Leftist New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez struggled to answer when asked how the United States should respond to China&#8217;s threat to take over Taiwan.
Ocasio-Cortez was part of a panel at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, alongside Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer and U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker. The panel focused on discussing U.S. foreign policy, but when the moderator asked Ocasio-Cortez if the United States should &#8220;commit U.S. troops to defend Taiwan, if China were to move,&#8221; the far-Left Democrat struggled to come up with an answer.
&#8220;I think that, uh, this is such a — you know, I think that this is a, umm — this is, of course, a uh, a very longstanding, umm, policy of the United States,&#8221; she began. &#8220;Uh, and I think that what we are hoping for is that we want to make sure we never get to that point, and we want to make sure we are moving in all of our economic research and our global positions to avoid any such confrontation and for that question to even arise.&#8221;
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AOC is asked if the US should defend Taiwan in the event China invades. Her answer is a word salad disaster that would even make Kamala cringe: <a href="https://t.co/jgfMWiSfmE">pic.twitter.com/jgfMWiSfmE</a>
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/2022477481576440253?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The Daily Wire reached out to Ocasio-Cortez&#8217;s office, asking for clarification on her response.
Earlier during the panel discussion, Ocasio-Cortez said the wedge between the United States and China is more about &#8220;competition&#8221; than &#8220;conflict.&#8221;
&#8220;I think China is, of course, an ascending global power, growing very quickly, acting in its own self interests,&#8221; she said. &#8220;And oftentimes in Washington, there&#8217;s this frame between conflict and competition. I think sometimes depending on what&#8217;s happening, that rhetoric can get a little conflict-driven, and I think that it&#8217;s really a question of competition.&#8221;
In another panel on &#8220;the rise of populism&#8221; on Friday, Ocasio-Cortez <a href="https://youtu.be/rbmPHFIFC_U?si=I6QoD5oaxBNn8r8H&amp;t=2062">attempted</a> to describe President Trump&#8217;s shift to a new strategy on foreign policy and how the rest of the world has responded. Her remark, however, left people wondering what she meant.
&#8220;I think what we are seeking is a return to a rules-based order that eliminates the hypocrisies around when too often in the West, we look the other way for inconvenient populations to act out these paradoxes, whether it is kidnapping a foreign head of state, whether it is threatening our allies to colonize Greenland, whether it is looking the other way in a genocide. Hypocrisies are vulnerabilities, and they threaten democracies globally.&#8221;
Ocasio-Cortez was mocked over her answers on foreign policy and &#8220;the rise of populism,&#8221; with some commentators making comparisons to former Vice President Kamala Harris, who regularly made head-scratching remarks on the campaign trail and in interviews.
Both Ocasio-Cortez and Whitmer are viewed as potential Democratic presidential candidates who could compete for the nomination in 2028, but neither the governor nor the congresswoman seemed prepared to answer questions on important foreign policy topics during the Munich Security Conference panel.
In one <a href="https://x.com/Th_Midwesterner/status/2022681978911309884">exchange</a>, Whitmer was asked what she viewed as the solution to the war between Ukraine and Russia, but she tried to redirect the question to Ambassador Whitaker.
&#8220;No, please, I&#8217;d love to hear your answer,&#8221; Whitaker said after Whitmer asked him to take the question.
&#8220;The two that I am on the panel with are much more steeped in foreign policy than a governor is,&#8221; Whitmer said. &#8220;I do think that Ukraine&#8217;s independence, keeping their land mass and having the support of all the allies, I think is the goal from my vantage point. Go ahead, ambassador, do a better job.&#8221;

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

AOC Spits Out Word Salad When Asked About China, Refuses To Say If U.S. Should Defend Taiwan

