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Taiwan International Strategic Study Society

Taiwan International Strategic Study Society
The latest news and top stories on the Taiwan International Strategic Study Society (TISSS). A Taipei-based non-profit think tank, TISSS is dedicated to strategic studies. Its main areas of focus include analysing geopolitical developments impacting Taiwan, cross-strait relations, defence and international affairs.
A Taiwanese Army M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars) is positioned near the island’s western coast during a live-fire training exercise in Taichung on June 10. Photo: AFP
Taiwan

Too few troops, too much tech: Taiwan’s demographic crisis forces reform

Revamped 14-day call-up programme is meant to offset shrinking pool of recruits, but willingness to fight is another matter, analysts say.

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Taiwan

How a prize-winning Taiwanese novel could stoke Beijing’s worries over history

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Taiwan

Will turmoil around former leader Ma Ying-jeou affect Taiwan’s local elections?

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Taiwan

Taiwan whiplash? How Trump’s blunt warning collides with a historic call offer

Plan to discuss US$14 billion arms package with island’s leader would anger Beijing and raise questions about US policy, analysts say.

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US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One on the way back from Beijing on May 15. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
2026 Xi-Trump summits

Why is Beijing on a stronger footing to discuss Taiwan with Trump this time?

The US president ‘needs China’s cooperation on multiple fronts’, Beijing-based analyst says.

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2026 Xi-Trump summits

Did US pressure before Xi-Trump summit force KMT hand on Taiwan’s defence budget?

Taiwan’s main opposition parties have cleared special defence budget bill after months of fractious debate and infighting.

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Taiwan

Is it wrong to show Taiwan officers a WWII film about KMT forces fighting Japan?

Battalion commander’s screening stirs debate over Beijing’s state-led messaging to sway opinions on the self-ruled island.

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Wellington Koo, Taiwan’s defence minister, has pledged a review of the island’s oversight mechanisms, including stricter vetting of teaching materials. Photo: Reuters
Taiwan

Could thousands of US ‘hellscape’ drone boats mess with PLA plans for Taiwan?

Maybe, analysts say, but there are big barriers to fielding the uncrewed vessels on the scale needed.

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Taiwan

Taiwan warned of widening ‘resilience gap’ in civil defences

Island vulnerable to panic should real-world crisis happen ‘because we are unprepared’, security scholar says.

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Taiwan

Trade, travel and TV: Taiwan industries hail Beijing’s 10-point economic package

Measures spark hopes for hard-hit sectors in possible KMT poll boost, but ruling DPP warns about economic access as a ‘political tool’.

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Kuomintang chairwoman Cheng Li-wun arrives in Shanghai on April 7 to begin a six-day trip to the mainland. Photo: AP
Taiwan

Does Iran’s wartime resilience offer any lessons for Taiwan?

The recent conflict has raised questions about whether the island could keep fighting if its air defences were targeted by the PLA.

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Taiwan’s stocks of expensive Patriot missiles could quickly run out in hte event of a sustained aerial assault. Photo: AFP
Taiwan

Will Cheng Li-wun’s meeting with Xi Jinping temper cross-strait ties?

It largely depends on Cheng’s Kuomintang regaining power in Taiwan, analysts say.

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Taiwan

Names and games: Taipei hits back over ‘China’ label, but will it pay off?

Taiwan retaliates against countries that have changed its name in official systems, but analysts and lawmakers warn measures could backfire.

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Taiwan

Can Taiwan fulfil Asia-Pacific drone hub goal with ‘non-red’ supply chain push?

Plan is to invest US$1.38 billion between 2025 and 2030 for uncrewed systems industry, but questions linger over scale, politics and timing.

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A Mighty Hornet IV high-speed attack drone, developed jointly by Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology and US-based Kratos Defence and Security Solutions, is displayed at the Taipei Aerospace and Defence Technology Exhibition on September 18, 2025. Photo: AFP
Taiwan

Could Taiwan’s military continue to fight after an Iran-like decapitation?

Analysts and officials in Taipei are assessing what lessons they can learn from the US-Israel precision strikes on the Iranian leadership.

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Iran’s capacity to absorb the loss of its top leadership, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is being closely studied by military strategists in Taiwan. Photo: Reuters
Taiwan

What does Marco Rubio’s ‘unleash Chiang’ threat against Iran actually mean?

US secretary of state’s invocation of Cold War expression stirs unexpected debate in Taiwan.

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Taiwan

Taiwan is buying expensive US weapons systems, but are they the right ones?

The pricey arms packages are already facing legislative pushback. Now critics say they may be addressing the wrong threat.

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What does Taiwanese leader William Lai’s rare ‘mainland China’ reference mean?

Analysts cite pressure from Washington ahead of Donald Trump’s Beijing summit with Xi Jinping, where Taiwan is likely to be a focal point.

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Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has frequently referred to “China” rather than “mainland China” since taking office in 2024. Photo: AFP
Taiwan

How Trump’s Beijing bargaining could derail Taiwan’s defence budget

US leader’s talk of consulting Xi Jinping on arms sales could hand Taiwan’s opposition a ‘lifeline’ to reshape spending bill, experts say.

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Taiwan

Taiwan wants an effective reserve force. Will live-fire drills do the job?

Challenges in forging conscripts into fighting force range from inadequate training facilities to eroding public will to defend the island.

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Taiwan

Will US exit from world bodies deal fresh blow to Taiwan’s global profile push?

Opposition lawmakers fear the island’s international space will shrink still further without Washington’s voice in dozens of global bodies.

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President Donald Trump’s order to withdraw the United States from multiple UN and other international organisations has caused consternation in Taiwan. Illustration: Reuters
Taiwan

F-16 fighter crash brings fresh scrutiny to Taiwan’s ageing military equipment

Opposition politicians frame incident as readiness problem created by high operational tempo, ageing airframes and slow equipment delivery.

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A single-seat F-16V fighter jet belonging to Hualien Air Force Base in Taiwan crashed off the coast of Hualien this week while conducting a routine night training mission. It has drawn attention to the maintenance and upgrade of the island’s military equipment. Photo: Handout
Taiwan

Taiwan draft dodging concerns highlight growing unease over military service

Rise in cases since military service term was extended follows a poll that showed an increased reluctance to die in defence of island.

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Taiwan

What will Beijing’s next 5-year plan mean for Taiwan?

Mainland China’s economic blueprint is expected to promote cross-strait economic integration, especially in hi-tech industries.

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Taiwan

‘Treated like servants’: Taiwan on edge as US tariff deadline passes

With time running out, speculation is growing that the island could face duties of at least 25 per cent, far higher than hoped.

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Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te holds a late-night video conference with the island’s trade negotiation team in the United States on Monday. Washington has unveiled a first batch of 14 trade partners, most facing tariffs between 25 and 40 per cent, with Taiwan was notably absent from the list. Photo: Presidential Office
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