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- Canadians, Chinese Executive Return Home in Prisoner Swap (2021-09-25)
(Associated Press, By Rob Gillies) China, the U.S. and Canada completed a high-stakes prisoner swap Saturday with joyous homecomings for two Canadians held by China and for an executive of Chinese global communications giant Huawei Technologies charged with fraud, potentially bringing closure to a 3-year feud that embroiled the three countries. - Former New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu Elected KMT Chairman (2021-09-25)
(CNA, By Elizabeth Hsu and Teng Pei-ju) Former New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) won the chairmanship election of Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Saturday, defeating three other contenders including the incumbent Johnny Chiang (江啟臣). - Hong Kong June 4 Vigil Organizers to Disband Amid Crackdown (2021-09-25)
(Associated Press) The Hong Kong group that had organized annual vigils in remembrance of victims of the Chinese military’s crushing of the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests voted to disband Saturday amid an ongoing crackdown on independent political activism in the semi-autonomous city. - US House Wants Taiwan at RIMPAC (2021-09-25)
(Taipei Times/CNA) The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed its annual defense policy bill, which includes provisions recommending that Taiwan be included in next year’s Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) and enhanced cooperation between Taiwan and the US National Guard. - Three Allies Urge Taiwan's Inclusion in U.N. System (2021-09-25)
(CNA, By Ozzy Yin and Frances Huang) Paraguay, Belize, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, three of the 15 countries which have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, voiced their support at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday for Taiwan's inclusion in the United Nations (U.N.) system. - Japan Welcomes Taiwan Bid to Join Trade Pact, Citing Shared Values (2021-09-24)
(Reuters, By Kantaro Komiya) Japan on Friday welcomed Taiwan's application to join a trans-Pacific trade pact, citing shared democratic values with the island, which China claims as its own. Japanese officials' appreciation of Taiwan's values with regard to democracy and rule of law contrasted with Japan's cautious reaction to China's bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). - Taiwan Applies to Pacific Trade Deal (2021-09-23)
(Taipei Times/Bloomberg) Taiwan has submitted an application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade deal, just days after China sent its own request to become a member of the agreement that was once pushed by Washington as a way to isolate Beijing and solidify US dominance in the region. - China Sends 24 Fighter Jets Toward Taiwan in Show of Force (2021-09-23)
(Associated Press) China sent 24 fighter jets toward Taiwan in a large display of force Thursday, after the self-governing island announced its intention to join an 11-nation Pacific trade group that China has also applied to join. - Lithuania Announces Second Vaccine Donation to Taiwan (2021-09-23)
(CNA, By Flor Wang, Chen Yun-yu, and Chung Yu-chen) Lithuania announced on Wednesday that it will donate a second batch of 235,900 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Taiwan in a gesture that reflects warming ties between the two countries. - Beijing Expands Footprint in Hong Kong with New Departments (2021-09-23)
(Bloomberg, By Kari Soo Lindberg) China’s cabinet-level office overseeing Hong Kong has expanded by creating two departments to oversee propaganda and security affairs, local media reported, signaling Beijing’s growing footprint in the financial hub. - Taiwan's Former VP Speaks at U.S.-Hosted Global COVID-19 Summit (2021-09-23)
(CNA, By Matt Yu, Stacy Hsu, and Evelyn Kao) The summit brought together representatives from 180 countries, international groups and non-governmental organizations, and included Taiwan's former Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement issued on Thursday (Taipei Time). - Lithuania Says Throw Away Chinese Phones Due to Censorship Concerns (2021-09-21)
(Reuters, By Andrius Sytas) Lithuania's Defense Ministry recommended that consumers avoid buying Chinese mobile phones and advised people to throw away the ones they have now after a government report found the devices had built-in censorship capabilities. Link to full report by Lithuania's National Cyber Security Centre. - Taiwan Welcomes Planned Visit by French Senators in October (2021-09-21)
(SCMP, By Lawrence Chung) Taiwan has welcomed a planned visit by French senators next month that is set to go ahead despite opposition from Beijing. Senator Alain Richard, a former defence minister, is expected to lead a delegation to Taiwan from October 4 to 11. - Biden Promises ‘Relentless Diplomacy’ to Skeptical Allies (2021-09-21)
(Associated Press, By Josh Boak and Aamer Madhani) President Joe Biden summoned the world’s nations to forcefully address the festering global issues of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and human rights abuses in his first address before the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday. He decried military conflict and insisted the U.S. is not seeking “a new Cold War” with China. - Chinese Military Spotter Plane Enters Taiwan’s ADIZ (2021-09-21)
(Taiwan News, By Eric Chang) A Chinese military plane flew into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday afternoon (Sept. 20), marking 18th intrusion this month. - Taiwan's First F-16V Combat Wing Soon to Be Commissioned: Source (2021-09-21)
