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- US and China Sign Trade Agreement (2017-05-12)
(BBC News, By Karishma Vaswani) Under the deal, China will also lift its ban on US beef imports and accept US shipments of liquefied natural gas. In return, Chinese cooked chicken will be allowed into the US market and Chinese banks can enter the US market. - Ministry Mulls Purchase of Additional 300 Stingers (2017-05-21)
(Taipei Times, By Lo Tien-pin and Jake Chung) Considering growing threats from Chinese military technologies and improvements, the Ministry of National Defense is contemplating asking the United States for an additional 300 Block I-92 Stinger missiles. These would be used to build up anti-aircraft defenses in Taiwan, shown as necessary from the Han Kuang exercises held over the last two years. The Ministry has already purchased 250 missiles from the U.S. in 2015. - New Leaders Bring New Opportunities for Taiwan-US Relations: Yates (2017-05-21)
(China Post/CNA) Stephen Yates, an advisor to US President Donald Trump, warned that better communication between the US and Taiwan was necessary for stronger ties, but he also stated that the new leaders in each country would contribute to new opportunities for cooperation. He said opportunities for more trade and national defense cooperation could easily arise. He further went on to say that Taiwan did not need to express itself through the United Nations, instead potentially choosing to focus on bilateral relations. - Taiwan Hopes Allies Can Resist China's Coercion, Threats: Report (2017-05-21)
(China Post/CNA) Chen Shih-chung, the Taiwanese health and welfare minister, called upon Taiwan's allies to stand with it as the country protests its lack of invitation to the World Health Assembly conference. He wants countries to stand up to China's coercion and threats that kept Taiwan out of the WHA conference this year. Chen will be meeting with Taiwan's allies at the conference to discuss bilateral relations despite Taiwan's lack of official representation. - Wu Den-yih Wins KMT Chairman Election (2017-05-20)
(China Post/CNA) With a vote count of 52.24%, former Vice President Wu Den-yih won the KMT chairperson election and defeated incumbent Hung Hsiu-chu. - President Urges Beijing to Respect Taiwanese Public Opinion (2017-05-20)
(China Post/CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen encouraged Beijing to respect the Taiwanese public's choice in last year's election to elect someone from the DPP, a pro-independence party, to lead the country. She asked for a new focus on cross-strait peace and urged Beijing to let old questions go in favor of newer ones involving cooperation on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. She also stated that maintaining the status quo was the current position of her administration and that nothing had changed in regards to that. - Taiwan's Health Minister Arrives in Geneva; to Protest WHA Exclusion (2017-05-20)
(China Post/CNA) Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung is now in Geneva, where he will protest Taiwan's lack of an invitation to the WHA conference as well as meet with Taiwan's allies to discuss new plans for global health initiatives. His focus will be on bilateral relations for Taiwan to promote health. Taiwan did not receive an invitation to the WHA conference this year, despite eight years of previously being invited as an observer. - Diplomatic Failures Have Hurt Tourism: KMT Official (2017-05-19)
(Taipei Times, By Jason Pan) A KMT official blamed President Tsai Ing-wen's "diplomatic failings" for the closure of the Fiji representative office earlier this week. The official continued to state that the failures further had negatively affected tourism throughout Taiwan. The KMT also stated that the timing was significant in Fiji's representative office closing, as it was incredibly close to the one-year anniversary of Tsai assuming office. - Wife of Taiwan Activist Detained in China Seeks U.S. Help (2017-05-19)
(China Post/CNA) Lee Ching-yu, the wife of human rights activist Lee Ming-che, has reached out to the United States asking for help in releasing her husband, who has been detained in China for almost two months. She also requested that the US assist in promoting human rights throughout Taiwan. She referred to the US as the "leading democracy of the world" and said she had no option but to reach out. - 21 U.S. Senators Express Support for Taiwan's WHA Bid (2017-05-19)
(China Post/CNA) A group of U.S. senators signed a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Health Tom Price to express their concerns with Taiwan's lack of an invitation to the World Health Assembly conference. They wished for the U.S. to reaffirm Taiwan's status as an observer and increase efforts to push this stance in the international community. They referred to Taiwan as one of the most developed democracies in the region. - DPP Defends Policy as China, Vietnam Declare Friendship (2017-05-17)
(Taipei Times, By Chen Hung-ta and Jonathan Chin) China and Vietnam declared their friendship at a Chinese forum yesterday, and in the wake of their statement, the DPP defends the government's "new southbound policy" in an effort to pursue cooperation with Taiwan's regional allies. The DPP sees the Chinese-Vietnamese declaration as an attack on the "new southbound policy" as it involved a Vietnamese pledge to honor the one China Policy. The pledge comes as part of China's One Belt, One Road initiative. - President Tsai Hopes to See More Liberalized Trade with U.S. (2017-05-17)
(China Post/CNA) President Tsai stated that she wished to see closer trade relations between Taiwan and the United States, including continued arms sales. This came from a meeting with a delegation from the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. The meeting also included discussions on cross-strait ties as well as other Taiwanese foreign policy initiatives. - Taiwan Delegation Plans to Protest at WHA Venue: Health Minister (2017-05-17)
(China Post/CNA) Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung stated that he would bring a Taiwanese delegation to the World Health Assembly to protest Taiwan's lack of an invitation to the conference. He also plans to conduct bilateral discussions with Taiwan's allies at the conference. While Taiwan has been invited to the WHA conference every year for the past eight years, this year saw no such invitation. - Fiji is Closing Its Representative Office in Taipei (2017-05-17)
(China Post/CNA) Fiji has announced it will be closing its representative office in Taipei, serving as a blow to Taiwan's international standing. Kuomintang Legislator Lu Shiow-yen said it was due to a Chinese effort to embarrass Taiwan. The Foreign Ministry claims that this will not affect bilateral ties with Fiji, although the office served as Fiji's voice in Taiwan due to a lack of true diplomatic relations.
