by Richard Sanders, Staff Writer
Leaders from China and Taiwan have expressed their congratulations to Donald Trump following his national election victory, even as questions arise about how his upcoming second term may affect relations across the Taiwan Strait.
Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the need for China and the United States to establish a constructive relationship in this new era, which he believes would benefit both nations and the global community. He hopes both countries will adhere to principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, while enhancing dialogue, managing differences effectively, and expanding cooperation that benefits both sides, according to a statement from China’s Xinhua News Agency.
On the other hand, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, who took office in May, expressed his confidence on social media that the enduring partnership between Taiwan and the U.S., founded on shared values and interests, will continue to be essential for regional stability and lead to increased prosperity.
In China, some social media users anticipate that Trump may impose high tariffs on Chinese goods, but opinions vary on the potential effects of a trade war on the Chinese economy.
In Taiwan, there are concerns that U.S. support for the island may wane under Trump’s second term, especially given his campaign remarks and his isolationist stance on foreign policy. Lydia Yang, a 35-year-old marketing professional in Taipei, expressed her worries that the U.S. might reduce its support for Taiwan in an effort to stabilize relations with China.
In a July interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, Trump suggested that Taiwan should financially contribute to its defense, likening U.S. military support for Taiwan to an insurance policy. He remarked, “I know the people very well. Respect them greatly. They did take 100% of our chip business. I think Taiwan should pay us for defense.”
中國和台灣的領導人對唐納德·特朗普在全國選舉中勝利表示祝賀，儘管人們對他的第二任期可能如何影響台灣海峽兩岸關係提出疑問。
中國國家主席習近平強調，中美兩國在這個新時代建立建設性關係的必要性，他認為這將有利於兩國和全球社會。他希望兩國能夠堅持互相尊重、和平共處和雙贏合作的原則，同時加強對話，有效管理分歧，擴大對雙方都有利的合作，根據中國新華社的報導。
另一方面，台灣總統賴清德在五月上任後在社交媒體上表達了他的信心，認為台灣與美國之間基於共同價值和利益的持久夥伴關係將繼續對地區穩定至關重要，並促進繁榮。
在中國，一些社交媒體用戶預測特朗普可能對中國商品徵收高額關稅，但對於貿易戰對中國經濟的潛在影響，意見不一。
在台灣，人們擔心特朗普的第二任期內，美國對該島的支持可能會減弱，特別是考慮到他在競選中的言論以及他對外交政策的孤立主義立場。來自台北的一位35歲市場專業人士楊莉迪亞表示，她擔心美國可能會減少對台灣的支持，以穩定與中國的關係。
在七月份接受《彭博商業周刊》訪問時，特朗普建議台灣應該在國防上做出財務貢獻，將美國對台軍事支持比喻為保險政策。他表示：“我非常了解這些人，對他們非常尊重。他們確實掌控了我們100%的晶片業務。我認為台灣應該為國防支付費用。”