China

Foreign Policy

Global Politics

Gretchen Whitmer

Politics

Taiwan

President Donald Trump dismissed concerns about instability in China after purges of its military reached inside President Xi Jinping’s inner circle.
“As far as I’m concerned, there’s one boss in China. That’s President Xi. That’s the president I’m dealing with,” the president <a href="https://x.com/RedWave_Press/status/2017942149577224459">told</a> reporters on board Air Force One on Saturday.
In response to a reporter, Trump said he is not concerned about Beijing’s “stability” after the government announced a corruption investigation into its top ranking military official and a close Xi ally.
“I think President Xi is the boss. I watch it very closely, and he’s highly respected in China. He’s the boss,” said Trump.
China’s Ministry of National Defense <a href="https://www.news.cn/legal/20260124/33406074879940878fd3102178790920/c.html">announced</a> on January 24 that General Zhang Youxia, the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission that controls China’s military, is suspected of “grave violations of discipline and the law.” General Liu Zhenli, the head of the military’s Joint Staff Department, is also under investigation, according to the announcement.
Investigations under China’s authoritarian government almost always result in guilty verdicts. Officials that fall under investigation are often never heard from again. Zhang and Liu have both disappeared from the public recently, though their absences alone had not been enough to rouse suspicion that they had become targets in the ongoing shakeup of China’s military, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/world/asia/china-top-general-xi-military-purge.html">The New York Times</a>.
The allegations against Zhang are especially noteworthy because of the vaunted position and deep level of trust Zhang was previously assumed to enjoy in Xi’s inner circle. Zhang and Xi are childhood friends. Each of their fathers were revolutionaries in Mao Zedong’s army. Zhang was second only to Xi in the hierarchy of the Chinese state.
The investigations into Zhang and Liu are just the latest in an ongoing purge of top military officials since 2023. Beijing has characterized the purge as an effort to root out corruption in the military. The campaign has taken down officers and personnel up and down the military hierarchy, as well as civilian executives of military arms manufacturers. Many of those targeted had been handpicked into their positions by Xi.
Zhang and Liu’s forced absences mean that of the six generals Xi appointed to the Central Military Commission in 2022, only one is left: General Zhang Shengmin.
“Xi may have purged them because he saw them as undermining his leadership and military objectives,” says an <a href="https://understandingwar.org/research/china-taiwan/xi-jinpings-military-purges-leave-him-increasingly-powerful-but-isolated/">analysis</a> from the Institute for the Study of War. “The CMC purges consolidate Xi’s control over the military but risk isolating him or surrounding him with sycophants, which in turn risks military miscalculations.”
The military purges have taken place as concerns grow that Beijing may attempt a military takeover of Taiwan, a nation to which Beijing has already made territorial claims.

Donald Trump, Xi Jinping

Trump Dismisses Concerns About China’s ‘Stability’ After Purge Of Top Military Official

Donald Trump

Xi Jinping

Legendary American rock climber Alex Honnold stunned the world yesterday when he scaled the 1,667-foot skyscraper Taipei 101 in Taiwan without any safety equipment.
The entire 90-minute event was broadcast live on Netflix on Saturday with a ten-second delay after being postponed due to weather earlier in the week. 
“It was like what a view, it’s incredible, what a beautiful day,” the 40-year-old climber said afterward, per <a href="https://apnews.com/article/alex-honnold-taipei-101-solo-climb-netflix-cfe8960237290086cdee581075056fbf">Associated Press</a>. “It was very windy, so I was like, don’t fall off the spire. I was trying to balance nicely. But it was, what an incredible position, what a beautiful way to see Taipei.”
Honnold has done major climbs before, but nothing to this scale. Spectators watched captivated as the climber ascended the massive skyscraper, at one point, going hands-free, gripping only with his legs.
A huge crowd of onlookers watched from the ground and in the building, which Honnold said was not the usual for him. 
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ALEX HONNOLD AFTER COMPLETING HIS FREE SOLO OF TAIPEI 101: &#8220;Sick.&#8221;
The 101 story climb took 1 hour and 35 minutes <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SkyscraperLIVE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SkyscraperLIVE</a> <a href="https://t.co/TIzeRqiUcM">pic.twitter.com/TIzeRqiUcM</a>
— Netflix (@netflix) <a href="https://twitter.com/netflix/status/2015255348215742822?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“When I was leaving the ground, you’re like oh it’s kind of intense, there’s so many people watching,” he said, per the AP. “But then honestly, they’re all wishing me well. I mean basically it just makes the whole experience feel almost more festive, all these nice people are out supporting me and having a good time.”
The father of two first went viral in 2017 after becoming the first person to “free solo” on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, climbing 2,900 feet without safety equipment. The 2018 biographical documentary “Free Solo,” is about Honnold’s climbing career and won a BAFTA and an Academy Award.
&#8220;Free solo&#8221; in rock climbing means climbing without any ropes or harnesses. It’s the most dangerous form of climbing and often proves fatal. One mistake can easily result in death. 
Another climber, Alain Robert from France, climbed Taipei 101 in 2004 upon its completion. At the time, it was the tallest building in the world. However, Robert utilized ropes and harnesses for his ascent.

