New US National Security Strategy reveals Trump administration’s latest stance on Taiwan
Beyond elevating efforts to expand U.S. influence and prowess in the Western Hemisphere, the new National Security Strategy makes it clear that deterring a conflict with China over Taiwan — via military might and existing partnerships — marks a near-term priority for the second Trump administration.
The White House unveiled its 33-page plan late Thursday, ahead of releasing the forthcoming National Defense Strategy and other foreign policy papers that are collectively expected to guide the federal government and its investments during the rest of President Donald Trump’s term.
China has escalated tensions with Taiwan over the last decade — and particularly since Chinese President Xi Jinping revealed his intent to ensure that the People’s Liberation Army would be equipped to “unify” or invade its smaller neighbor by 2027.
Since Trump took office earlier this year, questions have swirled about what his cabinet’s policy on Taiwan would look like, as they also advocate for a so-called “America First” approach to diplomacy and security policy.
“A favorable conventional military balance remains an essential component of strategic competition. There is, rightly, much focus on Taiwan, partly because of Taiwan’s dominance of semiconductor production, but mostly because Taiwan provides direct access to the Second Island Chain and splits Northeast and Southeast Asia into two distinct theaters. Given that one-third of global shipping passes annually through the South China Sea, this has major implications for the U.S. economy. Hence deterring a conflict over Taiwan, ideally by preserving military overmatch, is a priority,” officials wrote in the new NSS. “We will also maintain our longstanding declaratory policy on Taiwan, meaning that the United States does not support any unilateral change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.”
Specifically, the U.S. aims to build up its military capacity to deny aggression anywhere in the First Island Chain. That geopolitical concept refers to a string of islands stretching from Japan to portions of the Philippines and Indonesia, and includes Taiwan.
“But the American military cannot, and should not have to, do this alone. Our allies must step up and spend — and more importantly do — much more for collective defense,” the NSS states.
The nation’s diplomatic efforts under Trump will therefore involve placing pressure on U.S. allies and partners to grant the American military more access to their ports and other facilities. Economically, the administration will also call on its counterparts to spend more on their own defense arsenals and to purchase next-generation assets designed for deterring aggression.
The document notes that officials will further urge Japan and South Korea to increase their defense spending — with an emphasis on capabilities that can help to protect the First Island Chain — while also continuing to push for greater defense investments in dealings alongside Taiwan and Australia.
Earlier this week, Trump signed the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, which among other inclusions directs a new review of the Department of State’s guidance on U.S.-Taiwan engagements.
The new White House strategy additionally points to “the potential for any competitor to control the South China Sea” as a related security challenge.
If an adversary did so and subsequently imposed a “toll system” over the critical global commerce routes or closed them completely, it argues, U.S. interests could be disrupted.
“Strong measures must be developed along with the deterrence necessary to keep those lanes open, free of ‘tolls,’ and not subject to arbitrary closure by one country. This will require not just further investment in our military — especially naval — capabilities, but also strong cooperation with every nation that stands to suffer, from India to Japan and beyond, if this problem is not addressed,” the strategy notes.
Broadly, the new plan places a sharp emphasis on the U.S. reasserting and enforcing dominance in the Western Hemisphere by implementing a new “Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine,” reducing migration, and sparking a stronger American industrial base.
“We want to recruit, train, equip, and field the world’s most powerful, lethal, and technologically advanced military to protect our interests, deter wars, and — if necessary — win them quickly and decisively, with the lowest possible casualties to our forces,” the NSS states.
