Scholar urges Taiwan to enhance ties with democracies other than U.S.

Taipei, May 12 (CNA) A scholar from the United Kingdom on Monday urged Taiwan to strengthen its economic and trade ties with major global powers beyond the United States, given the uncertainties and challenges arising from Donald Trump's return to the White House.

Robin Niblett, a former distinguished fellow at Chatham House in London, made the recommendation during a forum in Taipei, where he spoke about the ongoing new Cold War between the United States and China.

In his keynote speech to open the half-day forum, Niblett, author of the "The New Cold War: How the Contest Between the U.S. and China Will Shape Our Century," told the audiences that given the chaos brought by Trump's second presidential term, Asia Pacific countries, including Taiwan, are poised to face turmoil.

"The problem we have is that each side, the United States and China, fears that the other system is a threat to it," he said.

Taiwan is at the center of the First Island Chain that prevents China's expansion.

While America wants to prevent China's rise both militarily and economically, China wants to be economically secure as the world's largest exporter and wishes to "break out of the First Island Chain," which runs from South Korea through Japan and Taiwan, to the northern Philippines, he said.

"In that context, I think they [Beijing] believe that Taiwan, in a way, is being used as a kind of missile of democracy, as I describe in my book, against the Chinese Communist Party."

"And so Taiwan is not just part of the geopolitical contest between the US and China, it is also part of the ideological contest between the two countries."

However, unlike his immediate predecessor Joe Biden, Trump "does not believe in alliances," according to the British scholar.

To Trump "allies are the ones to be taken advantage of," Niblett argued. "In fact, it's better off to try to abuse allies because they need you, especially if you're the world's largest consumer market and the provider of your allies' security," he added.

Trump's new approach is creating risks for U.S. allies worldwide, in particular for the Asia Pacific region, including Taiwan, the scholar said.

Given the uncertainties and challenges arising from Trump's return to power, Niblett suggested that Taiwan should pursue deeper ties with G7-plus countries beyond the United States.

"Taiwan's future lies with the other liberal democracies that rely on America for their security," he said.

"And therefore, looking for deeper economic relationships and business relationships with the G7-plus countries, EU, UK, Canada, Japan, and Australia would be absolutely vital for Taiwan's future," he added.

Niblett made the remarks during the annual forum organized by the think tank Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation (CAPRI).

The third edition of the think tank's annual forum is titled "Building Resilience on Shaky Ground in the Asia Pacific," focusing on the steps to take now to build more resilient societies in the future, according to CAPRI.