Mark Esper in an interview with Taiwan’s TVBS broadcaster expressed his concern that "in the second administration, Trump would ultimately work to pull [the US] out of NATO, pull country's forces out of Korea or Japan, and maybe weaken the relationship with Taiwan."
He noted that Trump paid more attention to his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his presidency than to implementing what Esper calls a "robust and comprehensive" strategy for dealing with China and supporting friendly nations like Taiwan.
Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing regards the island as its province, while Taiwan maintains that it is an autonomous entity but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official foreign contacts with Taipei and regards Chinese sovereignty over the island as indisputable.
The latest escalation around Taiwan took place in April after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the United States. Beijing responded by launching massive three-day military drills near the island in what it called a warning to Taiwanese separatists and foreign powers.
The next US presidential election will take place on November 5, 2024. Trump has already announced his candidacy for the president's office.