Taiwan's democracy is holding up better than most under heavy pressure from China, and the independence of its election body is being held up as the reason — a positive signal for Taiwan, a warning for the US.

• Global democracy has slid for 20 years, with populist leaders attacking courts, media, and opposition parties.
• Taiwan stays strong despite deep political division and constant Chinese information attacks and gray-zone pressure.
• The key is a central election commission that no party controls, something the US is now urged to protect just as firmly.
• The most dangerous step in any democratic collapse is when leaders seize control of how elections are run.
• The event marked 20 years since Taiwan's Red Shirt anti-corruption protests, which stayed peaceful and left the dispute to the courts.

Outlook: The proposed fix is less polarization and broad cross-party alliances built on inclusive patriotism rather than anti-foreigner nationalism.