Vivek Ramaswamy Says Clearly Back Taiwan Defense Until the US Achieves Semiconductor Independence, Then...

On Sunday, GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy emphasized the critical importance of preventing China from monopolizing the global semiconductor supply chain, highlighting the strategic significance of Taiwan in this context.

What Happened: In a tweet, Ramaswamy discussed the recent U.S. military support to Taiwan and China’s stern response.

He criticized the U.S.’s current “One China” Policy, which does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation and maintains “strategic ambiguity” about defending Taiwan against potential Chinese aggression.

Ramaswamy stressed the U.S.’s dependency on semiconductors produced in Taiwan and the potential risks associated with China gaining control over this crucial supply chain.

The GOP candidate said on X, formerly Twitter, “It is a vital U.S. national security interest to ensure that China *does not* acquire sole control of the global semiconductor supply chain, so the U.S. should shift from strategic ambiguity to strategic clarity: commit to affirmatively *defend Taiwan against Chinese annexation until the U.S. achieves semiconductor independence*, at which point the U.S. should resume its current posture of strategic ambiguity.”

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Why It Matters: Taiwan is a semiconductor manufacturing hub and is home to giants such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited TSM, which accounts for 92% of the world’s advanced chip manufacturing capacity. The Taiwan-based company is a long-time partner to U.S. firms such as Apple.

Ramaswamy’s stance on Taiwan and semiconductors comes at a time when his foreign policy decisions have been under scrutiny.

Previously, his foreign policy plans were labeled as “criminally stupid” and “utterly disqualifying” by Fox News pundit Marc Thiessen.

The clash with Fox News anchor John Roberts over Taiwan’s defense further highlighted the controversial nature of his proposals. With the increasing global importance of semiconductors and the ongoing geopolitical tensions surrounding Taiwan, Ramaswamy’s views underscore the intricate balance between economic interests and geopolitical strategies.

Photo by Andy.LIU On Shutterstock

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