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- Solomon Islands MPs Support for Ties with Taiwan a Good Sign: MOFA (2019-08-21)
(CNA, By Joseph Yeh) Fifteen visiting parliamentarians from the Solomon Islands publicly announced their support for maintaining diplomatic relations with Taiwan rather than switching recognition to China. The visit is part of a reevaluation of the nation's diplomatic relations, which some believe may signal the possibility of the Solomon Islands switching recognition. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) thanked the parliamentarians for their statement. <Accessed 2019-08-22> - China Threatens Retaliation Over U.S. Arms Sale to Taiwan (2019-08-21)
(Bloomberg, By Staff Writer) The U.S. Congress was formally notified of the proposed $8 billion fighter jet sale to Taiwan this week, to which China threatened to sanction American firms participating in the arms deal. China threatened similar action in response to last month's arms sale between the U.S. and Taiwan; however, no sanctions were implemented. A Taiwanese government spokesperson stressed the importance of the deal for cross-strait stability. <Accessed 2019-08-21> - Hong Kong Protesters Clash with Police, Angry at Lack of Prosecutions after Subway Mob Attack (2019-08-21)
(Reuters, By James Pomfret and Greg Torode) Thousands of Hong Kong protesters gathered at the Yuen Long subway station where exactly one month ago a mob attacked passengers and protesters. Protesters occupied the station in response to the lack of prosecutions of those who conducted the attack last month. During the sit-in, some protesters clashed with police while others blocked station exits or roads near the station. <Accessed 2019-08-21> - US Extends Limited Reprieve on Tech Sales to China’s Huawei (2019-08-19)
(Associated Press, By Frank Bajak) The United States is extending the limited exemptions placed on products being sold to Huawei for an additional 90 days. The exemptions are being prolonged in order to allow American firms additional time to end their reliance on Huawei, according to the Commerce Department. Although companies can request permits to sell sanctioned technology to Huawei, the U.S. government has yet to grant any licenses. <Accessed 2019-08-19> - Pro-Independence TAPA Launched in Taipei (2019-08-19)
(Taipei Times, By Jason Pan) A new Taiwanese political party, the Taiwan Action Party Alliance (TAPA), was launched Sunday during an event held in Taipei. According to its charter, the party's primary goals include achieving Taiwanese independence and earning permanent membership in the United Nations. The party was founded by groups closely associated with former Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian, and Chen has publicly announced his support. <Assessed 2019-08-20>
- China's South China Sea Militarization has Peaked (2019-08-22)
(Foreign Policy, By Steven Stashwick) Increasing its overt military capability on its artificial islands in the South China Sea does little to increase China's control over the vital maritime crossroads. Despite the limited strategic and operational value of these islands, China is increasing its militarization of the islands to demonstrate the governing legitimacy and political primacy of the Chinese Communist Party. <Accessed 2019-08-22> - Twitter Reveals China's Influence Campaign Targeting Hong Kong Protests (2019-08-22)
(The Diplomat, By Tami Abdollah) In an effort to curb hostile political activity on its social media platform, Twitter announced that it has suspended more than 200,000 accounts that were used to influence campaign targeting Hong Kong's protest movement. China denied knowledge of the allegations. <Accessed 2019-08-22> - Hong Kongers Can't Always Tell Cops from Comrades (2019-08-22)
(Foreign Policy, By Matthew Sweet) Footages of Hong Kong protesters roughing up a man suspected of being an undercover police officer were used against the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement, with the movement being branded as violent and deplorable. The tactic of police infiltration is not new and has been frequently utilized by governments. <Accessed 2019-08-22> - Taiwan's New Power Party Faces Crisis after Departure of Heavyweights (2019-08-20)
(The Diplomat, By Nick Aspinwall) Several heavyweights of the New Power Party (NPP) have announced their departure from the party, leaving the NPP with a crisis of leadership and identity. The NPP has to decide whether it will continue to be an alternative to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Kuomintang (KMT), Taiwan's two major parties. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - After 5G, Space Opens a New Frontier in US-China Rivalry (2019-08-20)
(The Diplomat, By Nicholas Borroz) Countries are not only caught in between the US-China rivalry in light of the US blacklisting Huawei but could also potentially be forced to choose sides in the US-China space race as China catches up to the US in space technology. Countries can initiate measures to resist external pressures by signing bilateral agreements with each other or larger multilateral deals. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - Realities Clash with Idealism in Today's Asia (2019-08-20)
(The Diplomat, By Walter Lohman) It is important to understand the reality of what China's rise means in order to maintain peace and uphold liberal values. Most countries in the Indo-Pacific region are not concern about geopolitical risk China poses and they are very likely to accept China's investments under its Belt and Road Initiative. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - Sino-Indian Relations: Wuhan Spirit Under Growing Strain (2019-08-20)
