TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Stanley Kao (高碩泰), former Taiwan's representative to the U.S., expressed optimism on Thursday (Nov. 7) about Taiwan-U.S. relations, emphasizing that open interactions could yield surprises but not shocks. Kao recalled the 2016 phone call between Trump and former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, attributing it to the collaboration between Taiwan's decision-makers and its representative office in the U.S.
He noted that Trump's new term should not be seen as "Trump 2.0," predicting significant shifts in his decision-making and staffing approaches. His comments followed the announcement of former President Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election a day earlier.
The Institute for National Policy Research (INPR, 國策研究院) hosted a seminar at the Chang Yung-Fa Foundation to discuss the implications of the U.S. election results and the foreign policy direction of the new administration, inviting scholars and experts.
Professor Yeh Yao-yuan (葉耀元) from the University of St. Thomas highlighted that Trump's victory, along with the Republican majority in both the Senate and the House, signifies complete governance. However, Yeh cautioned that Trump's ability to implement policies might be limited due to the diverse interests across U.S. states.
Vincent Chao (趙怡翔), former director of the political division at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, predicted Trump would adopt a tough stance against China, potentially imposing a 60% tariff that could severely impact China's economy.
Chao stressed the importance of Taiwan and the U.S. finding common ground, given Taiwan's status as one of the top 10 U.S. trade deficit countries.
