Taiwan Policy after the 2024 Elections

The Global Taiwan Institute (GTI) is pleased to invite you to a panel discussion titled “Taiwan Policy After the 2024 US Elections.”

On November 5, 2024, the United States held national elections that saw former President Donald Trump re-elected as the 47th president of the United States, as well as a shift in the power dynamics within the US Congress. In a period of global disruptions, these results could have significant implications for US-Taiwan relations. Like other allies and partners, Taiwan faces pressing questions on how the president-elect's policy might shift relations across the diplomatic, economic, and security realms as compared to prior administrations. Please join GTI's distinguished group of senior fellows as they consider potential impacts on multiple fronts, from diplomatic and trade policy to security implications and defense commitments. Additionally, this event will examine China’s assessment of the election results, and its anticipated policy responses. The discussion will also explore the 119th Congress's likely role in shaping Taiwan policy, given its critical influence through the Taiwan Relations Act. This timely event will offer insights into what may lie ahead for cross-Strait relations and how Taiwan might navigate the next four years in light of US political changes.

The Panelists:

Ann E. Kowalewski is a senior non-resident fellow at the Global Taiwan Institute. She concurrently serves as the associate vice president at the strategic advisory firm Beacon Global Strategies. Prior to joining BGS, she led the Indo-Pacific portfolio as a senior professional staff member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where she managed legislation and oversight regarding strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), US policy towards Taiwan, alliance management, and the US diplomatic and security posture in the region. She also served as an Indo-Pacific senior policy analyst on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for three years.

Eric Chan is a senior non-resident fellow at the Global Taiwan Institute. He has published widely on Chinese influence operations/information warfare, Taiwan military reform, and the strategic balance in East Asia. He has written for publications including the USAF Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, the US Army War College Quarterly Parameters, The Diplomat, War on the Rocks, and the Global Taiwan Brief. Mr. Chan was previously the China, Korea, Philippines, and Vietnam Country Director at the Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs (SAF/IA). In this role, Mr. Chan was responsible for US Air Force military engagement with the PLA Air Force, and for directing security cooperation with key allies and partners. Mr. Chan has also served as an analyst for the US Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration (HAF/A10), providing expertise on PRC nuclear doctrine.

Riley Walters is a senior non-resident fellow with the Global Taiwan Institute and senior fellow at Hudson Institute. His areas of expertise include international trade policy, investment regulations, technology and innovation, cybersecurity, and the intersection of economics and national security. He is also an expert on east Asian political affairs, primarily focusing on Japan and Taiwan. Riley was formerly the senior policy analyst and economist in The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center. He is also formerly a Penn Kemble Fellow with the National Endowment for Democracy, George C. Marshall Fellow with The Heritage Foundation, Mosaic Taiwan Fellow with Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Security Fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and Kim Koo Fellow with the Korea Society.

Michael Mazza is a senior non-resident fellow at GTI. He is also a senior director at the Project 2049 Institute, as well as a non-resident fellow in foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he analyzes US defense policy in the Asia-Pacific region, Chinese military modernization, cross-Strait relations, Korean Peninsula security, and US strategy in Southeast Asia. Mr. Mazza has contributed to numerous AEI studies on Asian security issues. He was recognized as a 2010-2011 Foreign Policy Initiative Future Leader.

The Moderator:

Russell Hsiao is the executive director of GTI, senior fellow at The Jamestown Foundation, and adjunct fellow at Pacific Forum. He is a former Penn Kemble fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy and visiting scholar at the University of Tokyo’s Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia. He previously served as a senior research fellow at The Project 2049 Institute and national security fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Prior to those positions he was the editor of China Brief at The Jamestown Foundation from October 2007 to July 2011 and a special associate in the International Cooperation Department at the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy.