Taiwan Shouldn’t Be US Trade Bait for China: Karishma Vaswani

The first rule when dealing with China is to know which chips are too precious to bargain away. Here’s hoping President Donald Trump recognizes that Taiwan is one of them.

Using the island claimed by Beijing as trade bait would be a strategic mistake. It’s a central node in America’s security architecture in Asia — a key link in the First Island Chain that constrains China’s military reach and reassures American allies. It’s also a global supplier of advanced semiconductors that form the foundation of booming industries such as artificial intelligence.

Treating Taiwan as negotiable doesn’t just worry Taipei. It’s a signal to allies from Tokyo to Manila ...