terms of "interests" for clearer communic ation. National Tsing Hua University associate sociology professor Chen Ming-chi echoed Lo's views, predicting a challenging path for Taiwan in maintaining its interests with the U.S. under Trump's leadership. He suggested that Taiwan should align with Trump's narrative and adopt "a very humble stance" to avoid potential challenges. The experts advised that Taiwan's approach should be "more refined," with Lo predicting Trump to be "more assertive, more opinionated, leaning further into populism, and even more unpredictable" in his second term. He pointed out that Taiwan lagged behind other Asian countries in congratulating Trump on his win, suggesting that quicker responses could improve diplomatic relations. Lai I-chung, president of the Prospect Foundation, stressed the importance of tuning into the correct "frequency" when engaging with the Trump administration, noting that Trump's approach differs significantly from the previous Biden administration. Lai highlighted the need for Taiwan to adjust its di alogue to fit the new context under Trump's leadership. Lo also suggested that Taiwan should collaborate with like-minded countries to jointly persuade the U.S. on Taiwan-related issues, noting the importance of diplomatic efforts toward Japan and Europe. He argued that these countries have been influenced by U.S. persuasion in recent years, and during Trump's second term, Taiwan could reverse the approach by uniting them to collectively influence the U.S. on matters pertaining to Taiwan's interests. Lai also pointed out India's potential role, given Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong relationship with Trump during his previous term. Modi's continued leadership could provide a unique opportunity for engagement with Trump on foreign affairs issues related to Taiwan.
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