- Killing C.I.A. Informants, China Crippled U.S. Spying Operations (2017-05-20)
(New York Times, By Mark Mazzetti, Adam Goldman, Michael S. Schmidt, and Matt Apuzzo) At least 18 C.I.A. sources were killed or imprisoned in China between 2010 and 2012, one of the worst intelligence breaches in decades. Investigators still disagree about how it happened. - North Korea Fires Medium-Range Ballistic Missile (2017-05-21)
(New York Times, By Choe Sang-hun) The missile took off from a location near Pukchang, northeast of Pyongyang and fell into the Sea of Japan. - Duterte Says Xi Warned Philippines of War Over South China Sea (2017-05-19)
(New York Times, By Felipe Villamor) President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines claimed that China’s leader told him not to “force the issue” of oil drilling in disputed waters. - Chinese Jets Flew Dangerously Close During Intercept, U.S. Says (2017-05-19)
(New York Times, By Jane Perlez) The Air Force filed a formal protest with China, saying that two fighters had flown in an “unprofessional” way near an American military plane over the East China Sea. - How to Woo Chinese Investors: With Visa Offers and the Trump Name (2017-05-19)
(New York Times, By Javier C. Hernández and Jesse Drucker) To lure money from China, the Kushner family business tapped a specialist that has faced legal fights and another that played up its political ties. - China Is Reluctant to Blame North Korea, Its Ally, for Cyberattack (2017-05-17)
(New York Times, By Paul Mozur and Jane Perlez) North Korea’s history of erratic behavior has embarrassed Beijing in many ways, but Chinese leaders have remained stoic. - With Chinese Tourism Down, Taiwan Looks to Lure Visitors From Southeast Asia (2017-05-17)
(New York Times, By Chris Horton) Taiwan has sought to make it easier for Southeast Asians to come to Taiwan, relaxing visa requirements and opening new air routes. - ‘You Either Support North Korea or You Support Us,’ U.S. Envoy Says (2017-05-16)
(New York Times, By Somini Sengupta and Choe Sang-hun) Nikki R. Haley, the ambassador to the United Nations, called for stiffening sanctions and perhaps even punishing those who continue to help North Korea. - In Computer Attacks, Clues Point to Frequent Culprit: North Korea (2017-05-15)
(New York Times, By Nicole Perlroth and David E. Sanger) Indicators are far from conclusive, but intelligence officials and private security experts say that North Korean-linked hackers are likely suspects in global ransomware attacks. - North Korea Missile Test Appears to Tiptoe Over a U.S. Tripwire (2017-05-15)
(New York Times, By William J. Broad and David E. Sanger) By flying higher instead of farther, the missile seemed intended to improve North Korea’s capabilities without setting off an American military response. - South China Sea: Japan’s Largest Warship Concludes Drill With US Navy Littoral Combat Ship (2017-05-20)
(The Diplomat, By Franz-Stefan Gady) The Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) and the U.S. Navy concluded a passing exercise (PASSEX) in the South China Sea this week, according to a May 18 U.S. Navy press release. The principal purpose behind a passing exercise is to ensure that allied navies are able to communicate and cooperate in the event of a conflict or humanitarian relief operations. - China, ASEAN Come to Agreement on a Framework South China Sea Code of Conduct (2017-05-19)
(The Diplomat, By Ankit Panda) On Thursday, China and the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) announced that they had finalized a framework for a code of conduct for the disputed South China Sea. The announcement was made first by the Chinese foreign ministry. China and four ASEAN member states — Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, and Brunei — are claimants to disputed features in the South China Sea. (Taiwan is also a non-ASEAN claimant in the South China Sea.) - 2 Chinese Fighters Conduct 'Unprofessional' Intercept of US Air Force WC-135 (2017-05-19)
(The Diplomat, By Ankit Panda) On Wednesday, two Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Su-30 fighters intercepted a U.S. Air Force Boeing WC-135 Constant Phoenix aircraft over the East China Sea, according to U.S. authorities. U.S. officials are describing the intercept as “unprofessional.” - China's A2/AD Challenge in the South China Sea: Securing the Air From the Ground (2017-05-19)
(The Diplomat, By Ngo Minh Tri) Much attention of the recent U.S. missile strike on Syria’s Shayrat Airbase has been on the extent of damage wrought on Syria, and the signal that the Trump administration could have been intending to send to other adversaries such as North Korea. But little has been said about a potential challenge to China’s air defense systems deployed in South and East China Seas. - China Continues to Block Taiwan in the International Arena (2017-05-18)
