Trump to Visit China, Experts: Unlikely to Trade Taiwan
As President Trump prepares for a visit to China this week, experts are debating whether his administration might reduce support for Taiwan. Despite Trump's transactional reputation, analysts suggest it's improbable he would use Taiwan as a bargaining chip, primarily due to the island's critical semiconductor industry.
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- 📰 Published: May 12, 2026 at 13:11
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Central News Agency
(Washington D.C., May 11, Central News Agency) U.S. President Trump is expected to visit China this week. In response to external concerns that he might reduce support for Taiwan, experts state that despite Trump's pragmatic "transactional character," his administration does not view difficult issues in U.S.-China relations as "exchangeable" bargaining chips.
The White House announced that U.S. President Trump will arrive in Beijing on the 13th for a three-day visit.
According to the Associated Press, Mark Montgomery, a retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral and now a senior fellow at the Washington D.C. think tank "Foundation for Defense of Democracies," said: "I am indeed concerned that we now have a transactional president, and if an opportunity for a transaction arises, it could pose challenges."
However, Edgard Kagan, who served as a high-ranking official for Asia-Pacific affairs under both the Trump and Biden administrations, holds a different view.
Kagan, currently the Director for China Studies at the "Center for Strategic and International Studies" (CSIS), emphasized that Trump "is very adept at using leverage. I have participated in many meetings with him in the past and have personally experienced his skill in negotiation."
Based on his experience working with Trump, he believes it is unlikely Trump would sacrifice U.S. interests in Taiwan for other things, stating, "Based on my experience, he would never operate this way."
Analysis points out that Taiwan's biggest bargaining chip is its world-leading semiconductor industry. Lev Nachman, an assistant professor at the Graduate Institute of National Development, National Taiwan University, noted: "Trump at least understands the importance of Taiwan to the U.S. economy. I believe this is probably the main positive factor preventing drastic policy changes."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has clearly stated that U.S. policy towards Taiwan has not changed.
He told reporters recently in Rome, Italy: "We do not want to see any forced or coerced changes to the status quo," adding, "This would cause global instability." He also pointed out that Taiwan would not be the main focus of Trump's trip, "but it will certainly be a topic of discussion."
However, Patricia Kim, a U.S.-China relations expert at the Brookings Institution, warned that attention should still be paid to Trump's potential "impromptu remarks."
She noted that even if official policy remains unchanged, Trump might not fully understand the subtle balance in the long-standing U.S. policy phrasing towards Taiwan, and thus could still pose risks through impromptu remarks. (Translated by: Tsai Chia-Min) 1150512
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(Washington D.C., May 11, Central News Agency) U.S. President Trump is expected to visit China this week. In response to external concerns that he might reduce support for Taiwan, experts state that despite Trump's pragmatic "transactional character," his administration does not view difficult issues in U.S.-China relations as "exchangeable" bargaining chips.
The White House announced that U.S. President Trump will arrive in Beijing on the 13th for a three-day visit.
According to the Associated Press, Mark Montgomery, a retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral and now a senior fellow at the Washington D.C. think tank "Foundation for Defense of Democracies," said: "I am indeed concerned that we now have a transactional president, and if an opportunity for a transaction arises, it could pose challenges."
However, Edgard Kagan, who served as a high-ranking official for Asia-Pacific affairs under both the Trump and Biden administrations, holds a different view.
Kagan, currently the Director for China Studies at the "Center for Strategic and International Studies" (CSIS), emphasized that Trump "is very adept at using leverage. I have participated in many meetings with him in the past and have personally experienced his skill in negotiation."
Based on his experience working with Trump, he believes it is unlikely Trump would sacrifice U.S. interests in Taiwan for other things, stating, "Based on my experience, he would never operate this way."
Analysis points out that Taiwan's biggest bargaining chip is its world-leading semiconductor industry. Lev Nachman, an assistant professor at the Graduate Institute of National Development, National Taiwan University, noted: "Trump at least understands the importance of Taiwan to the U.S. economy. I believe this is probably the main positive factor preventing drastic policy changes."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has clearly stated that U.S. policy towards Taiwan has not changed.
He told reporters recently in Rome, Italy: "We do not want to see any forced or coerced changes to the status quo," adding, "This would cause global instability." He also pointed out that Taiwan would not be the main focus of Trump's trip, "but it will certainly be a topic of discussion."
However, Patricia Kim, a U.S.-China relations expert at the Brookings Institution, warned that attention should still be paid to Trump's potential "impromptu remarks."
She noted that even if official policy remains unchanged, Trump might not fully understand the subtle balance in the long-standing U.S. policy phrasing towards Taiwan, and thus could still pose risks through impromptu remarks. (Translated by: Tsai Chia-Min) 1150512
Choose to stand with facts; every sponsorship you provide is a force for protecting press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-Hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.