Vivek Ramaswamy reportedly clashed with Fox News host John Roberts about his opinions on protecting Taiwan from China during an interview on Friday.
Ramaswamy has distinguished himself from the rest of the GOP primary field on a number of crucial policy matters, such as his opposition to continued support for Ukraine in its war with Russia and his common-sense proposal to return territory annexed by Russia in eastern Ukraine in exchange for Moscow severing its military ties with China.
The software entrepreneur’s opinions on Taiwan are yet another illustration of his distinctive agenda.
Ramaswamy was challenged by Roberts about his belief that the United States should only support Taiwan because it makes semiconductors.
“You’ve said that you’d fully back Taiwan until the US becomes independent with semiconductors. So what happens after that point? Do we just give Taiwan to China,” Roberts said shrilly.
“Don’t we also support a robust democracy off China’s shores…They’re not just a factory,” he continued.
Ramaswamy retaliated, saying that Roberts’ assertion was an inaccurate interpretation of what he had stated, and that he would continue to exercise strategic ambiguity—a government practice of withholding details about a foreign policy plan.
“Recall that President Trump was derided by both parties for picking up a phone call from the Taiwanese president…I’m upgrading to strategic clarity, saying that absolutely we will defend Taiwan until we get semiconductor independence,” Ramaswamy retorted.
He also referred to the “one-China policy,” which is another name for the United States’ policy of strategic ambiguity toward Taiwan, and the CCP’s (the country’s ruling party) assertion that there is only one independent country by the name of China.
“Both Republicans and Democrats, every other Republican in this race embraces the one-China policy. Strategic ambiguity, refusing to call Taiwan a nation,” Ramaswamy continued.
When Roberts attempted to push Ramaswamy on whether the U.S. should support Taiwan because it’s a ‘democracy’ the GOP contender pushed back:
“Absolutely but the fact of the matter is, the current U.S. establishment in both parties, including the Republican Party, does not even recognize Taiwan as a nation right now,” he argued.
“John, that’s actually a caricature. It’s laughable to say that when I’m saying Taiwan is a nation that we actually will defend it until and unless we have semiconductor independence and then we resume the status quo. That’s honest.” he concluded.
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