NSC Secretary-General Joseph Wu Rejects Atlantic Magazine's "Will Taiwan Just Give Up?" Thesis

National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu publicly rejected the framing of an Atlantic magazine feature by journalist Simon Shuster, titled "Will Taiwan Just Give Up?", which argued Taiwan's military could only fend off a Chinese attack briefly before needing resupply and suggested Taiwanese resolve to resist was wavering amid doubts about US backing under the Trump administration. Wu wrote on social media that "it's a mistake to assume that Taiwan doesn't have the will to defend itself," adding that increased military investment, equipment and training mean "the will has never been stronger," and separately told the Taipei Security Dialogue that Taiwan "will never abandon ourselves" and that "surrender has never been an option." DPP legislator Puma Shen said the Atlantic article used his quotes selectively and out of context, and New Bloom Magazine's Brian Hioe faulted the piece for factual errors (misnaming the KMT), over-reliance on KMT sources, and citing outdated polling — noting current surveys show roughly 60-70% of Taiwanese say they would resist a Chinese takeover, a figure that has held steady since 2021 despite escalating PLA pressure.