ThinkTankWeekly

The Free World Needs Taiwan

Foreign Affairs | 2026-02-04 | china_indopacific

Topics: China, Taiwan

Visit original source

ThinkTankWeekly provides a curated entry and summary only. Full text and PDF remain on the publisher's website.

English Summary

The article argues that Taiwan is a critical asset for the global 'free world,' deriving its value from both its democratic institutions and its strategic geopolitical position. Key evidence cited includes its 30-year history of free and transparent elections, its robust civil society, and its consistent ranking as a democracy. For policy, the analysis implies that recognizing and supporting Taiwan's democratic model and strategic importance is essential for maintaining stability and countering authoritarian influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

中文摘要

本文論述台灣對於全球「自由世界」而言是一項關鍵資產,其價值源自於其民主制度和戰略地緣政治地位。文中所引用的關鍵證據包括其長達三十年的自由透明選舉歷史、穩健的公民社會,以及持續的民主國家排名。從政策層面分析來看,本文暗示了承認並支持台灣的民主模式及其戰略重要性,對於維持印太地區的穩定和抵禦威權主義影響至關重要。

Related Entries

  1. 1.
    2026-09-18 | health | 2026-W38 | Topics: AI, China, United States

    The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC serves as a critical warning that the global health security system is fundamentally unprepared for future biological threats. The difficulty in containing this outbreak is compounded by the rising risk of emerging pathogens and the growing potential for AI misuse in bioweapon development. Policy must therefore shift from reactive, crisis-driven funding to sustained, proactive investment in resilient public health infrastructure, particularly in conflict zones. Addressing this requires strengthening global surveillance, ensuring consistent international cooperation, and mitigating the intersection of conflict, climate change, and disease spread.

    Read at Foreign Affairs

  2. 2.
    2026-09-18 | defense | 2026-W38 | Topics: Europe, Middle East, NATO, Nuclear, Russia, Ukraine, United States

    The article argues that modern conflicts are increasingly defined by attrition, driven by three strategic gaps: the difference between nominal military power and usable capacity; the difficulty of achieving breakthroughs in a technologically advanced battlefield; and the detachment of military means from clear political objectives. Evidence from Ukraine and the Middle East demonstrates that sustained logistics, rapid technological adaptation, and proxy networks are now more decisive than sheer military size. For policymakers, this implies a strategic shift away from seeking short, decisive victories toward preparing for prolonged, high-cost engagements, requiring a focus on sustainable supply chains and defining concrete, attainable political end-states.

    Read at Foreign Affairs

  3. 3.
    2026-09-18 | economy | 2026-W38 | Topics: China, Middle East, Russia, Trade, Ukraine, United States

    Congress has significantly expanded presidential tariff authority by passing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, allowing the executive to impose up to 100% tariffs on key buyers of Russian energy and sanctions enablers. The article argues that this legislation represents a dangerous abdication of Congress's Article I authority, as it grants the executive vast, discretionary power without specifying criteria for enforcement. Historically, the executive could claim tariffs were its own doing; however, by writing and passing this new authority, Congress now owns the resulting trade policy and its economic consequences. This shift implies that future tariffs will be viewed by the public as a direct legislative action, potentially undermining the administration's credibility and creating political vulnerability.

    Read at CATO

  4. 4.
    2026-09-17 | economy | 2026-W38 | Topics: Middle East, Russia, Trade, United States

    Cuba is on a trajectory toward an accelerating state and economic collapse, risking a point of no return. The state is deteriorating into "authoritarian anarchy," retaining its capacity for political repression but losing the ability to provide basic public services like health and safety. Economically, while the private sector is growing, this expansion is highly unequal, fueling cronyism and widening class gaps between the elite and the poor. If the current trend continues, the country risks calcifying these defects into a dysfunctional baseline, severely diminishing the chances of a stable, democratic transition.

    Read at Foreign Affairs

  5. 5.
    2026-09-17 | china_indopacific | 2026-W38 | Topics: China, Europe, Russia, Trade

    The article argues that China's ongoing purges are not signs of weakness, but rather a sophisticated, historically rooted process of 'rectification' that strengthens the CCP's grip on power. This mechanism requires cadres to submit mandatory self-criticisms and build permanent, detailed personnel files (dossiers). This system of record-keeping is the CCP's primary source of resilience, creating profound, internalized discipline that controls internal dissent. Policymakers must recognize that the regime's durability stems from this deep internal control mechanism, making succession—rather than internal purges—the ultimate strategic vulnerability.

    Read at Foreign Affairs