A US delegation from Stanford's Hoover Institution met Taiwan's ruling DPP to discuss how divided the island's politics have become — neutral news, but a sign Washington is watching Taiwan's internal stability closely.

• The delegation, including democracy scholar Larry Diamond and retired US Navy admiral James Ellis, met DPP officials at party headquarters in Taipei.
• The visitors asked whether Taiwan's bitter political splits come from old ethnic and identity divides.
• The DPP's answer: most of the anger is not real identity conflict but hatred amplified by algorithms and Chinese influence campaigns.
• Both sides agreed that spreading the gains from Taiwan's tech boom to ordinary workers is key to defending democracy.
• Taipei is putting money into helping small traditional manufacturers move into the chip and drone supply chains, so the boom is not limited to one industry.

Outlook: Expect Taiwan's parties to keep framing disinformation and economic inequality as national security problems ahead of the Taipei mayoral race.