Taipei: U.S. experts have voiced their support in recent days for Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's approach to protecting Taiwan in the face of China's annexation threat.
According to Focus Taiwan, John Dotson, deputy director of the Global Taiwan Institute, stated that Lai's assertion that China seeks to annex Taiwan is accurate and reflects Beijing's increasingly aggressive behavior towards that end. Dotson emphasized that Taiwan's national security institutions face a severe espionage problem. He applauded Lai's recent call to revive military tribunals to address the issue in the military as a harsh but necessary measure.
Dotson cautioned that dealing with broader societal infiltration through United Front measures, referring to the Chinese Communist Party's influence operations, is more complex. He stressed the need for a frank public discussion on how Beijing attempts to exploit Taiwan's freedoms to end those very freedoms.
Craig Singleton, senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, agreed with Dotson's views, noting that Beijing uses influence operations, infiltration, and economic leverage to weaken Taiwan from within. Singleton argued that Lai's remarks highlight a growing recognition that these covert efforts are as destabilizing as military threats.
Singleton further explained that the reinstatement of military trials and stricter counter-infiltration measures indicate a more proactive national security posture. He clarified that these moves are about deterrence and resilience, not provocation.
Raymond Greene, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, stated at the 2025 Yushan Forum that Taiwan faces a destabilizing military, economic, and diplomatic pressure campaign from China. He expressed that President Lai's initiative to crack down on longstanding Chinese espionage and influence operations will enhance the ability to cooperate with Taiwan, particularly in bolstering the country's self-defense capabilities and societal resilience.
Joseph Bosco, fellow at the Institute for Corea-America Studies, agreed with President Lai's assessment of China as a hostile force, adding that China is also hostile to the U.S. and the free world. Bosco asserted that the Chinese Communist Party views virtually everything as a provocation, including Taiwan's very existence as an independent, democratic country.