Close advisers to President Trump are privately expressing serious concern that his high-profile Beijing summit conveyed a dangerous message to Chinese President Xi Jinping about Taiwan’s vulnerability.
Though the visit received positive publicity due to its show of diplomacy and the re-establishment of trade relations, it is being viewed by Trump’s very own advisers as an invitation for Xi to flex his muscles over Taiwan within the next five years.
“Xi is trying to move China to a new position where he’s saying: ‘We’re not a rising power. We’re your equal. And Taiwan is mine,'” one Trump adviser told Axios. The visit’s pageantry and special access Xi orchestrated, according to the adviser, created optics that reinforce Beijing’s narrative of Chinese power parity with the West.
However, this is not just about the political status of Taiwan. America’s semiconductor chain depends heavily on the manufacturing capabilities of Taiwanese-made chips. The processors for AI require these chips. In case there was a war or a blockade, America would lose its access to these advanced chips.
“There’s no way we can be ready economically,” one adviser warned. “The chips supply chain won’t be anywhere close to self-sufficiency. For CEOs, and really the economy as a whole, there’s no more pressing issue than the supply chain for chips.”
