Regional Issues

~ 2001 ; 2002 ; 2003-2004 ; 2005-2006 ; 2007

Singapore Says FTA with Taiwan Possible Without Politics
(AFP, Mar. 30, 2008) Singapore expressed optimism about enhanced economic cooperation with Taiwan as long as issues involving trade are not politicized.

Australia, U.S. Affirm Alliance
(Reuters, Feb. 24, 2008) Australia and the United States reaffirmed their strong alliance, saying their security and defense partnership would not change with the election of Canberra's new government and plans for a partial withdrawal from Iraq.

Chen Pays Visit to Dongsha Islands
(Taipei Times, Feb. 11, 2008) President Chen Shui-bian paid a third visit to the Dongsha Islands and used the occasion to call on neighboring countries to hold dialogue with Taiwan to settle territorial disputes over islands in the South China Sea, as well as preserve marine life in the region.

NATO Keeps Eye on China
(United Press International, Feb. 8, 2008) NATO is closely watching China's military expansion, with an attitude of rising concern and wariness. Led by the United States, NATO members are starting to view China as a possible emerging common adversary.

China and Germany Patch Up Quarrel over Merkel Policy
(International Herald Tribune, Jan. 21, 2008) Germany and China agreed to heal a rift that opened after Beijing suspended most high-level contacts to protest Chancellor Angela Merkel's meeting last year with the Dalai Lama and her human rights policies.

Indian PM Arrives in China for High-Level Talks
(AFP, Jan. 13, 2008) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in Beijing for a visit largely focused on a protracted border dispute and a widening trade gap between the Asian giants, officials said.

EU Commissioner to Propose Partnership with China over Africa
(AFP, Jan. 10, 2008) The European Commission will unveil plans in the coming months for a partnership between the European Union and China over Africa, EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel said.

Beijing Quashes HK Vote Hopes
(The Australian, Dec. 31, 2007) Hong Kong must wait for another decade for the opportunity to elect its own chief executive and it will be 2020 before it can have a fully elected legislature, China ruled at the weekend. The rulings sparked outcry accusing the Government in Beijing of ignoring the wishes of Hong Kong's seven million people.

Africa: China Cashes In
(Agence France Presse, Oct. 28, 2007) China's government may have high-profile political and strategic reasons for seeking closer ties with Africa, but its companies are on the continent mostly for the money, analysts say.

India, China to Set Up New Working Group on Border Issue
(Hindustan News, Oct. 26, 2007) India and China have decided to set up a working group that will prepare a framework to resolve their decades-old border dispute. India and China would shortly hold a counter-terrorism exercise involving their armed forces.

Taiwan Issue Fails to Make Agenda of Trilateral Talks
(Taiwan News, Sep. 9, 2007) Taiwan was not a topic covered in the trilateral breakfast discussion between the United States, Japan and Australia yesterday morning, but the heads of state and government of the three powers agreed on the need for "positive engagement" with China for the sake of regional stability and development.

Wooing the Islands: China and Taiwan High Stakes Bid for Pacific Island Support By Andre Vltchek (Japan Focus, Apr. 20, 2008) Recognizing Taiwan, which calls itself the Republic of China, translates into investment, aid, and an air link that brings a regular flow of tourists from Taipei. Palau may be the richest of the Pacific Island Nations, but a substantial part of its “income” still comes in the form of aid from Japan, Taiwan, and other countries.

Asian Food Crisis Has Political and Civil Implications
(International Herald Tribune, Apr. 18, 2008) Asia's food crisis is spreading beyond the specter of empty stomachs. Politicians are facing the wrath of angry voters, government budgets are being stretched to pay for increased food subsidies and the potential for civil unrest looms, especially if the cost of essential items like cooking oil and rice continues to climb.

China's Pacific Strategy Unfurled By Zhang Guihong
(Asia Times, Apr. 10, 2008) While China has diplomatic relations with eight Pacific islands countries, Taiwan has six, accounting for one quarter of the total 24 countries with which Taiwan has diplomatic ties. China has much to do in this area to check and reverse Taiwan's diplomatic inroads.

