Rather than strengthening Taiwan, US demands for market access, technology investment, and defense capabilities are deepening political polarization and eroding the island’s ability to build consensus just when it needs it most. The timing could hardly be worse.
TAIPEI—Despite decades of diplomatic isolation and sustained pressure from China, Taiwan has built a prosperous democracy, posting a staggering 13.72% economic growth rate in the first half of 2026—the highest of any advanced economy. For more than 70 years, Chinese coercion has been Taiwan’s defining external threat. Yet now, many Taiwanese increasingly see a different, more immediate danger from an unpredictable and transactional United States.