Taiwan Security Research

China’s Culture Minister Visits Taiwan
(China Post, Sep. 3, 2010) China's Minister of Culture, Cai Wu, arrived at Taipei for a one-week visit to promote cultural exchanges across the Taiwan Strait, making him the highest-ranking mainland Chinese official to visit the island in 12 years, officials said.

Philippines Mulling FTA with Taiwan: Deputy Trade Secretary
(CNA, Sep. 2, 2010) The Philippines is likely to start negotiating a free trade agreement with Taiwan within a year, on the basis of the recent trade pact between Taiwan and China, the Philippines Deputy Trade Secretary Adrian Cristobal said.

Heavy in Dollars, China Warns of Depreciation
(Reuters, Sep. 2, 2010) China offered a rare glimpse into its foreign exchange reserves, confirming that they are overwhelmingly allocated in dollars, while a central banker said the mountain of cash could face depreciation risks.

China Intensifying Military Presence Build-up: Reports
(AFP, Sep. 2, 2010) China is ramping-up its military presence facing Taiwan despite the easing of hostilities across the Strait, a defense ministry report cited by local media warned.

Not Testing Beijing, Policies Same: Ma
(CNA, Sep. 2, 2010) President Ma Ying-jeou said that the government's policies toward China remain unchanged and denied that he asked Taiwan's top China policy planner to “test” China by challenging its “anti-secession” law, according to an interview published.

China Wants ECFA Approved As Is
(China Post, Sep. 2, 2010) China yesterday urged Taiwan to start talks for forming a cross-strait economic cooperation committee as soon as possible following the recent signing of a trade agreement between the two sides, a newspaper reported.

China Refutes Reports of Sending Troops to Pakistan
(Xinhua, Sep. 1, 2010) China rejected reports of the presence of over 11,000 Chinese troops in northern Pakistan, saying that such "groundless reports" were made with "ulterior motives."

Yellow Sea Venue for Rival War Games
(VoA, Sep. 1, 2010) The Yellow Sea is again the setting for naval war games. China has started a four-day artillery exercise in waters off Qingdao. The United States and South Korea are to hold joint drills in the same waters in a few days.

Delhi Concerned at China’s ‘Interest’ in Indian Ocean
(Daily Times, Sep. 1, 2010) India said China was demonstrating “more than normal interest” in the Indian Ocean as two Chinese warships made a rare visit to military-ruled Myanmar.

Taiwan to Deploy Missiles
(AFP, Aug. 31, 2010) Taiwan plans to deploy its own cruise missiles by the end of this year, a lawmaker and military pundit said, reflecting continued tension with China despite warming ties.

Taiwan, Hong Kong Bodies Hold First Meeting
(CNA, Aug. 31, 2010) Taiwan's semi-official organization founded in May to promote economic and cultural exchanges with Hong Kong held the first joint meeting with its Hong Kong counterpart, and the two decided to hold a similar meeting at least once a year.

Japan Regulator Met Zhou in Beijing, Dispelling Speculation He Left China (Bloomberg, Aug. 30, 2010) Japan’s comment follows speculation on Chinese websites earlier this week that Zhou had left the country for the U.S. over losses in China’s holdings of U.S. Treasury securities.

US Concerned about Taiwan Ex-generals’ China Visits: Report
(AFP, Aug. 30, 2010) Closer contacts between retired Taiwanese generals and the Chinese authorities have sparked concerns in Washington, the island's major arms supplier, media and an official said.

Restrictions on Chinese Investment to Be Eased
(CNA, Aug. 30, 2010) Restrictions on Chinese businesses investing in Taiwan will be eased gradually, a visiting Taiwanese official said.

Chinese Navy to Hold Drills in Yellow Sea
(AP, Aug. 29, 2010) China said its navy will stage live-ammunition drills in the Yellow Sea this week, after Beijing condemned recent and planned U.S.-South Korean joint naval exercises there and vowed to respond in kind.

China Warns US against Selling Taiwan Radars
(AP, Aug. 28, 2010) China objected to a U.S. plan to supply radar equipment to Taiwan's air force, even though the sale was far short of the F-16 fighter jets the island's president urged Washington to provide last week.

Gov’t to Counter Trade Agreement among China, Japan, S. Korea
(CNA, Aug. 28, 2010) Taiwan should prioritize several industries in follow-up talks with China under the framework trade pact the two signed in late June to counter a possible East Asian free trade zone, the Bureau of Foreign Trade said.

China May Notify WTO of Taiwan Trade Agreement: Official
(CNA, Aug. 27, 2010) During recent talks with Taiwan, China did not rule out the possibility of notifying the World Trade Organization of a recent trade pact with Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said.

