In the face of complex challenges, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) is honing in on four areas of national security that he says Taiwan must enhance to ensure sustainable development. Lai spoke at the 2025 National Security and Economic Resilience Forum (國家安全與經濟韌性論壇) this Wednesday, detailing challenges and objectives.

Taiwan faces challenges including the rapidly changing economic order, complex geopolitics, extreme weather, food insecurity, cybersecurity threats, and cognitive warfare, explained Lai. He added that beyond the military, national security encompasses communications, finance, energy, and cybersecurity. Lai said Taiwan has to bolster overall national resilience in order to ensure national security and stable development.

President Lai’s four objectives center around enhancing the supply chain, digital communications, whole-of-society defense, and the economy. The first of these, the supply chain, includes the government’s promotion of the “five trusted industries” to revitalize the economy, strengthen key technological capabilities, and reduce single-market dependency through international partners. Lai emphasized that these are both economic policies and fundamental strategies for safeguarding national security.

Regarding the second objective, enhancing digital communications, Lai said, “Protecting the information security of our nation’s infrastructure is also a key component of our future work. This means we will work with international partners and industry to establish a high-quality cybersecurity system that protects critical infrastructure and ensures that communications and information systems remain uninterrupted at all times, thereby building a solid barrier for national security.”

Enhancing whole-of-society defense, the third objective, includes strengthening social safety nets, crisis drills, and interdepartmental coordination. This is to better equip society to respond to disasters both natural and geopolitical, according to Lai.

The fourth objective, to strengthen the economy, will see the government focusing on upgrading and transforming small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), explained Lai, as it responds to the United States’ reciprocal tariffs. Lai said this includes a NT$93 billion (US$3.1 billion) industrial support package for SMEs.

These objectives act as a strategic blueprint to not only mitigate risks but also create opportunities, Lai concluded. He emphasized that he believes Taiwan will stand firm in a turbulent world by striking this balance between strategic independence, technological security, social stability, and economic diversification.