The US-Taiwan relationship is stronger than the headlines suggest

There has been much handwringing recently about the state of the U.S.-Taiwan relationship in the wake of President Donald Trump’s comments about arms sales to Taiwan and broader questions about the future direction of U.S. policy toward the island. Some observers point to polls suggesting that Taiwan is losing faith in U.S. commitments to support Taiwan’s self-defense, while others contend that recent U.S. rhetoric and policy signals have raised doubts about the overall health of the relationship. These concerns warrant careful consideration. Yet they present only part of the picture. While public confidence may fluctuate in response to political events and official statements, and while some degree of uncertainty is inherent in any security relationship, the broader evidence suggests that the U.S.-Taiwan relationship is not only holding steady but flourishing. Indeed, measured by the depth and breadth of cooperation across multiple sectors, the relationship is arguably stronger today than at any time since the United States changed diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.

Recent surveys indicating that some Taiwanese have become less confident in the United States should therefore be interpreted with caution. Polling captures public perceptions at a particular moment, but it provides only a partial measure of the health of the bilateral relationship. As recent analyses by scholars at Stanford University and the Brookings Institution have argued, the substance of the relationship tells a different story. Bipartisan support for Taiwan in Washington remains exceptionally strong, American public attitudes toward Taiwan continue to be favorable, and cooperation in defense, trade, technology, and regional security has reached unprecedented levels. Rather than indicating a weakening partnership, fluctuations in Taiwan’s public confidence should be seen in the context of this increasingly institutionalized and strategically significant relationship.

Having observed the U.S.-Taiwan relationship over more than four decades, I believe many current assessments underestimate how fundamentally the relationship has changed over time. It has evolved from one centered largely on unofficial relations and arms sales into a comprehensive partnership spanning security, trade, technology, global governance, education and civil society.

An unprecedented level of security cooperation

The Taiwan Relations Act continues to provide the unique legal foundation for the U.S.-Taiwan relationship by committing the United States to “make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability.” Over the past several years, however, U.S. support has expanded well beyond the traditional approach of periodic arms sales.

Today, U.S. military personnel are engaged in more extensive training, planning, and consultations with their Taiwanese counterparts than at any previous point in the unofficial relationship. Cooperation now includes training in asymmetric warfare, reserve force reform, logistics, command and control, and civil defense, complemented by growing collaboration on indigenous defense production. Taiwan, for its part, has substantially increased defense spending and has announced plans to raise defense expenditures to 5% of GDP by 2030.

Taken together, these developments represent a remarkable evolution in the security relationship. What was once largely limited to arms transfers has become a broad, institutionalized partnership encompassing training, planning, technology, logistics, and long-term defense reform.

A deepening economic and technology partnership

The strength of the economic relationship is equally evident. The rapid growth of artificial intelligence has dramatically increased demand for Taiwan’s semiconductors and other advanced technologies, helping propel Taiwan to become the United States’ fourth-largest trading partner, up from eighth only a few years ago. Taiwanese investment in the United States has likewise surged, highlighted by TSMC’s historic commitment to invest $265 billion in semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Arizona.

Beyond the growing trade and investment, the United States and Taiwan have established an increasingly sophisticated framework for economic cooperation. The U.S.-Taiwan Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue, launched in 2020; the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade, initiated in 2022; and the recently concluded Agreement on Reciprocal Trade have significantly broadened bilateral engagement. These initiatives, together with expanding cooperation on supply chain resilience, critical technologies, and investment screening, demonstrate that the economic relationship is becoming more established and strategically important. Reflecting this momentum, the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan continues to report strong business confidence and expanding investment plans among its members.

From bilateral partnership to global partnership

The relationship has also progressed well beyond traditional bilateral cooperation through the remarkable success of the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF). Initially established by the United States and Taiwan in 2015, and later joined by Japan, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, the GCTF was designed to be a multilateral platform for Taiwan to cooperate with regional experts on issues where Taiwan has demonstrated expertise. The GCTF has since become one of the most successful examples of Taiwan’s meaningful international engagement.

