US senator warns Taiwan against ‘naivety’ on China during visit
Taipei — U.S. Senator John Curtis warned Taiwan on Tuesday not to underestimate China’s intentions, citing developments in Hong Kong as a cautionary example, during a visit by a bipartisan U.S. delegation amid debate over the island’s defence spending.
Curtis, speaking alongside fellow lawmakers including Jeanne Shaheen, said Taiwan should draw lessons from Hong Kong, where Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020 following unrest, a move critics say curtailed freedoms.
The visit comes as President Lai Ching-te seeks approval for an additional $40 billion in defence spending, a proposal backed by Washington but currently stalled in the opposition-controlled parliament.
Taiwan’s government says the funding is necessary to strengthen deterrence against China, which claims the island as its territory. Opposition parties have expressed support in principle for defence measures but have resisted approving what they describe as open-ended commitments.
Curtis said Taiwan risked misjudging Beijing’s intentions if it ignored the trajectory of Hong Kong since its return to Chinese rule in 1997 under a framework guaranteeing autonomy.“My biggest worry for Taiwan is that they underestimate the intentions of China,” Curtis said, urging vigilance despite aspirations for peace.
China has simultaneously stepped up engagement with Taiwan’s opposition. Beijing has invited Cheng Li-wun, leader of the Kuomintang, to visit, a trip she has described as a “peace mission.”
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said China’s objective of annexation had not changed and cautioned against what it called “illusions” about peace, reflecting ongoing tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
