TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) on Thursday rejected suggestions that Taiwan lacks the will to resist a potential takeover by China.
Wu’s remarks came after the US magazine The Atlantic published an article titled “Will Taiwan Just Give Up?” It questions the country’s resolve to face down Chinese political and military threats.
The article has also drawn criticism online, including claims of inaccuracies and unfamiliarity with Taiwan and China.
Wu called the article's premise flawed. “It’s a mistake to assume that Taiwan doesn’t have the will to defend itself. With more investment, better equipment, tougher training & realistic exercises, the will has never been stronger,” Wu responded in English on X.
At the Taipei Security Dialogue dinner the previous night, he emphasized that Taiwan “will never abandon ourselves” and “surrender has never been an option,” per CTS News.
National security officials cited by CTS pointed to a long-running poll by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research. It commissioned the Election Study Center at National Chengchi University to track public attitudes beginning in September 2021.
In a March 2025 survey cited by the officials, 41% of respondents said they were “very willing” to fight to defend Taiwan, and 25% said they were “somewhat willing,” for a combined 66%. CTS reported that according to seven surveys since 2021, the share of people “willing” to defend the country has hovered around 70%, despite escalating Chinese military threats and shifts in US politics.
Wu’s comments came after Taiwan hosted the Taipei Security Dialogue on Wednesday. The annual gathering of defense and security experts focused this year on regional security, deterrence, emerging technology, and resilience against gray-zone threats.
At the event, Wu warned that Chinese pressure has spread across the entire First Island Chain, with Taiwan at the center. However, he insisted that Taipei is strengthening both defense capabilities and societal resilience while deepening cooperation with like-minded democracies.
The Atlantic article by Simon Shuster, published earlier this week, is subtitled, “The Taiwanese don’t trust Trump, and they don’t believe America will come to their defense. A deal with China is starting to look inevitable.” The article features KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) and describes her April trip to China, where she met CCP leader Xi Jinping.
Shuster suggested that Cheng and the CCP are aligned on Taiwan’s future: “Cheng told me that she did not ask Xi to ease up on the military threats. Their talks focused instead on a plan for Taiwan to drop its claim to independence, stop preparing for war, and move toward reconciliation with the mainland.”