Alex Honnold

American Climber Scales Taiwan’s Tallest Skyscraper Without Any Safety Equipment

Climber Scales 1,667-Foot Skyscraper With No Safety Equipment, Live On Netflix

free solo

Mountain climbing

Sports

United States

China&#8217;s foreign ministry announced sanctions on Friday targeting 10 individuals and 20 U.S. defense firms, including Boeing&#8217;s St. Louis branch, over arms sales to Taiwan.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said the United States strongly objected to the Chinese move, which freezes any assets the companies and individuals hold in China and bars domestic organizations and individuals from doing business with them.
Individuals on the Chinese list, including the founder of defense firm Anduril Industries and nine senior executives from the sanctioned firms, are also banned from entering China, it added.
Other companies targeted include Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation and L3Harris Maritime Services, and Boeing&#8217;s St. Louis branch, which focuses on defense work.
The Chinese action appears largely symbolic given China&#8217;s lack of dealings with U.S. defense firms, whereas it has been a major purchaser of Boeing civilian aircraft.
The move follows Washington&#8217;s announcement last week of $11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, the largest ever U.S. weapons package for the island, drawing Beijing&#8217;s ire.
&#8220;The Taiwan issue is the core of China&#8217;s core interests and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-U.S. relations,&#8221; a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement on Friday.
&#8220;Any provocative actions that cross the line on the Taiwan issue will be met with a strong response from China,&#8221; the statement said, urging the U.S. to cease &#8220;dangerous&#8221; efforts to arm the island.
China views democratically-governed Taiwan as part of its own territory, a claim Taipei rejects.
The U.S. is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, though such arms sales are a persistent source of friction with China.
The State Department spokesperson said this policy had &#8220;remained consistent across nine different U.S. administrations and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.&#8221;
&#8220;We strongly object to Beijing’s efforts to retaliate against U.S. companies for their support of U.S. arms sales that support Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities,&#8221; the spokesperson said, while urging Beijing to cease military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taipei.
Boeing has been in talks to sell Chinese carriers up to 500 civilian jets, according to a report in September, which would represent a major breakthrough for the company in the world&#8217;s second-largest aviation market, where orders have stalled amid U.S.-China trade tensions.
(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Joe Bavier, Peter Graff and Alistair Bell)

The two sides clashed with missiles. trade war. Flag of the People’s Republic of China. Flag of the United States. Taiwan flag

China Hits U.S. Defense Firms With Sanctions Over Arms Sales To Taiwan

Communist China

Department of Defense

World

President Donald Trump aims to prevent conflict with China over Taiwan and the South China Sea by building up U.S. and allies&#8217; military power, according to a new U.S. strategy document.
The Trump administration laid out its approach to one of the world&#8217;s most sensitive diplomatic issues in an official National Security Strategy document, released on Friday. It comes as Beijing ratchets up pressure on democratically governed Taiwan and Japan, deploying vessels across East Asian waters this week in its largest maritime show of force to date.
&#8220;Deterring a conflict over Taiwan, ideally by preserving military overmatch, is a priority,&#8221; said the document, a periodically updated vision statement from the administration to Congress and the first since Trump took office in January.
China views Taiwan as its own, and Beijing has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. China also has vast regional claims, including almost the entire South China Sea, which are disputed by many of its smaller neighbors.
The United States has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but Washington is the island&#8217;s most important international backer and is required by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. The issue has been an irritant in U.S.-China relations for years.
The document&#8217;s language on Taiwan is stronger than the national security strategy produced during Trump&#8217;s first term in office. The document in 2017 mentioned Taiwan three times in a single sentence, echoing longstanding diplomatic language.
The updated strategy, however, mentions Taiwan eight times across three paragraphs and concludes that &#8220;there is, rightly, much focus on Taiwan&#8221; because of its strategic location in trade-rich waters and dominance in semiconductor manufacturing.
&#8220;We will build a military capable of denying aggression anywhere,&#8221; in the chain of islands stretching from Japan to Southeast Asia, said the latest document. &#8220;But the American military cannot, and should not have to, do this alone. Our allies must step up and spend &#8211; and more importantly do &#8211; much more for collective defense.&#8221;
That will reinforce &#8220;U.S. and allies&#8217; capacity to deny any attempt to seize Taiwan&#8221; or any other steps that would &#8220;make defending that island impossible,&#8221; the report said.
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Trump, a Republican, has largely avoided directly saying how he would respond to a rise in tensions over the island.
Trump&#8217;s penchant for dealmaking and effort to seek closer ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping have kindled fears in the region of weakening U.S. support for Taiwan and regional allies from Tokyo to Manila. Trump plans to travel to Beijing in April, where the leaders will discuss extending the truce in their trade war.
Last month, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi drew Beijing&#8217;s wrath when she told parliament that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan that threatened Japan could justify a military response. Trump privately asked Takaichi not to escalate the dispute with China, Reuters previously reported.
But Trump also signed a new law requiring his administration to regularly review how it interacts with Taipei. It also approved the sale of fighter jet and other aircraft parts to Taiwan for $330 million. Both were seen as signs of support by Taiwan. Trump has also pressed Japan and South Korea, two key regional allies, to hike defense spending.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; editing by Philippa Fletcher, Don Durfee and Diane Craft)

