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- KMT's Retrocession Day Celebrations Not Linked to 'One-China': Ma (2020-10-25)
(CNA, By Wang Cheng-chung and Joseph Yeh) Former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said Sunday that his party, the Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨), is holding a series of events to mark the 75th anniversary of Taiwan's retrocession to highlight the close links between the Republic of China and Taiwan. The commemorative events have nothing to do with Beijing's "one-China principle" that sees Taiwan as part of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Ma said in a Facebook post. - Civic Groups March for Hong Kongers Detained in China (2020-10-25)
(CNA, By Lai Yen-hsi and Evelyn Kao) Several civic groups held a march in Taipei on Sunday to show their support for 12 Hong Kongers detained in Shenzhen for trying to make their way to Taiwan by sea. - China May Not Recognize British-Issued Hong Kong Passports (2020-10-23)
(Associated Press) China’s foreign ministry said Friday it may decide not to recognize British-issued passports for Hong Kong residents in retaliation for London’s moves to open a path to citizenship for those holding the documents. - Taiwanese, Indian Businesses Sign MOUs on Industrial Partnerships (2020-10-23)
(CNA, By Yang Shu-ching and Lee Hsin-Yin) Companies from Taiwan and India signed four memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on Thursday for further industrial cooperation, covering areas ranging from green technology to electronics. - DPP Lawmakers Present Constitution Change Plans (2020-10-23)
(Taipei Times, By Jason Pan) Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) outlined several main recommendations, including changes to define the nation’s territory and existing national boundaries in Article 4 of the Constitution, and to amend a call for “national unification” in the Preamble to the Additional Articles of the Constitution, which was added in 2005. - British Official Concludes Virtual Taiwan Visit (2020-10-23)
(Taipei Times/CNA, By Kayleigh Madjar) British Minister of State for Trade Policy Greg Hands yesterday wrapped up a two-day virtual visit to Taiwan, during which he presided over the two nations’ 23rd annual trade dialogue and the signing of cooperation agreements in education and semiconductor technology. - Pompeo Says U.S. Designates Six More Chinese Media Firms as Foreign Missions (2020-10-21)
(Reuters, By Humeyra Pamuk and David Brunnstrom) U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Wednesday the State Department was designating the U.S. operations of six more China-based media companies as foreign missions, a move he said was aimed at pushing back against communist propaganda. - U.S. Congress Introduces Two Bills Concerning Taiwan (2020-10-21)
(CNA, By Stacy Hsu and Chiang Yi-ching) Members of the United States Congress introduced two bills concerning Taiwan on Tuesday, one of which was a bundle of acts targeting China, the other a new act titled the Taiwan Relations Reinforcement Act. - Retired Military Officer Detained for Passing Intel to China (Update) (2020-10-21)
(CNA, By Joseph Yeh) The Taipei District Court on Wednesday afternoon granted a prosecutors' motion to detain a retired colonel from the Military Intelligence Bureau (MIB) as part of an ongoing investigation into espionage allegations targeting at least three former MIB officials. - Biden Vows Deeper Ties With Taiwan in New Op-Ed (2020-10-22)
(CNA, By Matthew Mazzetta) U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden pledged to deepen ties with Taiwan in an op-ed that ran Thursday in America's largest Chinese-language newspaper. - Taiwan Welcomes Latest US Arms Deal, Says No Intention of Weapons Race With Beijing (2020-10-22)
(SCMP, By Lawrence Chung) Taipei says its focus is on peace and stability in the region as it consolidates defence ties with Washington. US$1.8 billion package includes missiles and rocket launchers with striking range of more than 270km. - Taiwan Urges Vatican to Focus on Religious Freedom in China (2020-10-22)
(CNA, By Emerson Lim) Taiwan on Thursday reminded the Vatican of the importance of religious freedom after it extended a provisional agreement on bishop appointments with China for another two years. - India Returns a Chinese Soldier Who Got Lost Looking for Yaks (2020-10-20)
(New York Times, By Steven Lee Myers) India on Wednesday released a Chinese soldier its forces had detained along the disputed mountainous border with China, signaling an easing of months of tensions that at times this summer had threatened to descend into a broader conflict - Three Chinese Military Planes Enter Taiwan's ADIZ (2020-10-20)
(CNA, By Emerson Lim) Three Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan's southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday, the 21st day such incursions have occurred since mid-September, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND).