Beijing Claims to Plant Flag under South China Sea
(Reuters, Aug. 27, 2010) China said it had used a small, manned submarine to plant the national flag deep beneath the South China Sea, where Beijing has tussled with Washington and Southeast Asian nations over territorial disputes.

US to Supply Taiwan Air Force Radar Equipment
(AP, Aug. 26, 2010) The United States said it will supply radar equipment to Taiwan's air force, an approval of a relatively marginal item less likely to anger China than the F-16 fighter jets the island's president urged Washington to provide last week.

Chinese Official Meets with Farmers in Southern Taiwan
(CNA, Aug. 25, 2010) China's second-highest-ranking envoy to Taiwan met farmers in southern Taiwan's Tainan County to promote the direct sale of locally grown agricultural products to China.

ARATS Deputy Head Makes 1st Taiwan Visit Since Signing of ECFA
(CNA, Aug. 24, 2010) The deputy chief of China's quasi-official Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait is currently on a visit in Taiwan to assess the response on the ground to a recently signed cross-strait pact, sources said.

PRC Must Pursue Political Reform, Wen Jiabao Says
(Reuters, Aug. 23, 2010) China has to pursue political reform to safeguard its economic health, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said during a visit to the booming town of Shenzhen, Xinhua news agency reported.

U.S. Trade Decision Avoids Clash Over China’s Currency By Howard Schneider (Washington Post, Sep. 1, 2010) The Commerce Department sidestepped a clash with China over that country's currency policies, ruling that the value placed on the yuan could not be considered a direct subsidy to Chinese exporters.

Obama Sanctions on North Korea Are Also Aimed at China
(Christian Science Monitor, Aug. 31, 2010) Obama’s new sanctions were likely aimed at Beijing as much as at the regime of Kim Jong-il. They may be part of a larger Obama strategy to stand up to China as it tries to dominate Asia with its expanding economic and naval might.

China Fortifies State Businesses to Fuel Growth By Michael Wines
(New York Times, Aug. 29, 2010) As the Chinese government has grown richer — and more worried about sustaining its high-octane growth — it has pumped public money into companies that it expects to upgrade the industrial base and employ more people.

China Builds Political System Reform on Courage and Soap Boxes By Cheng Yunjie (Xinhua, Aug. 29, 2010) Rather than copying the prevalent multi-party system in the West, China aims to blaze a different trail by expanding democracy and autonomy for its 1.3 billion people based on existing political framework.

Wen Jiabao Puts Political Reform on China’s Agenda By Peter Beaumont (Guardian, Aug. 29, 2010) What is true is that his comments already have created some room for calls for a "new generation of reformers" in some state-controlled media, while others have carefully avoided parsing his remarks. Watch this space.

Change You Can Believe in?
(The Economist, Aug. 26, 2010) During a visit to a southern boomtown Premier Wen Jiabao declared that economic gains could yet be lost without reforms to the political system. One official newspaper called his speech one of “extraordinary importance”, but skeptics abound.

Living with a Modernized PLA By Dean Cheng
(Taipei Times, Aug. 27, 2010) In light of the all-round expansion of Chinese military capabilities, as outlined in the report, the administration of US President Barack Obama needs to maintain the credibility of its own presence in the Western Pacific.

Taiwanese Must Heed Report on PRC Power By Nat Bellocchi
(Taipei Times, Aug. 27, 2010) If Taiwan does want to keep all its options for the future open, then the public and the government need to make it clear to China and the rest of the world that progress in the economic arena needs to be accompanied by clear steps by Beijing renouncing the use of force.

Doubts Over Ma’s Tough Cure for Corruption By Jens Kastner
(Asia Times, Aug. 26, 2010) Under public pressure, President Ma Ying-jeou has talked tough on the matter and vowed not to allow a few corrupt officials tarnish the reputation of the public sector and the government.

The China Syndrome By Joel Kotkin
(Forbes, Aug. 24, 2010) The U.S. has a decent chance of remaining the world's pre-eminent economy not only over the next decade or two and even by mid-century. There are five key reasons for this contrarian conclusion.

Testing Time for US Arms Report on China By Peter J Brown
(Asia Times, Aug. 25, 2010) China does share an interest in averting an overt arms race and potential miscalculation. Within that space, this report provides a realistic context for further engagement.

FTA Pushes ASEAN Ties By Zheng Anguang
(Xinhua, Aug. 24, 2010) Washington's intention to sow discord between China and Southeast Asian countries will be in vain. China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are beginning to harvest tangible economic benefits two decades after a dialogue mechanism between the two was initiated.

Welcoming Chinese Is the Ultimate Diplomacy By Tom Walk
(Taipei Times, Aug. 24, 2010) Cutting off the lines of communication is not an option, while the reverse is beneficial for both sides. Of course, exchanges should be managed. However, opposing the entry of Chinese into the education system or workplace based on fear is tantamount to shooting oneself in the foot.

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