TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Mainland Affairs Council hosted a forum on cross-strait relations Tuesday at the Shangri-La Far Eastern Plaza Hotel in Taipei, featuring a keynote speech by National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), per CNA.
The conference, titled “US-China Strategic Competition in 2025: Implications for China and Cross-Strait Relations,” examined developments in China’s domestic politics, economy, and governance, as well as its foreign policy, regional security posture, and cross-strait relations.
The event was organized by National Chengchi University’s Institute for International Relations and featured remarks by Wu and presentations by both domestic and overseas scholars.
Wu warned that China’s increasingly frequent and hostile military exercises near Taiwan are a “warning sign” that could foreshadow a clash or escalation. He said China’s expansionist ambitions extend beyond Taiwan to the East China Sea and South China Sea, creating regional tensions and threatening global stability.
“China’s expansionism is not limited to Taiwan,” Wu said. “Its military activities now extend beyond the first island chain, posing a broader challenge to the international community.”
Wu added that Taiwan faces constant “gray-zone” coercion from China, including cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and infiltration operations. He said Beijing uses cognitive warfare to influence Taiwan’s elections and undermine trust between the government and its people, political parties, and allies such as the US.
One recent example, Wu said, involves China’s use of open-source intelligence and artificial intelligence tools to create offensive narratives targeting Taiwanese individuals and companies. These efforts often involve data breaches and financial incentives for sharing personal information, aiming to spread fear and distrust.
Wu emphasized that democratic allies have recognized Taiwan’s expertise in countering hybrid warfare and seek to learn from its experience. “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger,” he said.
Among the invited speakers was Walter Russell Mead, professor at the Hamilton Center at the University of Florida. Mead predicted that US President Donald Trump would maintain a consistent stance on Taiwan, while Chinese leader Xi Jinping would claim progress in cross-strait relations without achieving substantive results, per Liberty Times.
He said Trump’s diplomatic style relies on maintaining “drama” and keeping himself at the center of attention. Regarding a potential Trump–Xi meeting, he said the outcome is difficult to predict. “Trump loves power and wants to surround himself with powerful people, but he will never concede anything that undermines the US position,” he said.
Mead warned that the Taiwan issue extends beyond semiconductors, noting that China’s influence campaign could reshape politics across the region, affecting countries such as the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea. He added that Trump is unlikely to make concessions to Beijing on this matter.
