◎ Wang Pinhan
From "bilateral internalization" to "international security agenda"
In late September 2026, as the talks between the US and Chinese heads of state in Washington came to an end, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs once again reiterated its "opposition to Taiwan independence" and asked the US to "handle the Taiwan issue prudently" in an attempt to place the Taiwan issue within the "internal affairs" framework defined by Beijing, as well as the US-China bilateral relations. However, the series of international diplomatic developments before and after the Trump-Xi meeting revealed another increasingly clear phenomenon: peace in the Taiwan Strait is no longer just a cross-strait issue, but has gradually become a part of the international security and economic agenda.
A series of international diplomatic developments before and after the Trump-Xi meeting showed that peace in the Taiwan Strait is no longer just a cross-strait issue, but a part of the international security and economic agenda. (AFP file photo) The core signals conveyed by intensive diplomatic statements On the eve of the Trump-Xi meeting, two important diplomatic signals appeared during the United Nations General Assembly. On September 22, the foreign ministers of the United States, Japan, and South Korea issued a joint statement reiterating the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, opposing any unilateral attempts to change the status quo, and supporting Taiwan's meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations. Two days later, the foreign ministers and high-level representatives of Australia, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, South Korea and the United Kingdom also issued a joint statement emphasizing the importance of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and opposing any unilateral changes in the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. In addition, more than 60 U.S. senators and representatives across party lines have publicly expressed support for Taiwan. In its official response after the Trump-Xi meeting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs specifically juxtaposed these international statements with the positions of the U.S. Congress, highlighting that peace in the Taiwan Strait has become an issue of continued concern to many governments and Congresses.
Three key changes in the "internationalization" of Taiwan Strait issues. These intensive diplomatic signals have revealed at least three changes worthy of Taiwanese society's attention:
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First, peace across the Taiwan Strait is gradually being put into the discussion framework of global security, economy and supply chain resilience.
In the past, Beijing has often argued that the Taiwan issue is purely China's internal affair and has tried to portray the international community's concerns over the Taiwan Strait as external interference. However, judging from recent statements, major countries are not only concerned about the political stance of the two sides, but also the impact of peace in the Taiwan Strait on Indo-Pacific security, global economy and supply chain stability. The eight-nation statement more directly pointed out that the security, peace and prosperity of Europe and the Indo-Pacific region are increasingly interconnected.
Secondly, "opposing unilateral changes to the status quo" is becoming an important common language used by the international community in dealing with Taiwan Strait issues.
This does not mean that all countries have the same position on Taiwan's political status, nor does it mean that the foreign policies of all countries are completely consistent; but it at least shows one thing: peace and status quo across the Taiwan Strait are no longer issues that can be defined unilaterally. When the United States, Japan, and South Korea, as well as eight European and Indo-Pacific countries have publicly expressed the same core concerns, Beijing wants to completely close the Taiwan Strait issue within its own defined bilateral framework, and the international space it faces is naturally limited.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (from left), U.S. Secretary of State Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi issued a joint statement reiterating the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. (European Press Agency file photo) Finally, whether international declarations can be transformed into actual deterrence still depends on Taiwan’s own defense resilience.
Diplomatic support is important, but without adequate defense capabilities to maintain the normal functioning of society, international statements are ultimately just political signals. In 2026, Taiwan's overall defense expenditure calculated according to NATO standards will reach NT$949.5 billion, accounting for 3.32% of GDP, including the Ministry of National Defense's budget, maritime patrol expenditures, and retirement benefits for retired officers and soldiers. The Ministry of National Defense also lists communications security, joint command and control, and strategic materials and ammunition reserves as priorities for strengthening resilience.
Conclusion:
Defense resilience supports diplomatic consensus. This also means that diplomacy and defense are actually two aspects of the same strategy. Diplomacy allows international partners to see the importance of peace across the Taiwan Strait, and defense resilience gives this concern substantial support. When Taiwan can continue to strengthen its self-defense, critical infrastructure, and the resilience of society as a whole, it will be easier for international partners' diplomatic statements to be transformed into long-term cooperation.
The Trump-Xi meeting itself may create a new rhythm of interaction in U.S.-China relations, but it does not make the Taiwan Strait issue disappear from the international agenda. On the contrary, before and after this high-level meeting, the United States, Japan, and South Korea, as well as eight European and Indo-Pacific countries, successively made public statements on the peace and status quo in the Taiwan Strait, showing that security in the Taiwan Strait is interconnected with broader regional security and global economic interests. The list of facts released by the White House after the Trump-Xi meeting did not even mention Taiwan, while the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meeting notes talked about Taiwan at length. This difference in presentation itself also reflects the complexity of Taiwan Strait issues in the U.S.-China bilateral framework.
Therefore, what Taiwan really needs to grasp is not just the number of statements "supporting peace across the Taiwan Strait" from the international community, but how to gradually transform these diplomatic consensuses into more stable security cooperation, supply chain resilience, and international participation. Beijing may still hope to lock Taiwan issues within the cross-strait and US-China bilateral frameworks, but reality has shown that peace across the Taiwan Strait no longer affects only the two sides. As more and more countries link the stability of the Taiwan Strait with their own security, economic and supply chain interests, the internationalization of the Taiwan Strait issue is no longer just Taiwan's diplomatic proposition, but has gradually become an emerging reality in international politics.
In 2026, Taiwan's overall defense expenditure calculated by NATO standards will reach NT$949.5 billion, accounting for 3.32% of GDP. (File photo) (The author is a college student)
