TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Helping to defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion is in the US national interest, Advancing American Freedom (AAF), an organization founded by former Vice President Mike Pence, argued in a memorandum published last Wednesday (Aug. 14).

A Chinese-ruled Taiwan would “isolate” America’s regional allies and leave them to face the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), AAF said. Abandoning Taiwan would also “decimate American credibility” and increase the possibility of the CCP launching nuclear weapons against East Asian countries including South Korea and Japan, it said.

A cross-strait conflict would wreak havoc on the world’s economy, given that Taiwan produces over 90% of the world’s advanced semiconductor chips, AAF said. It pointed out that chips are used in computers, phones, and navigation and communications systems, adding that China could halt these exports to the US, “crippling our national security.”

Even if it seized Taiwan, the organization said that Beijing would not stop its military expansion, pointing to China’s claims over the Diaoyutai and Ryukyu Islands in Japan and islands in the South China Sea. AAF predicted that China would use Taiwan as an “unsinkable carrier” to strike American naval fleets and bases in the Pacific.

AAF called on the US to equip Taiwan with necessary weapons and encourage further investment in its defense capabilities to deter a Chinese attack. “Appeasement will always fail,” the organization said.

Pence’s clear support for Taiwan starkly contrasts former President Donald Trump, who is running for office once again. The Republican Party noticeably omitted any mention of Taiwan in its 2024 platform despite having done so in previous years.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party pledged in its platform to continue safeguarding peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait under the US One China policy, which consists of the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances. This is “to ensure that there are no unilateral changes to the status quo from either side,” it said. The party also promised to “invest in our alliances and partnerships” to deter Chinese coercion on regional neighbors or to undermine international rule of law. 

Taiwan’s foreign ministry pointed out this was the first time the Democrats mentioned “maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait” and the “Six Assurances.”