TAIPEI, July 17 (Reuters) - Taiwan's ruling party said on Wednesday former U.S. President Donald Trump's comments regarding the island were nothing more than hoping that Taiwan would show the same determination to protect its own security as Japan, South Korea and the European Union.

"China is the biggest threat to the United States; this is the consensus of the Democratic and Republican parties," Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party Secretary-General Lin Yu-chang said in a statement.

"Now is the best era of Taiwan-U.S. relations," Lin added. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Andrew Heavens)