(CNA, By Matt Yu and Joseph Yeh) Taiwan's first F-16V combat wing is expected to be commissioned into the Air Force in November, a military source told CNA on Tuesday. - Hong Kong Group Supporting Mainland China Lawyers to Disband After Police Demand Information Citing National Security Law (2021-09-21)
(SCMP, By Jeffie Lam) A Hong Kong group founded to support human rights lawyers in mainland China has announced it will disband, a decision coinciding with a deadline for the organisation to provide police with information requested on national security grounds. The China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group will be the latest in a run of Hong Kong civic bodies to dissolve following Beijing’s imposition of a national security law on the city last year. - Voters Choose New Hong Kong Electors Under Pro-Beijing Laws (2021-09-19)
(Associated Press, By Alice Fung and Zen Soo) Select Hong Kong residents voted for members of the Election Committee that will choose the city’s leader in the first polls Sunday following reforms meant to ensure candidates with Beijing loyalty. - KMT Chair Debate Focuses on Name, ‘1992 Consensus’ (2021-09-19)
(Taipei Times, By Shih Hsiao-kuang, Chien Hui-ju, and Jake Chung) Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairperson candidates yesterday focused on the so-called “1992 consensus” during a televised policy debate ahead of next week’s election. - Mainland China Bans Taiwan Wax and Sugar Apple Imports as Cross-Strait Relations Continue to Worsen (2021-09-19)
(SCMP, By Amanda Lee) Mainland China has banned imports of sugar apples and wax apples from Taiwan from Monday, citing biosafety fears over plant pests. It follows a similar measure earlier this year to ban imports of pineapples from Taiwan amid ongoing cross-strait tensions. - Hong Kong’s Largest Opposition Trade Union Confirms Disbandment, Expects to Fold by Early October (2021-09-19)
(SCMP, By Chan Ho-him) Formed 31 years ago, the Confederation of Trade Unions (CTU) is one of several opposition and activist groups targeted by authorities since the Beijing-imposed national security law came into effect in June last year.
- China’s ‘Hostage Diplomacy’ Standoff with Canada is over. But How Much Damage Was Done? (2021-09-25)
(Washington Post, By Amanda Coletta) “Going forward, I don’t think Canada-China relations will be the same as they were 1,000 days ago,” Lynette Ong, an associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto, said. “It’s fundamentally at a different point. … I think China has underestimated the cost of playing this game of hostage diplomacy. Its reputation has been tarnished tremendously.” - Will AUKUS Hit China Where It Hurts? (2021-09-24)
(Foreign Policy, By Emma Ashford and Matthew Kroenig) The submarine deal could reshape the balance of power in the Pacific—and draw Australia into future conflicts. - Hong Kong’s National Security Promises Were All Hollow (2021-09-23)
(Foreign Policy, By Doug Bandow) The Beijing-backed law is now used to crush dissent across the board. - AUKUS, the Quad, and India’s Strategic Pivot (2021-09-23)
(Foreign Policy, By C. Raja Mohan) As Joe Biden and Narendra Modi meet in Washington, the business of balancing China enters a serious phase. - Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy Needs to Focus More on India (2021-09-24)
(The Diplomat, By Sana Hashmi) Five years into the NSP, it’s time to elevate India on Taiwan’s diplomatic agenda. - Diplomacy Under Different Rules: How an NGO Dictates American Diplomacy in Taiwan (2021-09-24)
(The Diplomat, By Rachel Bernstein and Scott Singer) A primer on the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), and how it influences the delicate China-Taiwan-U.S. triangle. - Malaysia to Seek Chinese ‘Views’ on New AUKUS Security Pact (2021-09-24)
(The Diplomat, By Sebastian Strangio) The announcement came after the Malaysian PM said the new security pact could be a “catalyst for a nuclear arms race in the Indo-Pacific region.” - Star General Chang Dingqiu Takes Command of China’s Air Force (2021-09-24)
(The Diplomat, By Marcus Clay and Rod Lee) Is he the commander that the People’s Liberation Army Air Force has been waiting for? - Does AUKUS Augment or Diminish the Quad? (2021-09-23)
(The Diplomat, By Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan) AUKUS fits into a growing network of minilaterials crisscrossing the Indo-Pacific and rooted in shared strategic interests. - UK-ASEAN Dialogue Partnership Paves Way to Potential Future Trade Accord (2021-09-23)
(The Diplomat, By Andrew Hood and Bob Savic) Since its exit from the European Union, London has moved swiftly to deepen its relationship with a fast-growing region. - At UN, Moon Again Calls for Declaration to End the Korean War (2021-09-23)
(The Diplomat, By Mitch Shin) Moon wants to lead cooperation among neighboring countries to tackle Korean Peninsula issues, but there is little interest from the other parties. - AUKUS: The View from ASEAN (2021-09-23)
(The Diplomat, By Laura Southgate) The new trilateral security partnership has highlighted the bloc’s inability to speak with one voice. - China’s Xi, Like Biden Hours Earlier, Turns to Calm Language in UN Remarks (2021-09-23)
(The Diplomat, By Ted Anthony) In a pre-recorded speech, Xi reiterated China’s commitment to “dialogue and cooperation” and refrained from criticizing the U.S. by name. - Taiwan Applies for CPTPP Membership (2021-09-23)
(The Diplomat, By Shannon Tiezzi) Taiwan is a natural fit for the CPTPP in economic terms, but its bid will likely face intense opposition from China. - Don’t Count China Out of the CPTPP (2021-09-22)
(The Diplomat, By Joseph Cash) The now-frozen trade deal with the EU shows China can be willing to push the boundaries of reform into areas that might surprise observers.
