Tue Mar 04 06:31:14 UTC 2025: ## Taiwan’s Defense Minister Urges US to Maintain Status Quo in Asia Amidst Trump’s Shifting Foreign Policy
**Taipei, Taiwan** – Amidst growing concerns over President Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy, Taiwan’s Defense Minister Wellington Koo asserted Monday that maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, including the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, is in the United States’ core national interest. Koo’s statement follows Trump’s controversial decision to halt military aid to Ukraine, raising fears about potential shifts in US commitments to allies in Asia.
Koo emphasized that it is “impossible” for the US to retreat from the Indo-Pacific, highlighting the region’s strategic importance to American interests. He stressed that Taiwan would continue to rely on “deterrence and strength” to maintain peace with China.
The minister’s comments directly address anxieties sparked by Trump’s recent actions. Taiwan, a key component of the US “First Island Chain” defense strategy, sits adjacent to a crucial international waterway – the Taiwan Strait, through which 88% of the world’s largest ships passed in 2022. The US, while not formally recognizing Taiwan, is obligated under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act to provide the island with the means to defend itself.
Koo’s assertion that upholding the status quo in the region is vital to US national interests underscores Taiwan’s strategic significance and the potential ramifications of any perceived US retreat. The minister’s forceful statement serves as a clear message to Washington, urging continued commitment to regional stability and the defense of Taiwan against potential Chinese aggression.
First Piper 