Taiwan has founded a new intergovernmental group for disaster response, a diplomatic win for Taipei as it seeks more room on the world stage.

• President Lai Ching-te met delegation heads from the World Alliance for Disaster Management (WADM), which Taiwan formally launched this week with 11 diplomatic allies and Somaliland as founding members.
• It is the first intergovernmental organization Taiwan has initiated in 55 years, a rare breakthrough given China's pressure to keep Taiwan out of international bodies.
• The launch was timed to the anniversary of the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake, when 21 countries sent rescue teams to Taiwan; Lai framed WADM as Taiwan repaying that help.
• The plan is joint training, drills, mutual aid, and information sharing, with Taiwan's national fire training center in Nantou becoming a regional hub for the Indo-Pacific.
• Palau's vice president called Taiwan a world leader in disaster preparedness alongside chips and medicine, and said Palau's support for Taiwan is firmer than ever.

Outlook: Taiwan will use the alliance to deepen ties with its remaining allies and showcase its "whole-of-society resilience" model, while Beijing is likely to push back against any expansion of Taiwan's official international footprint.