Description: Amid growing pressure from Chinese influence, the Taiwanese government would apparently conclude a deal in the billions in order to appease the new Trump administration into further defense support. The deal would focus on the island’s coastal defense with cruise ballistic missiles as well as HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocker System) rockets. Recent tensions arose with heightened level of military drills in the South China Sea as well as the removal of the statement from the US State Department’s website which entailed the recognition of Taiwan’s independence.
Impact: Taiwan is crucial for US regional interests in the South China Sea as it currently represents a failed geopolitical endeavor by China. The US, despite informally supporting the Taiwanese government, aims at developing strongly dependent ties defensively as well as industrially. Trump has recently stated that he planned on imposing tariffs on Taiwan as well as the country’s chip production technology exceedingly surged recently. The establishment of contingent diplomatic relations between the countries could put Taiwan under the US defensive umbrella, while the US would have a regional proxy that could forward US interests in the region.