TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former Taiwan Ambassador Leonard Chao (趙麟) expressed optimism about Taiwan-US relations under the second Trump administration.

“I think that in general, the relations will remain the same,” Chao, who was an ambassador to Eswatini and also served as director of political and congressional liaison affairs at Taiwan’s representative office in Washington, DC, recently told Taiwan News. 

He pointed out that Trump’s selection of Senator Marco Rubio as secretary of state is a good sign, given his staunch support of Taiwan. However, the former ambassador acknowledged that Trump’s remarks about Taiwan stealing the US' chip industry were "not encouraging.”

“I found that to be a little strange from the future leader of Uncle Sam,” he said.

Despite this, Chao expected Trump to refrain from shaking up bilateral ties. Once he receives his briefing from the State Department’s Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs, he will understand the intricacies of US-Taiwan relations, Chao said. 

“He will come up with more mature, more workable, more realistic (policies) with Taiwan, in terms of economic relations, trade relations, and cultural ties.”

Supporting Taiwan has become a bipartisan consensus, Chao said, “So there’s no reason to change that whatsoever.” 

He clarified that this does not mean Taiwan should rely on the US for its defense or political future. Instead, Chao believed “the destiny of Taiwan should be in the hands of Taiwanese themselves.”

The former ambassador called on the government to focus on more effective communication with the Trump administration. Chao said that while the US is a friend Taiwan cannot afford to lose, the partnership goes both ways, so the US cannot lose Taiwan either.

Chao’s comments come as Lai Ching-te (賴清德) is wrapping up his tour of Taiwan’s South Pacific allies, which included layovers in Hawaii and Guam.