Trump mentions Taiwan’s representative office among possible parties in US lawsuit
In the United States, President Donald Trump mentioned the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (Tecro) among the foreign supporters of the Center for American Progress whom he may include in a potential lawsuit against the think tank. South China Morning Post reports.
In a social media post, Trump called the Washington-based left-leaning Center for American Progress a “radical left scam” and threatened to seek $5 billion in compensation from it. He cited a report by the center that disputed his claims about the impact of National Guard deployments on violent crime. Trump also said he was “seriously considering” including some of the center’s donors in the lawsuit.
Reaction in Taiwan
Along with Tecro, Trump named the Japanese embassy, the Korea Foundation, and the embassy of the United Arab Emirates. Tecro is Taiwan’s de facto representative office in the United States.
Chen Yi-hsin, head of the Kuomintang’s Culture and Communications Committee, called Trump’s remarks an “unusual diplomatic warning.” He urged Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explain how much taxpayer money has gone to the Center for American Progress since Trump returned to the White House. In his view, Taipei should adjust its diplomatic strategy to political changes in the United States and maintain ties with both American parties.
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Taiwan Foreign Ministry’s position
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it and the country’s overseas representative offices have long cooperated with major US think tanks and academic institutions across the political spectrum. According to the ministry, this cooperation supports research on security in the Indo-Pacific region, supply chain resilience and critical technologies, and also helps Americans better understand Taiwan and its relations with the United States.
The ministry stressed that this interaction does not involve Taiwan in US domestic politics and should not become a tool for political manipulation on the island. Taipei also said it would continue deepening cooperation with the Trump administration on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit.
According to Washington’s Think Tank Funding Tracker, Taiwanese entities provided about $6.77 million to 25 US think tanks in 2019–2024. Experts interviewed by the publication noted that it is important for Taiwan to maintain politically balanced contacts in the United States ahead of an expected meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington.
