Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy suggested Monday that he would not commit to defending Taiwan — one of America’s top allies in Asia — against an attack from communist China if America were to no longer be reliant on Taiwan for semiconductors.

Ramaswamy told radio host Hugh Hewitt in an interview Monday that China “should not mess with Taiwan until we have achieved semiconductor independence,” which he claimed he could achieve in less than four years. After that though, he said, his commitment to intervention would “change.”

“I’m being very clear: Xi Jinping should not mess with Taiwan until we have achieved semiconductor independence, until the end of my first term when I will lead us there,” Ramaswamy said Monday, as reported by the Washington Examiner. “And after that, our commitments to Taiwan, our commitments to be willing to go to military conflict, will change after that, because that’s rationally in our self-interest.”

Hewitt pointed out that Ramaswamy “drew a red line around Taiwan, a big, bright red line” and asked if that means there would be “war” if China invaded Taiwan before 2028 or the U.S. achieved semiconductor independence.

“I’m not committing to that,” Ramaswamy replied. He would commit, though, to continue to “deter” an invasion until the U.S. has semiconductor independence through various means, he said. (Read more from “Ramaswamy Suggests Letting China Invade Taiwan Once U.S. No Longer Needs Its Semiconductors” HERE)

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