TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The US should adopt strategic clarity on Taiwan, former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote in an opinion article Friday.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has never given up his goal of annexing Taiwan, said Pompeo, senior counsel for global affairs at the American Center for Law and Justice. The US must make clear to China that “Taiwan is free, Taiwan is independent — and it is going to stay that way,” he wrote.

Pompeo urged the US to deepen security and economic ties with Taiwan and move toward diplomatic recognition. The Taiwanese have expressed opposition to unification and Chinese authoritarianism through their elected officials, he said.

Taiwan plays a central role in global supply chains, including advanced chips, and its position in the first island chain makes it a key security partner, he said, adding that protecting Taiwan is crucial to the maintenance of a stable world order and a free and open Indo-Pacific.

America’s strategic ambiguity “only serves to embolden Beijing’s aggressive posture toward Taiwan” and escalates tensions, Pompeo emphasized. Standing with Taiwan would show that the US continues to lead the world in freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, he continued.

Pompeo visited Taiwan twice, in 2022 and 2024.