TAIPEI ¨C U.S. President Donald Trump has made cultivating closer ties with Taiwan a critical part of his efforts to counter China¡¯s rising influence. He has significantly increased weapons sales to Taiwan¡¯s military, vowed to step up economic cooperation, and generally bolstered relations with the self-ruled democratic island ¡ª even in his waning days.
His successor, President-elect Joe Biden, will most likely continue on a similar path, albeit without Trump¡¯s characteristic pugnacity.
As concerns grow about China¡¯s increasingly aggressive behavior on the global stage, Biden will face pressure from Democrats and Republicans to strengthen ties with Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory.
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