Donald Trump/Xi Jinping

Trump Unveils Strategy To Deter China From Invading Taiwan

The United States’ <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-state-dept-approves-possible-sale-taiwan-fighter-jet-spare-repair-parts-2025-11-14/">approval</a> of a $330 million arms sale to Taiwan on Thursday represents both a symbolic and strategic turning point in U.S.-Taiwan relations under President Donald Trump’s second term.
The package — <a href="https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/2025/taiwan-confirms-more-weapons-acquisition-from-u-s-amid-rising-china-tensions?utm">covering</a> spare and repair parts for Taiwan’s fleet of F-16 fighter jets, C-130 transport aircraft, and other military planes — marks the first U.S. arms transfer to the island since Trump returned to office in January. While modest in dollar value relative to past transactions, the approval underscores Washington’s continued commitment to Taiwan’s defense amid escalating Chinese military pressure.
The Pentagon described the deal as vital for maintaining the operational readiness of Taiwan’s air fleet and improving its capacity to meet “current and future threats.” By ensuring Taiwan’s aircraft remain mission-capable, the sale strengthens the island’s ability to counter frequent “gray-zone” incursions — non-combat pressure tactics by China that test Taiwan’s air defenses through near-daily aerial and maritime patrols.
The sale is expected to take effect within a month, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, which praised Washington for sustaining a regularized schedule of support. Taipei’s presidential office thanked the U.S. for continuing its long-standing arms sales policy, calling the deepening defense partnership a cornerstone of peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific.
Taiwan’s appreciation contrasts sharply with Beijing’s fury. The Chinese Foreign Ministry reiterated that the “Taiwan question” remains the “first red line” in China-U.S. relations, calling the sale a serious violation of the one-China principle and the three bilateral joint communiqués that frame diplomatic engagement. China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, warned that such U.S. actions interfere in its internal affairs and damage its sovereignty.
In recent years, Beijing has <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china-sanctions-two-us-defence-firms-selling-taiwan-weapons-2024-04-11/?utm">imposed</a> penalties on defense companies linked to Taiwan arms sales, including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics. These sanctions, ranging from property freezes to entry bans on executives, have become Beijing’s primary diplomatic tool to protest U.S. military support for the island.
Under the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), passed in 1979 after Washington severed formal ties with Taipei, the United States is legally bound to provide weapons of a “defensive character.” While maintaining unofficial relations, Washington remains Taiwan’s most significant arms provider and security partner. The Trump administration’s approval of the $330 million sale reflects continuity with that legal mandate while signaling that U.S. strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific still hinge on preventing Chinese coercion.
This latest transaction follows a series of U.S. arms sales over the past two years, including a <a href="https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2024/02/23/2003813944?utm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$75 million package</a> in February 2024 and a $385 million package in November 2024, both of which aimed to upgrade Taiwan’s communications, radar, and fighter capabilities.
Collectively, these deals address a significant delivery backlog — valued at more than $21 billion as of early 2025 — that has long constrained Taiwan’s defense modernization. The recent approval also comes shortly after the 24th U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference in Maryland, where officials projected that arms sales could reach record levels in 2026 once Taipei passes its new multi-year defense budget, potentially exceeding 3% of GDP.
The latest sale thus serves as a reaffirmation of Washington’s strategic resolve to equip Taiwan with the means of self-defense while recalibrating relations with Beijing amid regional power competition. For Taipei, the decision reinforces deterrence and operational endurance against China’s intensifying military drills.

