Two potential Republican presidential hopefuls stressed support for Taiwan during visits to Asia this week, part of a growing GOP focus on Taipei ahead of the 2024 elections.
(Bloomberg) — Two potential Republican presidential hopefuls stressed support for Taiwan during visits to Asia this week, part of a growing GOP focus on Taipei ahead of the 2024 elections.
Kicking off international tours, both Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, potential but unannounced GOP candidates, highlighted support for the island democracy as a way to counter Chinese influence.
Youngkin met Monday with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei and announced that Virginia would establish an office for economic development there. DeSantis, during a visit with Japan, stressed deterrence to prevent a conflict over Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.
“What China respects is strength,” he told Nikkei Asia newspaper in an interview published Tuesday.
Neither governor has announced a presidential run, but the trips are seen as an attempt by both to beef up their international and national security standings.
The visits come as the administration of US President Joe Biden has taken steps to curb investments by American businesses in key parts of the Chinese economy. He has also sought to restrict other nations’ exports of computer chipmaking equipment to China.
Earlier this month, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy raised the ire of China after he met with Tsai in California and stressed the importance of a strong US-Taiwan relationship to maintain stability in the region.
Youngkin in January took Virginia out of the running for a proposed electric-vehicle battery plant by Ford Motor Co. because of the project’s Chinese partner. He called the project a “Trojan horse” that would undermine policy efforts to strengthen the US auto industry.
DeSantis met with Taiwan’s representative in the US, Hsiao Bi-khim, last month and last year held an event with officials from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Miami.
China banned US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul from entering the country after he led a bipartisan delegation to Taiwan.
The increasing US engagement comes as the island prepares for its own presidential elections in January 2024.
Biden has said the US would defend Taiwan in the event of an unprovoked attack from China. The comments challenged the four-decade “one China” US policy of remaining ambiguous on the issue, though the White House said there was no change in doctrine.
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