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America’s narrative on Taiwan needs an update

Brookings | 2026-02-22 | diplomacy

Topics: AI, China, Indo-Pacific, Middle East, Nuclear, Russia, Taiwan, Trade, Ukraine, United States

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English Summary

The article argues that the U.S. must update its narrative on Taiwan, moving away from viewing the island as a 'strategic liability' or a single point of failure for the global economy. It highlights that Taiwan's hardware is the irreplaceable backbone of America's AI ambitions and that conflict with China is not inevitable if a credible military deterrent is maintained. The proposed policy shift emphasizes a middle path: preserving the status quo to allow for an eventual non-coercive resolution while grounding U.S. support in calculated self-interest rather than ideological charity.

中文摘要

本文主張美國必須更新其對台論述,不再將台灣視為「戰略負擔」或全球經濟的單點故障。文中強調,台灣的硬體實力是美國人工智慧(AI)雄心不可或缺的支柱,且若能維持具公信力的軍事威懾,與中國的衝突並非不可避免。擬議的政策轉向強調一條中間路線:維持現狀以尋求最終的非脅迫性解決方案,同時將美國的支持立基於精確計算的自身利益,而非意識形態的慈善行為。

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