Referring to the Russia-Ukraine Crisis, Trump praised Putin as a “genius” and stated that “China is going to be next” under Biden’s watch.
In a recent interview with the conservative talk radio program “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show,” former U.S. President Donald Trump confidently stated that “China is going to be next” and would “absolutely” be going after Taiwan.
He accused the Biden administration of being weak and assured the hosts that an invasion would “never have happened” under his own presidency. Trump also praised Putin as a “genius” for sending Russian troops into Ukraine under the guise of “peace keepers.” He stated, “Here’s a guy who’s very savvy.”
The hosts mocked President Joe Biden’s tweets from two years ago in which he wrote: “I’m the only person in this field who’s ever gone toe-to-toe with [Putin].” They claimed Russian invasions also took place under the Obama administration, suggesting the two leaders had weak positions on foreign policy.
As president, Trump was involved and invested in several Taiwanese affairs, especially in regards to military expansion. As an NPR article from 2020 pointed out, Trump made many efforts as president to forge a stronger partnership with Taiwan, including accepting a congratulatory call from Taiwan’s president on his win and dealing a multi-billion dollar arms sale with the Taiwanese military. Under his administration, a brand new $255 million dollar representative office was also opened in Taipei, the capital. Simultaneously during this time, Trump had continued to take an aggressive stance against trade with China by imposing tariffs.
China and Taiwan have had separate governments since 1949, when communists overtook the Republic of China in a civil war. They went on to set up the People’s Republic of China, whereas the members of the Republic of China fled to Taiwan to establish their own separate government. Taiwan continues to declare its independence, while China continues to claim it as its territory under its “One country, two systems” stance.
In response to comparisons of the Russia-Ukraine Crisis to the situation between China and Taiwan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hya Chunying firmly reiterated China’s “One-China” sentiments by noting that “Taiwan is indeed not Ukraine” and would always remain an “inseparable” part of China’s territory. “This,” Hya continued, “is an irrefutable historical and legal fact.”
Tensions are on the rise as Taiwan’s need for military defense comes into question amidst an already strained relationship between it and China. China’s air force has been spotted circling Taiwan’s skies.
Featured image via Fox News
