Donald Trump was popular in Taiwan when he was U.S. president. The Republican candidate in the country's 2024 elections took a tough stance against China during his first term in office and gave unprecedented support to Taiwan. But would he still be supportive of Taiwan a second time in office?
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00:0077-year-old Taiwanese-American Funchong Fan eagerly awaits one of Donald Trump's final
00:06election rallies from his home an hour's drive away in New Jersey.
00:10He says if he was younger, he too would be in New York, lining up for hours in the cold
00:16to see his chosen candidate.
00:19He wants Trump to win the upcoming election and become president for a second time, believing
00:24the Republican will be better for the U.S. and Taiwan.
00:29He is the first president of the United States that is actually doing something to help Taiwan,
00:38just by doing what he did to weaken the control of China, the Chinese government.
00:48Born in Taiwan, but in his 50th year living in the United States, Fan has a sense of loyalty
00:54to both countries, and believes Trump will protect both better than his Democratic Party
01:00opponent, Kamala Harris.
01:02Putting his money where his mouth is, the retired doctor has donated $2,000 to Trump's
01:08campaign.
01:09When Trump came to power in 2017, he took a phone call from Taiwan's then-leader.
01:16The first U.S. president to do so since Washington switched diplomatic ties from Taipei in favor
01:23of Beijing in 1979.
01:26China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, and as Beijing increased military pressure on
01:31the island nation, Trump showed it more support, increasing arms sales and sending the highest
01:38ranking U.S. officials to Taipei in 40 years.
01:43But things might not be as clear cut this time around.
01:48For decades, here in the heart of New York, the iconic Trump Tower building has reminded
01:54Americans of Donald Trump's brash ambition.
01:58He's built an image of himself as a successful businessman.
02:01Now he's suggesting the U.S. should treat Taiwan as a business relationship too, saying
02:07that if he were president, Taipei should pay Washington for defending it from China.
02:14Officials in Taipei say Taiwan is responsible for its own defense, but Trump's comments
02:19have worried many in the country.
02:22A fear that political analysts have said is not unfounded.
02:26So Trump is mercurial, he's also very transactional.
02:30But his advisors in the first term on Taiwan tended to be quite hawkish.
02:34They were very protective of Taiwan and there was, I think, a defense forward posture, whether
02:39those same people would be in the second administration or people who had a similar
02:44position is completely up in the air at this point.
02:48It's the day before fan votes and he's chatting politics with his fellow doctor and Trump
02:53supporter, Hui-Ren Li, who still has family in Taiwan.
02:58But he too agrees with Trump that the U.S. can't keep spending its money on other countries'
03:04wars.
03:05The United States paid too much in the military expense and everything's behind now.
03:11The United States have to take care of themselves right now.
03:13And I think I agree Japan, Taiwan, Europe, they should pay for the protection.
03:22As Trump battles for a second term in the White House, his supporters believe he can
03:27use his business experience to negotiate thorny political issues too, even ones with stakes
03:34as high as keeping the peace between Taiwan and China.
03:38Justin Wu, Ed Moon and Louise Watt for Taiwan Plus.