Taiwan President visits defence exhibition after Trump declined arms sales to island

U.S. Greenlights $330M Arms Sale To Taiwan To Boost Defense Against Chinese Aggression

Arms sales

President Donald Trump pushed back on &#8220;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/read-full-transcript-norah-odonnell-60-minutes-interview-with-president-trump/">60 Minutes</a>&#8221; host Norah O&#8217;Donnell during an interview that aired Sunday evening, chastising her for trying to get him to publicly broadcast secret military information.
O&#8217;Donnell pressed the president on a potential conflict that could arise with China if the United States were to take action in defense of Taiwan, and then pressed even harder when Trump kept his answers on the subject as vague as possible.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump BODIES 60 Minutes after she begs for his secret military plans if China were to invade Taiwan
CBS: Why not say what you&#8217;ll do?!
TRUMP: &#8220;I can&#8217;t give away my secrets! I&#8217;m not somebody that tells YOU everything because you&#8217;re asking me a question!&#8221;… <a href="https://t.co/R1MwGAOX5F">pic.twitter.com/R1MwGAOX5F</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1985014616447951356?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;One potential flash point with China, probably the potential flash point with China in the coming years, is over the issue of Taiwan,&#8221; O&#8217;Donnell said. &#8220;The Chinese military is encroaching on Taiwan&#8217;s sea lanes, its airspace, its cyberspace. I know you have said that Xi Jinping wouldn&#8217;t dare move militarily on Taiwan while you&#8217;re in office. But what if he does? Would you order U.S. forces to defend Taiwan?&#8221;
&#8220;You&#8217;ll find out if it happens. And he understands the answer to that,&#8221; Trump replied.
&#8220;Why not say it —&#8221; O&#8217;Donnell asked.
Trump did not answer but instead noted that when he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the topic was never broached — largely, he claimed, because they already understood each other.
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&#8220;This never even came up yesterday, as a subject. He never brought it up. People were a little surprised at that. He never brought it up, because he understands it, and he understands it very well,&#8221; Trump explained. &#8220;Taiwan is a very interesting case. It&#8217;s 69 miles away from China. We&#8217;re 9,500 miles away. But that doesn&#8217;t matter. He understands — what will happen. He and I have spoken about it. But it was never even brought up during a two and a ha — or two-and-a-half-hour meeting we had yesterday.&#8221;
&#8220;Do you mind if I ask, when you say, &#8216;He understands,&#8217; why not communicate that publicly to the rest of us? What does he understand that —&#8221; O&#8217;Donnell tried again.
&#8220;Well — I don&#8217;t want to give away — I can&#8217;t give away my secrets,&#8221; Trump shot back. &#8220;I don&#8217;t want to be one of these guys that tells you exactly what&#8217;s gonna happen if something happens. The other side knows, but — I&#8217;m not somebody that tells you everything because you&#8217;re asking me a question. But they understand what&#8217;s gonna happen. And — he has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, &#8216;We would never do anything while President Trump is president,&#8217; because they know the consequences.&#8221;

President Trump Departs Morristown Airport En Route To Washington, DC

‘I Can’t Give Away My Secrets’: Trump Scolds CBS Host For Asking About Taiwan And Military Plans

'I Can't Give Away My Secrets': Trump Scolds CBS Host For Asking About Taiwan And Military Plans

