Dispatches from Taiwan: Follow an Atlantic Council delegation as it visits the island

Bellicose rhetoric from Beijing and provocative Chinese military activity in the Taiwan Strait. A reinvigoration of the democratic world in the face of aggressive autocracy. A global semiconductor industry hanging in the balance.

All these issues and more have thrown renewed attention on Taiwan, an increasingly strategic US partner in a rapidly changing Indo-Pacific region. That’s why a visit by a senior Atlantic Council delegation to the island this week—under the auspices of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO)—could not have come at a more crucial time. Led by former US Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper, the group also includes former Italian Ambassador to NATO Stefano Stefanini and Council Senior Vice President Barry Pavel.

The visit will feature meetings with senior Taiwanese government leaders, corporate executives, and think-tank representatives in Taipei to discuss the highest-priority security and economic issues that will shape the future of Taiwan, its relationship with the United States, Europe, and like-minded partners around the world, and the strategic outlook for the Indo-Pacific.

Check back here for the latest insights, analysis, and reporting from the Council’s delegation.

Arms sales, policy issues dominate day one of meetings

On Monday, the delegation met with senior government and private-sector officials. Our top takeaways from those meetings include:

• China should not be allowed to redefine the One-China policy in a way that favors its position and is inconsistent with the US definition. China should also not pursue coercive military and economic measures against Taiwan.
• The United States should expedite arms sales to Taiwan to improve the country’s asymmetric capabilities, which are essential to defending against a Chinese invasion. Informed in part by lessons learned from Ukraine, top priorities include Stinger anti-aircraft weapons, coastal-defense cruise missiles, and Javelin anti-armor systems.
• Because these systems are in such high demand from US allies and partners worldwide, the United States should quickly develop the means to accelerate the production of these systems to meet global demand.

Image: Military generals and their family members walk past a poster of Taiwan’s flag at a ceremony in Taipei, Taiwan, on June 28, 2022. Photo by Ann Wang/REUTERS