Cross-strait crossroads: Pathways for America’s Taiwan policy

As the security environment in the Taiwan Strait grows increasingly contested, policymakers face mounting questions about whether U.S. policy toward Taiwan and cross-strait relations remains fit for purpose. To examine this question, the Brookings Institution and RAND’s China Research Center co-hosted workshops with leading experts to consider a range of future policy pathways. Through a series of workshops and policy briefs, experts explored: U.S. priorities on Taiwan; options for limiting U.S. commitments while expanding Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities; options for calibrating diplomacy to stabilize cross-strait dynamics; the merits and risks of a more active denial strategy; and the feasibility and consequences of a policy shift toward strategic clarity.

On March 23, the Center for Asia Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution and RAND’s China Research Center co-hosted a fireside conversation with a panel of experts encompassing four of the five paper authors for the launch of this new series, Cross-strait crossroads: Pathways for America’s Taiwan policy. They discussed various policy pathways presented in the papers and the varied perspectives on U.S. Taiwan policy. Panelists examined how these options could shape U.S. deterrence posture, Taiwan’s political environment, Beijing’s strategic calculus, and the broader Indo-Pacific security landscape.