Taiwan-China Cross-Strait Tensions

America ‘Fights Dirty.’ China Does Too. Should Taiwan?

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Anduril Co-Founder Palmer Luckey says Taiwan cannot afford to “fight fair” against a much larger Chinese military and should embrace far more asymmetric tactics to offset Beijing’s advantages. His comments at the ‘Resilient Taiwan for Sustainable Democracy International Forum’ in Taipei echoed arguments put forward by some defense scholars that Taiwan should focus on deception, unconventional methods and surprise rather than trying to match China weapon for weapon. But where is the line between asymmetric warfare, guerrilla tactics and simply “fighting dirty”? And has China already embraced similar methods in the South China Sea, along the India-China border and through its broader concept of “unrestricted warfare”? In this episode, we examine how democracies balance military effectiveness with rules and accountability, and whether a more unconventional approach could strengthen Taiwan’s deterrence without eroding the principles it’s fighting to defend. *Recorded on September 24, 2026 at 4:45pm Taiwan Standard Time Host/Senior Producer: Yin Khvat Planner: Max Yu Videographer: Jun Ng Our guests: Tony Hu - Former US Department of Defense Senior Director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia Mark Montgomery - Retired US Navy Rear Admiral