60 Minutes

Media

The chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee said on Friday he will introduce legislation to deter aggression against Taiwan by identifying targets for economic measures that could be deployed rapidly if China acts against the island.
Republican Senator Jim Risch of Idaho said his &#8220;Deter PRC Aggression Against Taiwan Act&#8221; would create a State and Treasury Department-led task force that would identify Chinese military and non-military targets for sanctions, export controls and other economic measures to use against Beijing in case of Chinese aggression against Taiwan.
&#8220;Using lessons learned from the challenges in U.S. and partner country sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, this legislation will ensure America is prepared to hit China where it hurts should China follow through on its threats to use violent force against Taiwan,&#8221; Risch said in a statement.
An aide said he planned to introduce the measure on Monday.
The Chinese foreign ministry, in a statement in response to Reuters questions, said the United States should strictly abide by the one-China principle &#8211; under which China claims the democratically governed Taiwan as its own &#8211; and stop undermining bilateral relations and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
&#8220;The Taiwan issue is China&#8217;s internal affair,&#8221; the ministry said. &#8220;How to resolve it is solely China&#8217;s own business and does not tolerate any external interference.&#8221;
News of the proposed bill comes ahead of an expected meeting this month between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, with the U.S. leader seeking to conclude a major trade deal with Washington&#8217;s biggest economic and geopolitical rival.
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China has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Beijing has stepped up military and political pressure against Taiwan in recent years.
The U.S. State Department says the U.S. position on Taiwan has not changed and that Washington opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side.
Analysts say China would particularly like the Trump administration to state explicitly that it opposes Taiwan&#8217;s independence rather than say, as did the Biden administration, that it did not support it.
Risch&#8217;s bill is one of several legislative initiatives in the Senate and House of Representatives that supporters say underscore support in Congress for continuing to take a hard line against any Chinese moves on Taiwan.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and David Brunnstrom; Additional reporting by Ryan Woo in Beijing; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

Senior Republican Senator Wants To Boost Pressure On China Over Taiwan

Taiwan&#8217;s message to the international community is that it is determined to defend itself and that people should not believe any claim it has surrendered in the event of invasion, President Lai Ching-te said on Saturday, capping a week of defense events.
Democratically-governed Taiwan has faced stepped up military pressure from China, which views the island as its own territory. Taiwan&#8217;s government rejects those claims, saying only the island&#8217;s people can decide their future.
Addressing a forum on Taiwan&#8217;s efforts to boost its preparations for natural disaster or war, Lai referenced the government&#8217;s new civil defence handbook, which was launched on Tuesday as part of efforts to get people ready for a possible Chinese attack.
The handbook gives vital information on how to stay safe, he said to an audience that included Western envoys to Taipei.
&#8220;More importantly, we tell everyone, &#8216;In the event of a military invasion of Taiwan, any claim that the government has surrendered or that the nation has been defeated is false,'&#8221; Lai said, quoting one of the key messages in the handbook.
&#8220;As commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Republic of China, I want to tell my fellow citizens and the international community that this is Taiwan&#8217;s position,&#8221; he said, using Taiwan&#8217;s formal name.
&#8220;We are determined to defend freedom and democracy and a sustainable Taiwan.&#8221;
China&#8217;s Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to a request for comment. China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.
Taiwan this week hosted its largest ever arms show, drawing a host of international companies looking to win a share of the island&#8217;s rapidly increasing defense spending.
Taiwan is also actively courting global defense companies for closer collaboration, such as joint production of weapons.
Speaking separately on Saturday at the opening of a branch office in Taipei, Brandon Tseng, president of U.S. company Shield AI, said his company could have hundreds of employees in Taiwan over the next three to five years.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a region that Shield AI is deeply investing in and deeply committed to,&#8221; said Tseng, who chatted with Lai on Friday as he visited the arms show, where the company was showcasing its V-BAT drones that have been combat-tested in Ukraine.
Shield AI this month signed a &#8220;teaming agreement&#8221; with Taiwan government defense contractor Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation, although Tseng declined to give details on possible sales to the island.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Tom Hogue)

