Since taking office at the beginning of 2025, U.S. President Donald Trumphas sparked speculation about future U.S. policy towards Taiwan, particularly in the wake of meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in October and accepting an invitation to visit Beijing in April 2026.
In the midst of these speculations, Andrew Nathan, one of America's most senior China experts andprofessor of political science at Columbia University, visited Taiwan for an exclusive interview with Storm Media on Trump's Cross-Strait policy.
Does Trump's Team Lack China Experts?
Nathan claimed that China experts on Trump's team, such as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, were trying to push for a pivot to Asia, away from the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. He noted that such a pivot has been a theme in U.S. foreign policy since the Obama administration.
"I can't say he (Trump) entirely lacks talent. But I think he has weakened his team and does not listen to others," Nathan said.
He pointed to Trump's removal of Deputy National Security Advisor Alex Wong from the National Security Council earlier this year and recent personnel cuts at the State Department.
Nathan further noted that Trump's inability to listen tohis subordinates, such as the U.S. intelligence community, often leads him to prefer trusting leaders whom he views as equals - like Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"He naively trusts these strongman leaders rather than his own National Security Council," Nathan added after the recording.
Columbia to Enhance Taiwan Research
Regarding past discussions with Taiwanese media about a possible center for Taiwan studies, Nathan detailed that Columbia is considering establishing a tenured position and perhaps an institute to address Taiwan's relevance to global issues.
The 82-year-old Sinologist also announced that he will also soon teach a course focused on Taiwan studies at Columbia.
"We want to study Taiwan further because it is important and interesting."
Nathan highlighted Taiwan's compelling diplomatic relations, domestic politics, culture, business, and semiconductor industry as reasons for increased understanding.
"We have lecture series inviting speakers from diverse fields covering culture, politics, resilience, economy, and the chip industry." （Related： KMT Chairwoman Says Taiwan not Subordinate to Beijing, Both Part of One China ｜ Latest ）
Currently, Columbia holds around six Taiwan-related events per semester, and "we aim to provide more support for students."