- The Quad Sharpens Its Edges (2020-10-16)
(Project Syndicate, By Brahma Chellaney) The Quad once merely symbolized an emerging international effort to establish a discreet check on Chinese power. If Xi’s increasing threats toward Taiwan lead to military action, then a grand international coalition, with the Quad at its core, will become inevitable. - The Overreach of the China Hawks (2020-10-23)
(Foreign Affairs, By Michael D. Swaine, Ezra F. Vogel, Paul Heer, J. Stapleton Roy, Rachel Esplin Odell, Mike Mochizuki, Avery Goldstein, and Alice Miller; Aaron L. Friedberg) In “An Answer to Aggression,” (September/October 2020), Aaron Friedberg argues that the United States and its allies and partners should use aggressive policies to contain China. Such policies would increase the risk of conflict, strengthen chauvinistic nationalism in China, and reduce the chances that the United States can work with China to deal with urgent common problems. - An Answer to Aggression (2020-08-11)
(Foreign Affairs, By Aaron L. Friedberg) The aims of this offensive approach should be twofold: first, to deny Beijing its immediate objectives, imposing costs, slowing the growth of China’s power and influence, and reducing the threat it can pose to democracies and to an open international system; and second, by demonstrating the futility of China’s current strategy, to change the calculations of its ruling elite, forcing them to eventually rethink both their foreign and their domestic policies. - How China Threatens American Democracy (2020-10-21)
(Foreign Affairs, By Robert C. O'Brien) Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ambitions for control are not limited to the people of China. Across the globe, the CCP aims to spread propaganda, restrict speech, and exploit personal data to malign ends. The United States, accordingly, cannot simply ignore the CCP’s ideological objectives. Washington must understand that the fight against Chinese aggression first requires recognizing it and defending ourselves against it here at home, before it is too late. - In Xi’s Homage to Korean War, a Jab at the U.S. (2020-10-23)
(New York Times, By Steven Lee Myers and Chris Buckley) For Mr. Xi and the country’s propagandists, the anniversary of China’s entry into the Korean War 70 years ago this week could hardly have come at a more opportune time. The country, in their telling, is once again facing an unprovoked assault by a superpower determined to thwart China’s rise. This time the United States, under President Trump, has targeted China’s trade policy, its technological advances and its territorial ambitions. - In Xi Jinping’s China, Nationalism Takes a Dark Turn (2020-10-22)
(WSJ, By Chao Deng and Liza Lin) The wave of nationalism sweeping through China, amplified by party propaganda, the political ambitions of Xi Jinping and the country’s success in containing Covid-19, is taking a darker turn, with echoes of the country’s Maoist past. - How US Sanctions Drove Iran Into Huawei’s Arms (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Reza Khaasteh) U.S. sanctions kicked Ericsson out of Iran. Now the Chinese telecom giant is poised to win the 5G race in the country. - Japan PM Pushes Closer Southeast Asia Ties in China Counter (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Niniek Karmini and Mari Yamaguchi) Suga promised to help ASEAN states beef up their maritime capabilities in the face of China’s increasing assertiveness in the region. - China Is Weaponizing the Belt and Road. What Can the US Do About It? (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Daniel Russel and Samuel Locklear) The BRI-driven trend toward a Chinese sphere of influence is neither inevitable nor irreversible. - China’s Military Incursions Around Taiwan Aren’t a Sign of Imminent Attack (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Kharis Templeman) Instead, China’s military bravado represents the end state of a failed strategy. - How to Make a Sharp-edged Quad Work (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Abhijnan Rej) India’s recent decision to include Australia in the Malabar exercises is a significant step toward a militarized Quad. But what should the grouping keep in mind going forward? - Sweden Becomes Latest – and Among Most Forceful – to Ban Huawei From 5G (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Shannon Tiezzi) In its decision, Sweden minced no words about either the ban or the threat posed by China. - Cambodia, China and the Dara Sakor Problem (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Drake Long) China gaining access to an airfield in Cambodia, or anywhere else in mainland Southeast Asia, would redraw the strategic landscape of the region. - Time for a Positive EU Policy on Taiwan (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy) The EU must have its own Taiwan policy, not one that is determined in Washington and controlled by Beijing. - Xi Jinping Demands More Focus on the ‘War to Resist American Aggression’ (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Shannon Tiezzi) Amid the worst downturn in U.S.