Taiwan Relations Act signed

What happened

Congress legislates a replacement framework: the United States will make available arms of a defensive character, maintain the capacity to resist coercion against Taiwan, and treat any non-peaceful resolution as a matter of grave concern. It does not commit the United States to defend Taiwan.

This is the statutory foundation of strategic ambiguity, designed to restrain both sides at once — deterring Beijing from attacking and Taipei from declaring independence. Its weakness is structural: it works only while it is believed, which makes credibility itself an expendable resource, and that is exactly what has been in question during 2026.

Confidence: High