Criticizes Isolationism, Nikki Haley in Taiwan Urges Support for Allies Against China

Taiwan, August 24 :
An ex-candidate for the Republican presidential candidacy in the United States, Nikki Haley argued on August 24 that the party should support its allies rather than isolate itself, particularly in relation to China. Haley, who ran against Trump for president after serving as his UN ambassador, spoke to reporters while in Taiwan and stressed the need of standing with Taiwan, Ukraine, and Israel.

The isolationist stance is unhealthy, in my opinion. In her opinion, the United States of America can never be immune to outside influences, she added. U.S. friends are worried about Trump's intentions to return to the White House, which could lead to isolationism.

Haley criticized Trump during her campaign, saying he was unqualified to be president, yet just last month she pushed her followers to cast ballots for the ex-president. On November 5th, he will square off against Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running for the Democratic Party nomination.

With his comments that "Taiwan should pay us for defence" and that it had grabbed American semiconductor business, Trump infuriated China's self-proclaimed democratically controlled but militarily-claimed island of Taiwan in July. Top Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC saw its share price plummet after his comments. The government of Taiwan denies China's assertions of sovereignty.

The US is Taiwan's primary foreign supporter and weapons provider. Even though there are no official diplomatic relations, Washington is legally obligated to give the island with the tools to defend itself. "What I want to see the Republican Party talk about is freedom, standing with our allies and making sure that we show strength around the world," Haley told reporters in Taipei. "We don't want see Communist China win, we don't want to see Russia win, we don't want to see Iran or North Korea win."

Following her discussion with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te and other top leaders, Haley stated that Republicans and Democrats share a common position on the matter of supporting Taiwan. According to her, the Taiwanese government never requested that she forward any information to Trump's staff. While Haley did not say she would "not necessarily meet with his team directly" during her trip to Taiwan, she did say she would "probably write an opinion piece," give interviews to television, communicate with Congress and the Biden-Harris administration, and more. During Trump's presidency, Taiwan was heavily supported, with cabinet ministers visiting the island and arms deals being made.