The Strategy for Preserving Democracy in Taiwan as a Lynchpin for International Order To the free world, a peaceful Taiwan is a lynchpin of democracy and a role model of freedom. To China’s Xi Jinping, an independent Taiwan dispels the myth that democracy is incompatible with Chinese culture, and he wants it gone. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Xi Jinping’s consolidation of power at the 20th National Congress and Taiwan’s increasing dominance in semiconductor fabrication, Taiwan has never been more vulnerable and critical to international order. As part of his mission to counter China’s potential invasion, Under Secretary of State Keith Krach designed a 6-pronged strategy to deter Beijing’s aggression by creating an economic “security blanket” around Taiwan based on the Trust Doctrine’s network of partners. The chess moves included rallying nations that recognize Taiwan, bringing Taiwan into the Clean Network Alliance of Democracies, brokering the largest onshoring in US history with semiconductor giant TSMC, showing visible support as the most senior U.S. diplomat to visit Taiwan in 41 years, devising the Lee Economic Prosperity Partnership—a five-year economic collaboration agreement, followed by the Science and Technology Cooperation Pact, and paving the way for a Trade Agreement. The free trade agreement creates a halo effect for U.S. private sector investment in Taiwan which clears the way for US allies to invest. Strategically, that dramatically increases the odds of allied military support if a conflict breaks out and would cause China to think twice about an invasion. His use of the Trust Doctrine as the fulcrum to shield Taiwan from China’s aggression by strengthening its economic ties with the US and allies earned Krach a 2022 Nobel Peace Prize nomination. Taiwan’s de facto US ambassador Hsiao Bi-khim also dubbed Krach “Taiwan’s Number One Friend.” Taiwan’s President Tsai summed up his historic trip by saying, “Under Secretary Keith Krach’s visit exemplified the remarkable possibilities of Taiwan-US relations.”

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The Strategy for Preserving Democracy in Taiwan
as a Lynchpin for International Order
To the free world, a peaceful Taiwan is a lynchpin of democracy and a role model of freedom. To
China’s Xi Jinping, an independent Taiwan dispels the myth that democracy is incompatible with
Chinese culture, and he wants it gone. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Xi Jinping’s
consolidation of power at the 20th National Congress and Taiwan’s increasing dominance in
semiconductor fabrication, Taiwan has never been more vulnerable and critical to international
order.
As part of his mission to counter China’s potential invasion, Under Secretary of State Keith Krach
designed a 6-pronged strategy to deter Beijing’s aggression by creating an economic “security
blanket” around Taiwan based on the Trust Doctrine’s network of partners.
The chess moves included rallying nations that recognize Taiwan, bringing Taiwan into the Clean
Network Alliance of Democracies, brokering the largest onshoring in US history with
semiconductor giant TSMC, showing visible support as the most senior U.S. diplomat to visit
Taiwan in 41 years, devising the Lee Economic Prosperity Partnership—a five-year economic
collaboration agreement, followed by the Science and Technology Cooperation Pact, and paving
the way for a Trade Agreement.
The free trade agreement creates a halo effect for U.S. private sector investment in Taiwan which
clears the way for US allies to invest. Strategically, that dramatically increases the odds of allied
military support if a conflict breaks out and would cause China to think twice about an invasion.
His use of the Trust Doctrine as the fulcrum to shield Taiwan from China’s aggression by
strengthening its economic ties with the US and allies earned Krach a 2022 Nobel Peace Prize
nomination. Taiwan’s de facto US ambassador Hsiao Bi-khim also dubbed Krach “Taiwan’s
Number One Friend.”
Taiwan’s President Tsai summed up his historic trip by saying, “Under Secretary Keith Krach’s
visit exemplified the remarkable possibilities of Taiwan-US relations.”