The Slow Spread of Anti-American Sentiment Affecting Taiwan
Since the Trump 2.0 presidency began, Donald Trump has moved swiftly and decisively on all manner of policies and measures. Not only has this shaken the U.S. domestically, but globally it has significantly affected politics, trade and strategy. He has increasingly prioritized America’s interests and even his own personal business interests. Although he seems not to differentiate between friend and foe, his work has been quite systematic through repeated words and actions. International skepticism of the U.S. has gradually evolved into anti-American sentiment — a trend that has already spread to Taiwan.
Taiwan is a democratic, diverse and free country, developing in step, and even ahead of, the rest of the world. After World War II, the U.S. took on the role of global police, and although other hegemonic powers have been suppressed, skepticism of the U.S. has been spreading internationally. In a large, democratic nation, the U.S. government is often swayed by public sentiment. Now the U.S. is once again under the leadership of Trump, whose actions are even more arbitrary than they were in his first term. America’s actions, whether in matters regarding the Middle East, the Russia-Ukraine war or China, have an immense impact. Trump’s handling of these matters has helped encourage skepticism and even anti-American sentiment even more.
American scholar Bonnie Glaser warned in August that “skepticism of America” is slowly deepening in Taiwan and, if left to spread unchecked, it would allow China to take advantage and persuade the Taiwanese people “that their best and perhaps only option is unification.” While many have been paying attention to the issue of skepticism of the U.S. for awhile, fewer have focused on anti-American sentiment, which is already serious and cannot be ignored.
Taiwan has long been wary of the U.S. In the current expansion of anti-American sentiment, the longtime pro-American Democratic Progressive Party has faced repeated setbacks in governance. Many of these have to do with the Taiwanese people’s increasingly negative perception of America. President Lai Ching-te’s handling of the relationship with Trump has only helped feed the idea of “not rejecting China.” Anti-American sentiment is also giving rise to a trend of “not rejecting China” in the international space.
Skepticism and anti-American sentiment are not created unilaterally, but rather grow from international interactions. Hegemonic powers spread them through propaganda and cognitive warfare. Furthermore, the shift in America’s policy from democratic mutual good to isolationism has emphasized U.S. self-interest. The Taiwanese proverb, “When the sun is this hot, it’s every man for himself,” has become a reflection of the reality across the world. The Trump administration cannot ignore this development because it will eventually hurt America’s interests. Taiwan’s reliance on the U.S. for survival also cannot change, because doing so would endanger its survival. Taiwan and the U.S. must coexist and prosper together, working to resolve the problem of suspicion and anti-American sentiment.
Taiwan is a democratic, diverse and free country, developing in step, and even ahead of, the rest of the world. After World War II, the U.S. took on the role of global police, and although other hegemonic powers have been suppressed, skepticism of the U.S. has been spreading internationally. In a large, democratic nation, the U.S. government is often swayed by public sentiment. Now the U.S. is once again under the leadership of Trump, whose actions are even more arbitrary than they were in his first term. America’s actions, whether in matters regarding the Middle East, the Russia-Ukraine war or China, have an immense impact. Trump’s handling of these matters has helped encourage skepticism and even anti-American sentiment even more.
American scholar Bonnie Glaser warned in August that “skepticism of America” is slowly deepening in Taiwan and, if left to spread unchecked, it would allow China to take advantage and persuade the Taiwanese people “that their best and perhaps only option is unification.” While many have been paying attention to the issue of skepticism of the U.S. for awhile, fewer have focused on anti-American sentiment, which is already serious and cannot be ignored.
Taiwan has long been wary of the U.S. In the current expansion of anti-American sentiment, the longtime pro-American Democratic Progressive Party has faced repeated setbacks in governance. Many of these have to do with the Taiwanese people’s increasingly negative perception of America. President Lai Ching-te’s handling of the relationship with Trump has only helped feed the idea of “not rejecting China.” Anti-American sentiment is also giving rise to a trend of “not rejecting China” in the international space.
Skepticism and anti-American sentiment are not created unilaterally, but rather grow from international interactions. Hegemonic powers spread them through propaganda and cognitive warfare. Furthermore, the shift in America’s policy from democratic mutual good to isolationism has emphasized U.S. self-interest. The Taiwanese proverb, “When the sun is this hot, it’s every man for himself,” has become a reflection of the reality across the world. The Trump administration cannot ignore this development because it will eventually hurt America’s interests. Taiwan’s reliance on the U.S. for survival also cannot change, because doing so would endanger its survival. Taiwan and the U.S. must coexist and prosper together, working to resolve the problem of suspicion and anti-American sentiment.
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