India Tiptoes in China's Footsteps to Compete But Not Offend
(International Herald Tribune, Apr. 4, 2008) India's approach to China consists of one part caution, one part competition, with a dash of mimicry sprinkled in. But as the two emerging Asian giants engage in their own version of the Great Game, it is impossible for New Delhi to escape the reality that the playing field is badly skewed in China's favor, and hence the need for caution.

Taiwan's Spratly Initiative in the South China Sea By Cheng-yi Lin
(China Brief, Jamestown Foundation, Feb. 14, 2008) If, as some fear, Taiwan is absorbed by Beijing, the Chinese Communists would then occupy the two largest islands in the South China Sea. If that is the case, it may be too late for Taiwan’s neighbors in the region to realize that Taiwan or its military presence in the South China Sea can, in fact, be a buffer between them and mainland China’s military.

Asian Arms Race Gathers Speed By John Feffer
(Asia Times, Feb. 14, 2008) Since the dawn of the 21st century, five of the six countries involved in the six-party talks have increased their military spending by 50% or more. The sixth, Japan, has maintained a steady, if sizeable military budget while nonetheless aspiring to keep pace. Every country in the region is now eagerly investing staggering amounts of money in new weapons systems and new offensive capabilities.

Chen's Spratly Visit Creates a Stir among Asian Neighbors
(McClatchy Newspapers, Feb. 6, 2008) President Chen Shui-bian made a surprise visit this past weekend to one of the Spratly Islands in key shipping lanes in the South China Sea. This was a stick-in-your-eye move by Chen. Chen likes to rile up his neighbors, and he picked the right place.

Chen Flies to Spratly Islands 'to Assert Taiwan Sovereignty'
(Reuters, Feb. 3, 2008) Mr Chen's decision to visit the Spratlys was to assert Taiwan's sovereignty, a card that the ruling Democratic Progressive Party had been using to try and woo voters ahead of the presidential elections on March 22, analysts said.

China's Yin, India's Yang By Lee Hudson Teslik
(Washington Post, Jan. 28, 2008) On a practical level, recent economic relations stand out more for cooperation than competitiveness. This new cordiality was on display January 14, when India's economist-turned-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao announced plans to work toward a $60 billion trade pact by 2010.

Room Enough for China and India, Singh Says
(Reuters, Jan. 15, 2008) India is not seeking to contain China and peace and stability in Asia are in the common interest of both the world's fastest-growing major economies, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said. There was room enough for the rise of both countries, which together comprise more than 20 percent of the world's population, he said.

Full Democracy for Hong Kong Questioned
(International Herald Tribune, Dec. 31, 2007) The goal of full democracy for Hong Kong is far from guaranteed, despite a pledge by China to permit voters here to directly elect their chief executive and legislature beginning in 2017, democratic politicians and analysts said.

Space - Asia's New Military Frontier By C. Raja Mohan
(Straits Times, Dec. 22, 2007) The missile defense tests this month by Japan and India make 2007 a significant milestone in the evolution of Asia's military space capabilities. The year, we might recall, began with a dramatic testing of an anti-satellite (Asat) weapon by China in January. Popular attention has been riveted on the Asian race to the moon, as Japan and China launched lunar orbiters in 2007. The year has also seen India and South Korea announce ambitious plans for lunar exploration.

The End of a Sino-EU Love Affair
( Straits Times, Nov. 28, 2007) For decades, nothing stood in the way of better relations between China and the European Union (EU). But, as the EU and China sit down today for their 10th bilateral annual summit in Beijing, the mood cannot be more different: A raft of trade and political issues has soured the relationship.

ASEAN, Scared of China, Looks to Integrate Economy
(Reuters, Nov. 18, 2007) Southeast Asian countries are pushing ahead with regional free trade as they are scared of being left behind by Asia's economic powerhouses, China and India. The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), set to sign a charter next week in a step towards economic integration by 2015.