The GCTF workshops have addressed a wide range of global challenges, including public health, pandemic response, disaster relief, women’s economic empowerment, digital governance, cybersecurity, media literacy, energy security, law enforcement, humanitarian assistance, and supply chain resilience. Thousands of officials and experts from well over 100 countries have participated in these programs, benefiting from Taiwan’s expertise while strengthening international networks of cooperation.

The GCTF represents a significant evolution in the U.S.-Taiwan relationship. It shows that Taiwan is not simply a recipient of international support but an active contributor to solving global challenges. By working together to provide international public goods, the United States and Taiwan have transformed their partnership from one focused primarily on Taiwan’s security into one that advances shared interests across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

A whole-of-society relationship

Perhaps the greatest source of resilience in the U.S.-Taiwan relationship is in its extraordinary people-to-people ties. As two democracies sharing a commitment to freedom, the rule of law, and open societies, the United States and Taiwan have developed a relationship that extends far beyond governments. Though public attention often centers on security issues and cross-Strait tensions, the relationship today rests upon a broad foundation of educational, cultural, commercial, scientific, and family connections that has expanded steadily over the past 40 years.

Educational exchanges remain among the strongest pillars of the relationship. Tens of thousands of Taiwanese have studied at American universities, with many returning to become leaders in government, business, and academia. At the same time, increasing numbers of American students—leery of studying in the mainland and attracted by Taiwan’s democratic society, vibrant culture, and outstanding Chinese-language programs—are choosing Taiwan as a preferred destination for language study and academic exchange. Indeed, Taiwan today hosts one of the world’s largest bilateral Fulbright academic exchange programs, that includes more than 100 American English teaching assistants serving in local schools across Taiwan each year.

Travel and tourism further reinforce these ties. The large Taiwanese-American community, together with the many Americans who have lived, worked, studied, or served in Taiwan, has created enduring personal relationships across the Pacific. Taiwan’s participation in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program has made travel easier than ever, and expanding air services have facilitated business travel, tourism, educational exchanges, and family visits. Travel from Taiwan to the United States was up about 18% from January-April 2026, and the island remains our number one per capita source of foreign students.

Business, scientific, and technological cooperation extend these connections even further. American and Taiwanese companies collaborate extensively in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, and other cutting-edge industries. Universities, research institutions, and laboratories conduct joint research on issues ranging from public health to emerging technologies. Meanwhile, sister-city relationships, state-level partnerships, civic organizations, think tanks, and religious and professional associations continue to strengthen cooperation at every level of society.

These people-to-people relationships give the U.S.-Taiwan partnership a remarkable degree of resilience. Governments and policies change, and public opinion inevitably fluctuates. But relationships built through education, business, technology collaboration, and shared democratic values tend to last. They create constituencies in both societies for continued cooperation and provide a durable foundation for the future.

Conclusion

None of this is to suggest that recent polling should be ignored. Public confidence matters, and concerns voiced by the Taiwanese public deserve genuine attention. Yet polling offers only a snapshot of sentiment at a given moment. A fuller understanding requires looking at the broader trajectory of the relationship. By that measure, the evidence points strongly in the opposite direction. Security cooperation has reached record levels, economic integration continues to deepen, and the United States and Taiwan are increasingly working together to tackle global challenges.

At the same time, the extensive network of educational, commercial, scientific, cultural, and family ties between the United States and Taiwan continues to grow. The U.S.-Taiwan relationship today has become a whole-of-society relationship, built not only on shared strategic interests but also on shared democratic values and countless personal connections. Those enduring bonds provide a depth and resilience that short-term shifts in public opinion cannot capture. Far from weakening, the U.S.-Taiwan relationship remains one of America’s strongest and most comprehensive partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.