Taiwan President

Taiwan Determined To Defend Itself, President Says After Defense Events

Military

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee and a strong advocate for Taiwan, said on Saturday he thought there would be future joint U.S.-Taiwanese weapons production, something Taipei has pushed for.
The United States is Taiwan&#8217;s most important international backer and weapons supplier despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, though since President Donald Trump took office earlier this year no new arms sales have been announced.
Asked at a news conference in Taipei about the prospect for joint production of weapons including drones, Wicker, a Republican, was upbeat.
&#8220;I think there&#8217;s going to be joint production and joint efforts and that will depend on the skills present both on this side of the Pacific Ocean and ours, and actually we&#8217;re open to suggestion and innovation in that regard,&#8221; he said, at the end of a two-day visit where he met Taiwan President Lai Ching-te.
A Taiwan official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters that co-production of weapons was &#8220;very important.&#8221;
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=summer&amp;utm_content=editorialsummersale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">End of Summer Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Wicker is one of the fiercest supporters in the U.S. Congress for Taiwan. Beijing, which regularly denounces any shows of support for Taipei from Washington, has criticised his visit saying it opposes official interactions between Taiwan and the United States.
He is in Taiwan at a time the island is facing a 20% tariff on exports to the United States, as part of Trump&#8217;s sweeping new trade policy on many other parts of the world.
Wicker noted there were talks on trade going on around the world.
&#8220;That in no way affects the defence alliance and friendship and determination that the United States has to be a friend to the sovereign rights of the Taiwanese people to enjoy their democracy,&#8221; he said.
Administration officials have said that Trump remains fully committed to Asia-Pacific security matters as he pursues his trade agenda and a good personal relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
China claims the democratically governed island as its own and has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Beijing has stepped up military and political pressure against the island in recent years.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Stephen Coates)

Roger Wicker

Senior Republican Senator Expects Joint Weapons Production With Taiwan

The following is an edited excerpt from a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-250810-member-exclusive?elementPosition=3&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Morning+Wire&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">Morning Wire Weekend Edition interview</a> where Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley sat down with U.S. Navy retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. They discussed his recent trip to Taiwan, where he had meetings with senior officials, including the president and senior military leadership. Here are five key takeaways. 

* * *
<h3>1. America Is Taiwan’s Primary Key Ally</h3>
First, they&#8217;re very appreciative of the United States. They understand the United States is their key ally and they make that very clear. No one else sells them weapons. No one else stands by them when they&#8217;re threatened by the Chinese. That doesn&#8217;t mean they don&#8217;t get some rhetorical support from the Australians or the Japanese on occasion or from European countries. But when it comes to ship movements, aircraft movements, it&#8217;s us. So number one, they get that.
<h3>2. Taiwan Will Increase Defense Spending — But Only Buys From America</h3>
Number two, Taiwan understands that we expect them to spend more on their defense. So they&#8217;re taking their defense spending from about 2.5% this year to 3% next year. Then, I think, they&#8217;ll go to 4% and eventually 5%. The irony is, to get the spending up that high, they can only buy the weapons from us. We&#8217;re the only country who sells to them.
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-threats-we-face-how-we-win/id1576594336?i=1000721366067" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h3>3. America’s Foreign Military Sales Program Is A “Dumpster Fire”</h3>
I say this gently, our foreign military sales program is a dumpster fire. As a result, it takes seven years to get them javelin missiles; eight years to get them stinger, man-portable air missiles. These should take two, three years. So, part of the problem is U.S. foreign military sales and delivery. But the Taiwanese are going to do everything they can to get themselves to three, four, and eventually 5% [Defense spending] by the end of the Trump administration. So that&#8217;s a big deal. 
<h3>4. It Could Take Nine Years For American Weapons To Arrive In Taiwan</h3>
Our foreign military sales overseas are hampered by a bureaucratic process inside the Department of Defense and Department of State. They have to work together. They don&#8217;t do a great job. It&#8217;s also hampered by how we integrate with the weapons providers, like Raytheon or Lockheed Martin, and the back and forth with the host country. For example, we recently did a harpoon sale with Taiwan, an anti-ship cruise missile that&#8217;s really critical to the fight. The sale was locked and first approved in 2020. And I&#8217;d say the delivery is going to be completed by 2029, if we&#8217;re lucky. That should take two, three, four years max — not nine years. So, for military sales, we have a backed up docket with Taiwan alone of $12 billion – it was $18 billion just four years ago. This is way too much. Countries cannot rely on us for timely delivery of weapons if it takes five, seven, or nine years to get weapons.
<div id="attachment_960047" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-960047" class="size-large wp-image-960047" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2224992177-864x576.jpg" alt="KAOHSIUNG, TAIWAN - JULY 14: Taiwan President, Lai Ching-te, inspects the Han Kuang 41 exercise - Naval defensive mine-laying drill on July 14, 2025 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Taiwan. Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military exercise kicked off July 9 as the island steps up preparations against a potential invasion by China. Touted as the largest and longest iteration to date, this year’s drill will span around 10 days—roughly double the length of last year’s exercise. (Photo by Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2224992177-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2224992177-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2224992177-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2224992177.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Annabelle Chih/Getty Images</div>
<h3>5. Taiwan Must Prepare For Non-Military Attacks</h3>
Taiwan really understands that, in addition to preparing for the most likely, most dangerous scenario of a cross-strait invasion, they also have to prepare for another most likely scenario  — China attacking their societal resilience, their financial systems, their communication systems, their energy systems with diplomatic, economic, cyber and influence operations, not military attacks. While the CCP would hope to break the societal resilience of Taiwan. Taiwan has to fight that. They need to make a lot of investments in that kind of domestic resilience. And then the United States can help as well.
* * *
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-250810-member-exclusive?elementPosition=3&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Morning+Wire&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">Catch the full interview with retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery on Morning Wire.</a></h3>

