Tag: Taiwan

US-Taiwan-China Conundrum And The Limits of the American Global Power
Analysis, Asia, Featured, North America, World

US-Taiwan-China Conundrum And The Limits of the American Global Power

The notion of American hegemony and predominance in geopolitical power games is steadily declining, as witnessed in its capitulation to China's diktats in recent times, including on Tawain. Biden’s strong reassurance of its One China Policy, aimed at not upsetting the Chinese establishment has raised eyebrows on the real depth of the strategic commitment of the USA towards Taiwan. With the world order experiencing a constant churn, time and again, a golden opportunity has been given to the Chinese, on a platter to take precedence as “the” global hegemon. The recently held elections in Taiwan have created turbulent waves and irked-up sharp reactions from China. The ruling party in Taiwan, the Democratic Progressive Party, has made a comeback with a thumping majority. Its new preside...
President Lai Ching-te’s Triumph: A Dual Impact on Taiwan’s Economy and Regional Geopolitics
Asia, Featured, World

President Lai Ching-te’s Triumph: A Dual Impact on Taiwan’s Economy and Regional Geopolitics

President Lai Ching-te's victory holds immense significance for Taiwan, both economically and geopolitically. Navigating economic challenges, reducing reliance on a single market, and strategically engaging with global partners are pivotal for Taiwan's economic resurgence. Simultaneously, Lai's approach to cross-Strait relations and collaboration with the United States will shape the geopolitical landscape in the Asia-Pacific Region. Lai Ching-te, the ruling-party candidate, secured a win in Taiwan's presidential election. His opponents gracefully conceded after a closely contested three-way race, setting the course for the island's relations with China in the coming four years. The outcome carries significant implications for the peace and stability of the narrow str...
Defend or Succumb: What’s at Stake in the 2024 Taiwanese Presidential Election?
Asia, Featured, World

Defend or Succumb: What’s at Stake in the 2024 Taiwanese Presidential Election?

China has intensified its efforts to influence the election in Taiwan and its influence operations extend beyond disinformation campaigns.Trade and business links are leveraged to sway Taiwanese businesses operating in China, showcasing the multifaceted strategies employed to influence the election outcome.Opinions on how to respond to China's influence vary widely. While the DPP stresses being defiant and deepening alliances with the West, the KMT advocates for non-provocation and communication with Beijing to build trust. As the world gears up for a year filled with elections, one of the earliest and most closely watched contests is unfolding in Taiwan. The January 13 election is turning out to be a nail-biter, with significant implications for global powers, especially the Unite...
Dragon’s Territorial Chicanery: Time to Checkmate China at its Own Game?
Analysis, Asia, Featured, World

Dragon’s Territorial Chicanery: Time to Checkmate China at its Own Game?

While India lodged a strong protest against China's claims, Nepal, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Taiwan have expressed strong objections to China's new map. UN tribunal had already invalidated China's earlier claims, deeming them without merit in international law. India must strongly protest against international organizations, such as the World Health Organization and the World Economic Forum, that perpetuate inaccurate maps of India. Business-as-usual approaches in such circumstances should not be tolerated. India should proactively employ social media platforms to counter and promote its cartographic perspectives in a measured manner, in collaboration with cartographic scholars, security experts, and social media content curators. A storm of controversy has swept across the South Chin...
Is China Preparing for War?
Asia, Featured, World

Is China Preparing for War?

Xi Jinping's declaring the US as its adversary, calling on private businesses to serve China’s military and strategic aims and talking of re-unification of Taiwan, hint at China preparing for war. New law to activate reserved forces, amendments to the Criminal Procedure Law for the Military during wartime, the Opening up of military recruitment centres across the country, upgrading air-raid shelters and emergency hospitals, and a huge increase in its defence budget - all indicate China's preparation for war. Chinese President Xi Jinping wove the theme of war readiness through four separate speeches that he delivered at the annual meeting of the Chinese Parliament and its top political advisory body that was held in March 2023. Out of these four speeches, one was delivered to the de...
Understanding China – Taiwan escalation following Nancy Pelosi’s visit
Analysis, Asia, Featured

