Former Trump deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger told a Taiwan defense forum that "peace through strength" is what keeps Taiwan free, and that the only doubt worth holding is doubt about the Chinese Communist Party — a message meant to steady Taiwan ahead of the coming Trump–Xi meeting.

• Pottinger expects the upcoming Trump–Xi summit to produce "nothing," like the May meeting: no real movement on Taiwan and no big or unwise deals.
• He describes US–China relations as more predictable now — stable but cold, with plenty of hostility underneath.
• He pushed back on two narratives: the "doubt America" line spread by Chinese influencers online, and the "doubt Taiwan" idea in the US that Taiwanese lack the will to fight — both, he says, are false.
• The one doubt to keep is about Beijing, which promised Hong Kong 50 years of autonomy and broke it, with Jimmy Lai and Joshua Wong still jailed.
• Former Biden adviser Anne Neuberger added that cheap drones and AI are reshaping war, and that resilience comes from a people's resolve and speed of adaptation, not a country's size.

Outlook: Expect the Trump–Xi meeting to change little on Taiwan, while Taipei keeps spending on defense and building the kind of visible resolve that Pottinger argues could deter Beijing from gambling on war.