(The Diplomat, By Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan) While India and China hope to maintain the Wuhan Spirit, it appears that the Wuhan Spirit is under serious strain. China alleged that India's repeal of Article 370 of the Indian constitution challenges China's sovereign rights and interests. In response, India stated that since India was not raising any additional territorial claims, China's concerns were misplaced. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - Foreign Ministers of China, Japan, South Korea Set to Meet Amid Seoul-Tokyo Tensions (2019-08-20)
(The Diplomat, By Ankit Panda) Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that the foreign ministers of China, Japan and South Korea will meet in Beijing on August 21. The Chinese Foreign Ministry further added that the upcoming meeting between China, Japan and South Korea will lay the groundwork for a leaders' summit. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - US-Southeast Asia Counterterrorism Cooperation in the Headlines with New Philippines Training Facility (2019-08-20)
(The Diplomat, By Prashanth Parameswaran) The U.S. and the Philippines signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a new Regional Counterterrorism Training Center in the Philippines. The MOU seeks to boost bilateral counterterrorism partnership between the U.S. and the Philippines, including Washington's commitment to address terrorism and violent extremism in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - The United States Will Miss China's Money (2019-08-20)
(Foreign Policy, By Zachary Karabell) While the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China has received immense attention, Americans should pay attention to the declining Chinese investment in the U.S. as the effect would be far-reaching. Chinese investments in the U.S. act as a powerful source of leverage and influence for change that the U.S. possesses. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - Trump Administration Approves F-16 Fighter Jet Sales to Taiwan (2019-08-16)
(New York Times, By Edward Wong) The Trump administration is moving forward with an $8 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan, American officials said Friday. The move is certain to further anger China at a time when a long-running trade war between Washington and Beijing has upended relations between the world’s two largest economies and contributed to stock market turmoil. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - Cathay Pacific C.E.O.’s Resignation Shows China’s Looming Power Over Hong Kong Unrest (2019-08-16)
(New York Times, By Raymond Zhong and Ezra Cheung) The resignation is a sign that China appears willing to put pressure on Hong Kong’s highest-profile businesses to show how serious it is about quelling the unrest, which it has described as “close to terrorism.” <Accessed 2019-08-20> - North Korea Launches 2 Projectiles; South Korean Experts Blame Trump (2019-08-15)
(New York Times, By Choe Sang-Hun) North Korea launched two projectiles yet again off its east coast on Friday, as South Korean analysts said President Trump’s repeated downplaying of the North’s weapons tests had given it a free hand to conduct them. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - Going From Hong Kong to Mainland China? Your Phone Is Subject to Search (2019-08-15)
(New York Times, By Raymond Zhong) Chinese border officers have begun routinely searching the phones of people who enter mainland China from Hong Kong, raising concerns that Beijing is trying to identify travelers sympathetic to the territory’s protest movement and further control what its people see about the unrest. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - Trump Says ‘Hong Kong Is Not Helping’ in Trade War With China (2019-08-15)
(New York Times, By Daniel Victor) In his most extensive comments on the months of unrest in Hong Kong, President Trump said on Wednesday that China should “humanely” settle the situation before a trade deal is reached. His comments, delivered on Twitter, for the first time tied the fate of pro-democracy protesters to a trade deal with China, a top administration priority. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - South Korea Leader Appeals to Japan as Dispute Festers (2019-08-15)
(New York Times, By Choe Sang-Hun) President Moon Jae-in of South Korea on Thursday struck a conciliatory note toward Japan after weeks of bitter feuding between Washington’s two key Asian allies, expressing hope that the two economies could cooperate to mend a worsening trade dispute. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - Waning of American Power? Trump Struggles With an Asia in Crisis (2019-08-13)
(New York Times, By Edward Wong) But as violence escalates and old animosities are rekindled across Asia, Washington has chosen inaction, and governments are ignoring the Trump administration’s mild admonitions and calls for calm. Whether it is the internal battles in India and Hong Kong or the rivalry between two American allies, Japan and South Korea, Mr. Trump and his advisers are staying on the sidelines. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - South Korea Retaliates Against Japan in Trade and Diplomatic Rift (2019-08-12)
(New York Times, By Choe Sang-Hun) South Korea retaliated against Japan on Monday in a diplomatic and trade dispute between the two key American allies, deciding to remove its neighbor from its list of countries entitled to preferential treatment in trade. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - North Korea Says It Tested New Type of Missile, Further Enhancing Its Arsenal (2019-08-11)
