Central News Agency: Former White House Political Director: U.S.-Taiwan Security Partnership Should Not Be Weakened

The following is the English translation of an article originally published in the Central News Agency. See the original article here: https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aipl/202510080144.aspx?utm

October 8, 2025, 12:33 p.m. (Updated 1:11 p.m.)

The Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR) held the 2025 Taipei Security Dialogue on October 8, inviting former White House Political Director and American Conservative Union (ACU) Chairman Matt Schlapp to deliver a keynote address. Schlapp stated that the people of Taiwan should understand that the United States seeks to strengthen U.S.-Taiwan relations and that the U.S.-Taiwan security partnership must not be weakened. He emphasized that former President Donald Trump recognizes himself as an ally in this fight.

Schlapp, who served as White House Political Director under President George W. Bush from

2003 to 2005 and has chaired the ACU since 2014, said he is concerned about the current state of U.S. Taiwan relations. He noted that due to the influence of U.S. media and foreign propaganda, many Americans no longer view Taiwan as a strong ally worthy of support, while Taiwanese audiences have been misled into believing that Trump no longer considers Taiwan important and focuses only on domestic American interests.

However, Schlapp stressed that the American and Taiwanese people share common values—freedom, trade, technology, and security. He said it is important for Taiwanese citizens to understand that Americans are skeptical of globalists and do not believe that the Chinese Communist Party prioritizes the welfare of its people, which is why the U.S. and Taiwan have every reason to stand together on the same front.

Regarding a potential return of Trump to the White House, Schlapp explained that the Trump

administration identified the Chinese Communist Party as an existential threat to freedom, free

trade, and prosperity, though this did not mean Trump sought war with Beijing. Rather, he believed that “peace through strength” remains effective, and Taiwan should understand that the U.S. aims to strengthen bilateral relations and that the U.S.-Taiwan security partnership must not be weakened.

During the event’s opening remarks, INDSR Chairman Arthur Y. S. Haur stated that as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East continue, causing humanitarian crises, economic shocks, and regional instability, these conflicts serve as a stark reminder that “peace is never taken for granted” and must be actively preserved through global cooperation.

Haur further warned that the Indo-Pacific region faces grave challenges, noting that under Xi Jinping’s leadership, China has become more repressive domestically and aggressive abroad, using military coercion, economic pressure, cyberattacks, disinformation, and hybrid threats to destabilize Taiwan and the region. He described China’s growing alignment with other authoritarian regimes as forming an “axis of turmoil” that expands instability across the Indo-Pacific.

He added that Taiwan stands at the center of this challenge—as a key strategic point in the first island chain, home to the world’s most advanced semiconductor industry, and a beacon of democratic values. Any conflict in the Taiwan Strait, he warned, would not be a regional crisis but a global one: “If Taiwan is in crisis, the world is in crisis.”

Haur concluded that Taiwan continues to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and is mobilizing society through the National Resilience Commission to build all-of-society defense capacity. Taiwan, he said, is deepening cooperation with like-minded partners such as the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India not to provoke conflict but to build deterrence strength. Only through unity and integrated deterrence can peace, democracy, and stability be maintained.