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“The fall of Taiwan would likely spark a new nuclear arms race,”
he said. “Smaller Asian nations concerned about Chinese
aggression would no longer be confident of American deterrence.
American security commitments would be viewed as empty promises,
destabilizing not only this region but the wider world.”
He added nations would feel “they had no choice but to develop
their own nuclear arsenal,” which would increase the risk of
global nuclear confrontation.
Pence, who served as vice president during Trump’s first term
but had a falling out with his former boss over Trump’s refusal
to concede the 2020 election, sought to reassure Taiwanese
people of Washington’s continued support.
The United States is Taiwan’s main arms provider and favors
maintaining the status quo between Taipei and Beijing, which has
threatened to annex the self-ruled island, by force if
necessary.
On his campaign trail last year, Trump cast doubt over the U.S.’
continued backing of Taiwan, accusing the island of stealing the
chip industry from the U.S. decades and saying Taiwan should pay
the U.S. for protection against China.
Pence, speaking at an educational forum in Taiwan’s capital,
said he was convinced the U.S. would never “abandon” its allies
across the Pacific Ocean.
“I call on the new administration in Washington, D.C., and
freedom loving nations around the world to urgently renew our
commitment for providing Taiwan with the support it needs to
defend itself and its freedom,” he said.
He also called on Trump’s incoming administration to start
negotiations for a free trade agreement with Taiwan, a
development that’s long been floated by various U.S. and
Taiwanese politicians and that would be sure to anger China.
Pence said during Trump’s first term, he and the president
“changed the national consensus on China in the United States.”
“Now there is a broad and bipartisan agreement in our nation’s
capital that China today represents the greatest strategic and
economic threat facing our nation and our allies in the 21st
century,” he said.
On Thursday, Pence attended a business event in Hong Kong, where
he called for the release of imprisoned publisher Jimmy Lai.
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