Taiwan has sharpened its political message as uncertainty grows around Washington’s security guarantees. The island’s Foreign Ministry declared Taiwan a “sovereign and independent democratic state” and stressed that it is not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China. The statement came shortly after Donald Trump questioned the U.S. role in defending Taiwan and said he opposed the island’s push for formal independence.

The tension followed Trump’s visit to Beijing. In an interview with Fox News, he described Taiwan as a small island located close to mainland China and questioned why the United States should cross half the world to fight a potential war. He also said he had not yet approved a proposed $14 billion arms package for Taiwan, framing it as a possible bargaining chip in negotiations.

At the same time, the U.S. administration sent mixed signals. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington’s Taiwan policy had not changed and warned that any use of force by China would be a major mistake with global consequences. Trump’s comments, however, sounded far more cautious and raised fresh doubts about the actual depth of U.S. support.

The semiconductor industry remains another major pressure point. Trump repeated that he wants to bring a large share of global chip production back to the United States, while accusing Taiwan of dominating the sector at America’s expense. Taipei has already committed major investments into U.S. chip capacity, including TSMC’s expansion in Arizona, but it continues to resist moving its most advanced production off the island. In a more uncertain security environment, Taiwan’s chip dominance remains one of its most important strategic levers.