TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — US vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance reiterated Taiwan’s role as a leading chipmaker makes it more important for the US than Ukraine during a podcast published on Friday (Oct. 27).
Vance, Donald Trump's running mate, said he believes Ukraine is “not nearly as important” to the US as other regions of the world. “Taiwan makes so much of the computer chips, which is such a driver of all economic growth, that if the Chinese took over Taiwan, it would be really bad for us,” he said on comedian Tim Dillon’s podcast.
Vance said he hopes the US can make China recognize invading Taiwan would be too costly to attempt. He said Trump’s policy is for the US to compete with China and to “engage in smart diplomacy from time to time” to prevent an invasion of Taiwan.
Vance first stated his position that the US should prioritize Taiwan over Ukraine in 2023. In a speech at the US think tank the Heritage Foundation, he said that weapons shipments to Ukraine were being prioritized at Taiwan’s expense and that if China invaded Taiwan it would “decimate” the US economy.
Trump also spoke on Joe Rogan's podcast on Friday and reiterated his view Taiwan should pay the US for protection. He also suggested the US should place tariffs on Taiwan semiconductor imports.
The US approved its most recent potential arms sale to Taiwan on Saturday (Oct. 26), worth US$1.98 billion (NT$63.77 billion). The sale included a missile system used in battle in Ukraine, Reuters reported.
