ANALYSIS/Trump's approach to Taiwan 'unpredictable': Scholars

Taipei, Nov. 7 (CNA) Taiwanese scholars said that Washington's approach to Taiwan over the next four years will likely be "unpredictable" after former U.S. President Donald Trump was elected to a second term on Wednesday.

Professor Kuo Yu-jen (郭育仁), chair of the National Sun Yat-sen University's Institute of China and Asia-Pacific Studies, told CNA that the U.S.' approach to Taiwan was largely the same under Trump as other presidents, except his style was more "arbitrary."

For Taiwan and other U.S. partners, this means the incoming Trump administration will likely be "unpredictable."

"There will be many surprises and accidents," Kuo said.

Professor Li Da-jung (李大中), director of Tamkang University's (TKU) Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, told CNA that the Republican president-elect's stance toward Taiwan remained "difficult to judge."

"Trump prioritized economic interests and followed the 'One China' policy, but how he applied and interpreted it was likely as a bargaining chip in dealing with Beijing," Li said, referring to how Trump maintained the U.S.'s long-standing approach to cross-strait relations while engaging in a trade war with China during his first presidential term from 2016-2020.

"It is difficult to judge whether the Taiwan strategy [of the U.S. under a second Trump administration] will become more clear or more vague," he added.

Wang Hung-jen (王宏仁), a professor at National Cheng Kung University's (NCKU) Department of Political Science, also told CNA that - unlike the outgoing administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, which has taken a multilateral approach to international affairs since 2020 - the incoming Trump administration is likely to prefer unilateral action and "direct confrontation."

"Dealing with the U.S. will mean first meeting Trump's demands," Wang said, adding that military and economic issues, especially Taiwan's advanced semiconductor industry, are key American concerns regarding Taiwan.

"After Trump takes office, there will be a period of friction with allies, and the process of internationalization of security in the Taiwan Strait may encounter problems," said Lai I-chung (賴怡忠), president of the Prospect Foundation, a political think tank.

Moreover, Trump currently does not have a "clear position" on the "axis of evil," he said, a likely reference to increasing cooperation between Russia, China, North Korea and others.

Chen Shih-min (陳世民), an associate professor at National Taiwan University's (NTU) Department of Political Science, also suggested that Taiwan must "prove to the United States that it is willing to make greater efforts" and cover greater costs for its self-defense.