(The Diplomat, By Gerrit van der Wees) The PRC is still determined to force the Tsai government to accept the 1992 consensus and has left no stone unturned in putting the squeeze on Taipei. Unfortunately for Taipei, in the three organizations where Taiwan’s participation has come up — the WHO, Interpol and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) — Beijing has a representative in high places, who will not shy away from doing Beijing’s bidding. - What's in the US-China 100 Day Action Plan? (2017-05-17)
(The Diplomat, By Jesse Heatley) U.S. and China agree to modest steps on trade cooperation, but there’s little to address systemic imbalances. - AIIB Makes Its First Loan to India, the Bank's Second-Largest Shareholder (2017-05-17)
(The Diplomat, By Ankit Panda) Earlier this month, the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) approved its first-ever loan for a project in India. The AIIB will lend $160 million to back a power project in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. India is a founding member of the AIIB, where it is the second-largest shareholder, behind China. - Trump and the South China Sea: Doing the Right Thing for the Wrong Reason (2017-05-16)
(The Diplomat, By Mark J. Valencia) To sum up: the United States is on questionable legal and political grounds when it criticizes others’ behavior in the South China Sea; the interests of the U.S. and Southeast Asian countries are diverging on these issues; and China has legitimate security concerns that need to be addressed. The current pause offers a chance for both to maneuver their way out of a deadlock that disadvantages the United States and China alike. - Counter-Coercion Series: Senkaku Islands Trawler Collision (2017-05-18)
(CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, By Michael Green, Kathleen Hicks, Zack Cooper, John Schaus, and Jake Douglas) Although often overshadowed by the 2012 nationalization crisis, this earlier 2010 incident laid the foundation for heightened brinkmanship in the East China Sea. It therefore holds a few lessons for managing tensions in maritime Asia - Taiwan’s Economy Can’t Distract From Tsai’s Troubled First Year (2017-05-21)
(South China Morning Post, By Cary Huang) If a country’s stock market is a barometer of economic performance, then Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has had – in that respect, at least – a very good first year in office. But the leader of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party has not fared as well politically; relations with China have soured and her approval ratings have plummeted. - China Xi Congratulates New Taiwan Opposition Leader, Urges Adherence To ‘One-China’ Principle (2017-05-20)
(South China Morning Post, By Lawrence Chung) Communist Party chief Xi Jinping congratulated the newly elected head of Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang on Sunday, urging the KMT to stick to an understanding that both the mainland and Taiwan are part of China. According to state-run Xinhua, Xi’s note to Wu Den-yih, a former vice-president of Taiwan who became the new KMT chairman on Saturday, underscored the need for the “1992 consensus”, an agreement that there is one China. Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) refuses to acknowledge the consensus. - Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen Opts for Low-Key Anniversary of First Turbulent Year in Office (2017-05-20)
(South China Morning Post, By Lawrence Chung) Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen opted for a low-profile celebration of her first year in office on Saturday, skipping a usual news conference to report on her achievements in the past 12 months. Instead, she played host at her official residence to a group of indigenous children, allowing her to enjoy a quiet day in the face of growing pressure from Beijing, public dissatisfaction with her performance, challenges by a disgraced former president and pressing requests for the island to declare independence. - A Turbulent First Year for Taiwan’s President (2017-05-20)
(South China Morning Post, By Lawrence Chung) In her inaugural speech a year ago, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen put forward a policy of engaging countries in Southeast Asia in an attempt to reduce the island’s economic reliance on the mainland. But as she is set to mark one year in office this Saturday, shedding the mainland influence has proved to be a daunting task, and Tsai has little to show for her efforts. - New Silk Road: Why China should be wary of overconfidence (2017-05-20)
