Taiwan's National Security Council is quietly becoming the main hub for defending the island against Chinese pressure, and Western governments are increasingly willing to work with it directly — a win for Taipei, a setback for Beijing's push to isolate it.

• The Council, chaired by President Lai Ching-te and run day to day by Joseph Wu, now drives military and civil defense reform rather than just advising on it.
• Its focus has widened from pure defense to "whole of society" resilience — coordinating ministries so the public knows how to survive a crisis, natural or man-made.
• G7 and European officials say talking to the Council is worth their time, praising its work on maritime security and city resilience after Taiwan's large drills this month.
• More governments are expanding their unofficial diplomatic teams in Taipei, even as Beijing runs Asia's biggest military buildup and squeezes Taiwan's international space.
• One Western official warns the reforms are moving too slowly, saying Taiwan needs real changes in its armed forces, not think-tank style debate.

Outlook: Expect closer intelligence ties with Japan and more coordination with Western partners, while Taiwan races to speed up military and civil defense reform.