Taiwan Holds Defense Drills

‘Nine Years To Get Weapons’: An American Admiral On Defending Taiwan From China

'Nine Years To Get Weapons': An American Admiral On Defending Taiwan From China

interview

Military Weapons

Morning Wire

Pentagon

U.S. Military

U.S. Navy

A new show imagines how a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would transpire — and what consequences it would have.
“Zero Day Attack” —  a 10-part series that draws its <a href="https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary/term/zero_day_attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">name</a> from a cyber attack that takes advantage of an unknown system vulnerability — premieres in Taiwan this week. The show, which is funded in part by the Taiwan Ministry of Culture, highlights <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/with-future-at-risk-taiwan-prepares-citizens-to-resist-potential-chinese-invasion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">growing concerns</a> that the country is not prepared for a war with China.
Some hope it will serve as a wake-up call to the Taiwanese public.
“Presenting such a situation (of conflict) can lead to more discussion about what we should do if it really turns into reality one day,” said Blair Yeh, a 35-year-old engineer, after watching the first episode at the Taipei premier last week.
The show’s 17-minute <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAnZdVG041Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener">preview</a>, which was released last year, depicts a multi-staged hybrid attack by China. It begins when the disappearance of a Chinese plane over Taiwanese waters prompts the People’s Liberation Army to blockade the island.
Stock markets crash, and foreign governments start to evacuate their citizens. Small-scale civil war breaks out as citizens disagree on whether to fight or accede to annexation by China. China pressures jails into releasing criminals and recruits them to serve as a “fifth column.” Utter chaos follows before Chinese troops finally land on the island, formally beginning a war.
Taiwanese producers were long unwilling to tackle the subject, fearing retaliation and boycotts from China. And apprehensions remain: more than half of the show’s crew opted to remain anonymous, and some, including a director, pulled out at the last minute.
Producer Cheng Hsin-mei told the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/nightmares-of-a-chinese-invasion-inspire-taboo-breaking-entertainment-in-taiwan-d67764d9?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wall Street Journal</a> that she conceived “Zero Day” years ago, but felt the social climate wasn’t right at the time. She says the war in Ukraine pushed her to bring the show to air.
“On the surface, Taiwanese people may not seem to feel the threat, but in reality, that fear exists,” she said of a shift in the public psyche.
The premiere comes as China sends increased signals that it is preparing to attack the island, which it considers its own territory. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth <a href="https://theweek.com/news/world-news/asia-pacific/954343/what-would-happen-china-attempt-invade-taiwan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at the 2025 Shangri-la Dialogue Defense Summit that a Chinese invasion of the island “could be imminent.”
Per the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, the United States is committed to providing arms for Taiwan to defend itself against possible attacks from China. However, it does not require the United States to use force on Taiwan’s behalf.
Nevertheless, the United States and 19 allied countries are conducting joint <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/papering-over-strains-us-allies-prep-taiwan-war-2025-07-25/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">military exercises</a> in the Pacific to build military readiness and to serve as a deterrent for Chinese aggression, in what are “the largest and most sophisticated military drills held in the Pacific since the end of World War Two.”
Speaking at the summit, Hegseth <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c071xm4x7g7o" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affirmed</a> that “We do not seek to dominate or strangle China, to encircle or provoke. We do not seek regime change… but we must ensure that China cannot dominate us or our allies and partners.”
“We will not be pushed out of this critical region,” he added.
“Zero Day Attack” will begin streaming for American audiences on Amazon Prime on August 15, the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II.

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