Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, indicated that a potential win by Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential race could affect the level of support Taiwan receives. His remarks were reported by Bloomberg, which summarized the statements as a signal that Washington’s backing could waver depending on the election outcome and the broader strategic calculus in U.S.-Taiwan relations.
According to Chen, the United States tends to pursue its own interests first, and Taiwan could be treated as a bargaining chip if political winds shift. Bloomberg noted that this framing is part of a larger narrative aimed at highlighting perceived gaps in Washington’s reliability as a partner for Taiwan, especially during times of political change in the United States.
The report quoted the text as saying that Washington has historically maintained a policy of strategic ambiguity, acknowledges China’s claim of sovereignty over Taiwan, maintains informal ties with Taipei, and has pledged defense assistance—an arrangement viewed as fragile amid shifting administrations and regional tensions.
A representative for the Trump campaign told Bloomberg that the former president had previously labeled China a security threat during his tenure, a characterization that has influenced how both Washington and Beijing discuss the future of cross-strait relations and security guarantees in the Asia-Pacific region.
Earlier, Taiwan had accused China of applying military pressure, citing incursions and flights near the median line as evidence that regional coercion could escalate under various political scenarios. This context underscores ongoing anxieties about the stability of cross-strait arrangements amid changing U.S. leadership and regional power dynamics.
In a separate assessment, observers suggested that Beijing continues to frame the core issues in U.S.-Taiwan relations as central to its own strategic objectives, arguing that U.S. commitments may be re-evaluated in response to broader geopolitics and domestic political considerations.
Overall, the discourse reflects a pattern in which Beijing seeks to remind Taipei and Washington of the persistent friction between national interests and regional security guarantees, while Taiwan remains vigilant about safeguarding its autonomy and international support in a volatile political landscape.