Understanding China – Taiwan escalation following Nancy Pelosi’s visit

The Chinese believe in utilising their defence forces as an instrument of strategic deterrence and posturing, which would intimidate its potential enemies. China does understand that U.S. Congress is an independent body and is not bound by the advice of even the president of the United States, in taking decisions which is independent of its functioning.Taiwan has also activated its military exercises and has kept its defence forces on high alert while the USA in response has activated its military presence in the region by sending in one of its Aircraft Carriers to a Taiwanese naval base.  Although it’s advisable that India’s foreign and strategic policy should continue the One-China policy, only in order to retain stability in the Indian subcontinent, it must reconsider its stand on ...
Around Taiwan’s Sovereignty and China’s Hegemony
Asia, Featured

Around Taiwan’s Sovereignty and China’s Hegemony

As the war of words between the United States and China over Taiwan escalates, the latter has vowed to "fight to the very end” to stop Taiwanese independence and warned that foreign interference is "doomed to fail". The latest wasr of words between the two powers is stoking already soaring tensions with the US over the self-ruled island. "If anyone dares to secede Taiwan from China, we will … fight at all costs and we will fight to the very end. This is the only choice for China,” Chinese defence minister Wei Fenghe said at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit. Pentagon stated that when United States secretary of defense Lloyd James Austin met with his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe during the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, he reiterated that the US remains committed to the lo...
Japan and US will not stand by if Taiwan is attacked, former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe warns China
Asia, Featured

Japan and US will not stand by if Taiwan is attacked, former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe warns China

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said that his country will not idly standby if China and Beijing need to understand this and called out President Xi Jinping while speaking to the Taiwanese think tank, the Institute for National Policy Research. Abe was categorical when he said Japan and the United States could not idly stand by if China attacked Taiwan, as Chinese President Xi Jinping rachet tension over democratically ruled Taiwan and to have complete hegemony over the South China Sea and the Sea of Japan. Taiwan’s government is now in a constant state of alert and it has made it very clear that it will defend itself if needed even if the odds are overwhelming. Abe said, “The emergency in Taiwan is the emergency in Japan and Beijing, especially President Xi, mu...
Beijing cannot use the facade of ‘one country, two systems’ to annex Taiwan: Deputy Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council
Asia, Featured, World

Beijing cannot use the facade of ‘one country, two systems’ to annex Taiwan: Deputy Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council

Deputy Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council Chiu Chui-cheng (CNA Photo) Deputy Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council Chiu Chui-cheng has stated in a TV interview that Beijing’s "one country, two systems" framework is fake, and it is really intended to annex Taiwan. Discussing issues regarding Hong Kong and the Chinese Communist Party, he said that the 2019 Hong Kong protest was a watershed moment in which residents took to the streets and demonstrated against the controversial anti-extradition bill. The deputy minister revealed that the Hong Kong government was pressuring Taiwan's representative offices in Hong Kong and Macau to sign a “one China” commitment letter. "This would have given validity to Beijing’s “one China” principle, which Taiwan would never accept", he said. ...
The ‘Pineapple’ in China’s flesh – How the tropical fruit helped Taiwan fight economic bullying by its Communist neighbour
Analysis, Asia, Featured, World

The ‘Pineapple’ in China’s flesh – How the tropical fruit helped Taiwan fight economic bullying by its Communist neighbour

Taiwan's Ambassador to the US Bi-khim Hsiao tweets in support of the 'Freedom Pineapple' campaign China imposed a blanket ban on all imports of Taiwanese pineapples last week, alleging that “harmful organisms” had been found in the fruit.President Tsai condemned China for its "ambush-like, unilateral notice that it would ban imports of Taiwan pineapples", despite the fact that 99.79 percent of imported batches had passed inspection.  China's  move has been interpreted by observers in Taiwan as directed at the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is frequently critical of China.Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu launched the "Freedom Pineapple" campaign on Twitter. The aim of the online campaign was to secure orders for pineapple from farmers  Taiwanese farmers received...