(South China Morning Post, By Wang Xiangwei) But underneath all that excitement lie dangers and risks which are not usually discussed and debated publicly and, if not handled properly, could impede China’s efforts to assert its global leadership on trade and investment. One chief danger is that optimism and excitement beget overconfidence. - Trump’s Troubles Offer Break for Beijing’s Economic Policymakers (2017-05-20)
(South China Morning Post, By Frank Tang) While China may be disappointed to see the impeachment of US President Donald Trump with whom the country just built trust, the chaos in Washington could help Beijing to slow down yuan depreciation, curb capital outflows and safeguard domestic market stability. - China's Xi Willing to Put Ties with South Korea Back on Normal Track (2017-05-19)
(South China Morning Post/Reuters) Chinese President Xi Jinping told a visiting South Korean envoy on Friday that he was willing to put relations with Seoul back on a normal track after ties were soured by the United States placing an advanced anti-missile system in South Korea. - The Promising New Energy Source Beijing is Tapping from the South China Sea and Why It Matters (2017-05-19)
(South China Morning Post, By Stephen Chen) This week, Chinese engineers collected methane gas from methane hydrate, or “combustible ice”, in the South China Sea and converted it to natural gas in a single, continuous operation. With that achievement, China joined the US, Canada and other nations exploring what could be an abundant source of clean energy. Here’s a closer look at this cool new energy resource. - New Southbound Policy: Tsai's First Year In Office Marked by Focus to South (2017-05-20)
(Taipei Times, By Lauly Li) The "new southbound policy" has allowed Taiwan to take a new focus on its foreign relations through economic and cultural ties with Southeast and South Asian countries. It has been one of the most defining factors of President Tsai Ing-wen's administration for the first year of her term.
- Most Taiwanese Support "Status Quo" Peace: MAC (2017-05-21)
(Taipei Times/CNA) The Mainland Affairs Council reported that over 70% of respondents to a poll said that they wished to maintain the status quo peace Taiwan and China have held over the past years. Over 80% also believed that bilateral peace was a shared responsibility between China and Taiwan. - Inauguration Anniversary: More than Half of Voters Support Tsai: DPP Poll (2017-05-20)
(Taipei Times/CNA) Over 50% of respondents to a DPP poll conducted showed that they supported President Tsai Ing-wen overall, but just a slightly smaller number said that they were discontent with her performance. These results show that many people are either dissatisfied with the reforms President Tsai has implemented or are happy with the reforms, but are unhappy with the slow pace at which they are unfolding. - Tsai and DPP Lead Their Rivals in Poll (2017-05-18)
(Taipei Times, By Chen Wei-han) Despite a stagnant approval rating, President Tsai Ing-wen is still the preferred president over Hon Hai Precision Industry Co chairman Terry Gou and New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu, while the Democratic Progressive Party has a comfortable lead over the Chinese Nationalist Party in voter preference, an opinion poll released yesterday showed. Tsai’s approval rating stands at 54 percent, with a 39.7 percent disapproval rating, while 52.9 percent of the respondents were dissatisfied with her performance and 41.3 percent were satisfied. - Most Taiwanese See Cross-Strait Ties Worse Over Past Year: Poll (2017-05-18)
(China Post/CNA) According to a poll published Wednesday by the Chinese-language Want Daily, 63.5 percent of the respondents in Taiwan think that cross-Taiwan Strait relations have worsened since President Tsai Ing-wen took office on May 20 last year, while 17.7 percent said that cross-strait relations have been almost the same as before Tsai's inauguration. At the same time, 44.8 percent said the government's strategic alignment with the United States and Japan against China could be disadvantageous to Taiwan, while 24.9 percent said it will be beneficial to Taiwan and 20.5 percent said it will have no impact.
- Inauguration Anniversary: INTERVIEW: Tsai Emphasizes Infrastructure Development (2017-05-20)
(Taipei Times, By Tzou Jiing-wen) In an interview, President Tsai Ing-wen further reflects on her first year in office and discusses her important future plans, specifically the importance of infrastructure development throughout the island as well as several political issues plaguing Taiwan today, including the lack of an invitation to the WHA conference. - INTERVIEW: President Tsai Facing the Nation's Problems Head On (2017-05-19)
(Taipei Times, By Tzou Jiing-wen) President Tsai reflects upon her first year in office, the reforms she set forth, and her goals for the rest of her term.
