Episode 109: Taiwan’s Strategic Balancing Act Amid US-China Tensions

Taiwan is facing rising Chinese pressure and increasingly uncertain US backing. As cross-strait tensions intensify, the central question for Taipei is whether it can maintain its delicate status quo.

In this episode of Global Security Briefing, Neil Melvin is joined by Dr Philip Shetler-Jones, Senior Research Fellow for Indo-Pacific Security at RUSI, to discuss Taiwan’s strategic outlook following the Taipei Security Dialogue.

The discussion explores:

- China’s evolving strategy towards Taiwan, from military build-up to grey zone coercion.

- The state of US policy under President Trump and its implications for deterrence.

- How Taiwan’s government and society are responding to growing uncertainty.

- The prospects for maintaining the cross-strait status quo amid intensifying geopolitical rivalry.