Taiwan will host nearly 500 government officials, national security experts, academics and business representatives on Sept. 19 for an international forum focused on strengthening the island’s ability to withstand military, cyber and other security threats.
The second annual Resilient Taiwan for Sustainable Democracy International Forum will address civil-military integration, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, psychological defense and gray-zone threats, according to Taiwan’s Presidential Office, which lists President Lai Ching-te as attending the opening ceremony Saturday.
Among the participants will be Palmer Luckey, founder of U.S. defense technology company Anduril Industries, and former U.S. deputy national security advisers Matt Pottinger and Anne Neuberger. Pottinger served during President Donald Trump’s first term, while Neuberger served under former President Joe Biden.
Defense technology and new security threats
Luckey is scheduled to deliver an opening address on how democratic countries can respond to emerging threats and changes in modern warfare, according to details released by the Presidential Office and reported by Taiwan’s Central News Agency. The address will focus on the role of technology in adapting military and national defense systems to new forms of conflict.
American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene and British Representative to Taiwan Ruth Bradley-Jones are also scheduled to discuss how international partners have viewed Taiwan’s whole-of-society resilience efforts over the past year. European Economic and Trade Office head Lutz Güllner is also expected to participate.
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The forum will conclude with Taiwan National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu joining Pottinger and Neuberger for a discussion titled “Are We Ready?” The panel is expected to examine Taiwan’s current level of preparedness and areas where cooperation with international partners could be expanded.
Other international participants are expected to include former Philippine National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Palau National Security Coordinator Jennifer Anson, Japanese lawmaker Hirofumi Takinami, former Lithuanian vice defense minister Tomas Godliauskas and Mark Montgomery of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Eight sessions are planned, covering whole-of-society preparedness, civil-military exercises, public-private cooperation, psychological defense, maritime resilience, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure and Taiwan’s international security partnerships.
Taiwan expands whole-of-society defense preparations
Taiwan has increasingly incorporated civilian agencies, businesses, local governments and community organizations into exercises designed to prepare the country for both natural disasters and national security emergencies.
During last year’s forum, Lai said Taiwan had moved from tabletop exercises toward field drills involving both civilian and military institutions. The government also combined disaster preparedness with national defense exercises during the annual Han Kuang military drills.
“The more resilient we become, the more able we will be to avoid and deter threats,” Lai said at the 2025 forum, according to the Presidential Office.
Taiwan’s resilience policy is intended to keep essential services operating during emergencies while improving coordination among government agencies, private businesses and civilians.
The approach extends beyond conventional military defense to areas including emergency communications, infrastructure protection, disaster response, information manipulation and cybersecurity. Taiwan’s government says exercises that once focused primarily on policy planning are increasingly being converted into practical drills.
The issue has also drawn attention in Europe. On Sept. 17, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said a European Parliament resolution cited Taiwan’s experience in whole-of-society resilience and called for expanded security exchanges between Taiwan and the European Union.
Forum comes days before Trump-Xi summit
The forum will take place five days before Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington on Sept. 24.
Reuters reported that Taiwan is expected to be among the major issues surrounding the talks, alongside trade, artificial intelligence, technology restrictions, Iran and fentanyl precursor exports. The Sept. 24 meeting will be Trump and Xi’s second summit of 2026.
The timing has added geopolitical significance to the Taipei gathering. Taiwan’s Presidential Office said the attendance of foreign security officials ahead of the Trump-Xi summit reflects international attention to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan held major military exercises on Sept. 18 involving missiles and attack drones, with President Lai observing drills that included the coordinated use of unmanned aircraft and conventional weapons, according to the Associated Press.
The military exercises and resilience forum are part of a broader effort by Lai’s government to increase Taiwan’s preparedness while maintaining that deterrence is intended to prevent conflict.
Lai has said that “peace cannot depend on the goodwill of an aggressor” and has argued that military preparedness must be combined with stronger social resilience.
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