-China relations in decades, Xi highlights the one actual conflict fought between the two sides: the Korean War. - China’s Military Exercises Near Taiwan: The Lowdown on an Uptick (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Lu Li-shih) Since August, the PLA has carried out exercises aimed at testing its alongshore air defenses. - Just Restart New START: Timing is Running Out for Nuclear Stability (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Daniel R. DePetris) The New START accord expires in about four months and coming up with a whole new agreement seems unlikely to happen. - The US Government Partners With Academia to Root out Chinese Talent Plans (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Bonnie Girard) U.S. universities and research institutions are waking up to the problem of U.S. grants going to Chinese government-funded scientists. - Following Fresh US Sanctions, Will China Bail out Iran? (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Emily Jin) When the United States cuts off Iran completely, will China step in? This question comes at a critical time, but the answer is complicated. - What’s Next for Moon’s North Korea Policy? (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Hae Won Jeong) The Moon Jae-in administration continues to call for an end-of-war declaration. Is that realistic? - Of Hostage Diplomacy and History: China and American Political Polarization (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Bradley J. Murg) Beijing’s threats against U.S. citizens in China seemingly ignore the central place that “hostage diplomacy” has played in American history. - The Taiwan–India ‘Milk Tea Alliance’ (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Jassie Hsi Cheng) The stage is set for the expansion of India-Taiwan relations, but how far can ties develop? - China’s Approach to Mediating Middle Eastern Conflicts (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Poornima Balasubramanian) Beijing is taking more initiative in regional crises, but still prefers conflict management over conflict resolution. - China Tried to Pry India and Taiwan Apart. They Only Grew Closer. (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Nick Aspinwall) China told Indian media not to call Taiwan a country ahead of its national day. It became the perfect opportunity for Taiwan and India to celebrate their friendship. - India and China Discuss Military Disengagement in Ladakh — Again (2020-10-22)
(The Diplomat, By Abhijnan Rej) An Indian media report suggests the current discussions are substantive in nature. - China’s Nuclear Program Baffled Soviet Intelligence (2020-10-22)
(Foreign Policy, By Joseph Torigian) Declassified documents show how Moscow struggled to understand Beijing’s efforts. - China Keeps Inching Closer to Taiwan (2020-10-22)
(Foreign Policy, By Michael Beckley) The United States needs to get serious about defending the island nation—here’s how. - America Needs To Talk About a China Reset (2020-10-22)
(Foreign Policy, By Robert Kaplan) Biden and Trump are debating who is the bigger China hawk. Instead, the next administration should learn from the Cold War to defuse the rivalry. - Latest Clash Between China and Taiwan: A Fistfight in Fiji (2020-10-19)
(New York Times, By Javier C. Hernández) A reception hosted this month by Taiwan officials in Suva, the capital of Fiji, gave way to a fistfight between officials representing China and Taiwan, in the latest example of rising tensions between the two governments. - China Threatens to Detain Americans if U.S. Prosecutes Chinese Scholars (2020-10-18)
(New York Times, By Edward Wong) Chinese officials have told the Trump administration that security officers in China might detain American citizens if the Justice Department proceeds with prosecutions of arrested scholars who are members of the Chinese military, American officials said.
- US Power Falling in Asia-Pacific: Lowy Institute (2020-10-18)
(The Guardian, By Daniel Hurst) The United States remains the top power in the Indo-Pacific but has suffered the biggest relative fall in its standing in the region over the past year, partly because of the loss of prestige over the mishandling of Covid-19, according to the Lowy Institute’s Asia Power Index. Link to full report by the Lowy Institute - Most Taiwanese Rule Out Possibility of Cross-Strait War: Poll (2020-10-20)
(CNA, By Flor Wang and Wang Cheng-chung) In response to China's increasing efforts to intimidate Taiwan, 70.5 percent of the respondents said they are not worried about Beijing's saber-rattling, while 67 percent made clear that they do not agree with the idea of "going to war with China to defend Taiwan's dignity," the survey found.
