On expansive minds November 17, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) convened a specialized, high-level seminar in Washington. The day’s discussions underscored Taiwan’s increasingly complex security dynamics in light of China’s escalating coercive tactics. With a lineup of top experts and movers and shakers, including retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery and J.P. Together, they brainstormed ideas to reinforce Taiwan’s own defensive posture.
FDD’s Craig Singleton, in tandem with Politico’s Phelim Kine, took to the airwaves to do the same. Jointly, they unpacked the conversations surrounding the changing geopolitical environment affecting Taiwan. The seminar provided a platform for these speakers to share insights and engage in dialogue about the implications of Chinese strategies for Taiwan unification.
This past July, FDD hosted a dynamic and thought-provoking tabletop exercise with a major Taiwanese university. The simulation scenario targeted tactics the Chinese might take to reunify Taiwan. Importantly, the exercise took place under heavy constraints, banning the use of any kinetic force. This immersive approach gave participants the space to consider high-level, strategic responses to worst- and best-case scenarios without the hard pressure of impending military action.
The lessons learned throughout the seminar and the tabletop exercise are extremely beneficial. They illuminate for us not only Taiwan’s situation but what it means more broadly for regional security. Diplomatic discussions spotlight the need for joint action by American institutions and their Taiwanese counterparts on these urgent issues.
National Photo Gallery FDD took a number of powerful and moving photos during the seminar. View the gallery online here. These stunning visuals by the National Geographic Society are a great tonic to the prevailing negativity about Taiwan and China’s increasingly tangled ties.