Taiwan’s National Health Insurance system began implementing a major reform in December 2024 that eliminates the suspension-and-resumption mechanism for overseas residents.

Facing vagaries tied to Trump’s outlook on foreign policy, Taiwan should increase its defense budget and pursue economic measures that promote mutual benefit and long-term engagement.

The announcement of DeepSeek has sent shockwaves through Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and Washington, intensifying the U.S.-China rivalry in the “compute power is national power” race for AI supremacy.

While Taiwan and India have both shown willingness to engage at deeper levels, particularly since 2020, the two countries still have important challenges to overcome.

This article examines the strategic importance of Taiwan, the vulnerabilities facing both the United States and Taiwan, and the urgent measures required to counter China’s growing influence.