Taiwan hosted a major gathering of global pro-democracy parties despite pressure from authoritarian powers to stop it, a symbolic win for Taiwan's international standing.

• The Liberal International, a worldwide alliance of liberal and democratic political parties, held its biggest Asia meeting in 15 years, splitting the event between Thailand and Taiwan.
• Taiwan's Vice President said the group faced heavy pressure and intimidation from authoritarian forces trying to block the Taiwan leg, but went ahead anyway.
• She framed this as proof Taiwan is not isolated internationally, and pointed to the war in Ukraine as a warning sign that authoritarian states use similar tactics of aggression.
• Taiwan is boosting its own defense and promoting a "whole-of-society resilience" approach, and offered to share expertise on trade, security, supply chains, and AI with other countries.
• The event doubled as a celebration of Taiwan's democratic milestones, including 30 years since its first direct presidential election.

Outlook: Taiwan is likely to keep leaning on international democratic alliances and resilience-building as a counterweight to ongoing pressure from China.