(New York Times, By Choe Sang-Hun) North Korea said on Sunday that the two projectiles it fired a day earlier were a new type of missile, making this the third new short-range ballistic missile or rocket system the North has successfully tested in less than a month as Washington struggles to resume talks on denuclearization. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - Huawei Denies Helping Governments of Uganda and Zambia Spy on Political Opponents (2019-08-17)
(South China Morning Post, By Jodi Xu Klein) Huawei Technologies sent a letter to The Wall Street Journal on Friday, denying the publication’s bombshell report describing how China’s tech giant allegedly helped the governments of two African nations spy on their political opponents. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - Germany’s Angela Merkel, France’s Foreign Minister Call for Dialogue to Defuse Hong Kong Tensions after China Rejects EU Statement on Protests (2019-08-15)
(South China Morning Post, By Stuart Lau) German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday jumped into the fray of Hong Kong’s anti-government protests, calling for an end to violence and a start to political dialogue. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - ASEAN Joins the Indo-Pacific Conversation (2019-08-16)
(East Asia Forum, By Nazia Hussain) After months of deliberation and hesitation, ASEAN finally contributed to the discussion on the evolving Indo-Pacific concept. The ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) was officially released at the 34th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok at the end of June 2019. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - Upgrading the ASEAN–China Free Trade Agreement (2019-08-14)
(East Asia Forum, By Jayant Menon and Anna Cassandra Melendez) In 2015, ASEAN and China signed an upgraded protocol to improve the original Framework Agreement for the ASEAN–China Free Trade Area (ACFTA). The upgraded protocol entered into force in July 2016 and implementation will start from August 2019. <Accessed 2019-08-20> - Will Hong Kong Flare Up or Flame Out? (2019-08-18)
(Foreign Policy, By Kathryn Salam) The recent protests in Hong Kong, which started as a result of the controversial extradition bill, flared up due to the nature of Hong Kong's relationship with China. Whether Hong Kong's battle in defending its freedom and democracy will persist or not depends largely on each Hong Konger's role in education the next generation. <Accessed 2019-08-18> - US Moves Ahead with $8 Billion F-16 Fighter Jets Sale to Taiwan (2019-08-18)
(The Diplomat, By Franz-Stefan Gady) The Trump administration has recently informed the U.S. Congress that it would submit Taiwan's arms deal package for informal review. The U.S. Department of State has yet to publicly comment or confirm on the proposed arms sale to Taiwan. <Accessed 2019-08-18> - Taiwan's 'Silk Road of Democracy' (2019-08-18)
(The Diplomat, By Wen Lii) In July, Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) sent a delegation to visit the Dalai Lama in India. The meetings demonstrate closer bilateral cooperation between Taiwan and Tibetans. Furthermore, Taiwan hopes to form stronger ties among Taiwanese, Hong Kongers, Tibetans, Uyghurs and Chinese who are pro-democracy, which is in line with Taiwan's "Silk Road of Democracy" initiative. <Accessed 2019-08-18> - US Says Taiwan Defense Spending to Rise with China Threat (2019-08-18)
(The Diplomat/Associated Press) W. Brent Christensen, director of the American institute in Taiwan (AIT), remarked that the U.S. anticipates that Taiwan will continue to increase its defense spending to boost its self-defense capability amid growing Chinese security threats. In response, China announced that it would impose sanctions on any U.S. enterprises that participated in the arms sales to Taiwan. <Accessed 2019-08-18> - As China Cracks Down on Uighurs, a Uighur American Joins the White House (2019-08-16)
(Foreign Policy, By Amy Mackinnon and Robbie Gramer) Elnigar Iltebir, a Uighur American, was appointed as director for China at the National Security Council. Her role is to help manage China policy on issues relating to trade, military and human rights. <Accessed 2019-08-16> - Will Beijing Use Force to End the Hong Kong Protests? (2019-08-16)
(The Diplomat, By Shannon Tiezzi) The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has many tools that it could use to quell the Hong Kong protest movement without resorting to its military or paramilitary. Nonetheless, we should not rule out the possibility of Beijing deploying the People's Armed Police (PAP). The CCP has used the PAP to quell protests in Xinjiang and Tibet. <Accessed 2019-08-16> - China has Limited Options in Hong Kong (2019-08-16)
(The Diplomat, By Abbas Faiz) Despite China losing its patience with the recent public unrest in Hong Kong, Hong Kong law prevents China from deploying its military in Hong Kong unless officially requested by Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam. Moving troops into Hong Kong to quell the protests could have serious international implications for China and could potentially damage China's reputation on the global platform. <Accessed 2019-08-16> - America's Anti-China Mood is Here to Stay (2019-08-16)
(The Diplomat, By Joe Renouard) Despite optimists being hopeful that there could be a breakthrough on the trade talks between the U.S. and China, there is a growing anti-China mood in Washington. The U.S. describes China as a "whole-of-nation" threat that warrants a reciprocal response from Americans. Such counter-China sentiments could be seen in executive statements and legislative reports on security, trade and military. <Accessed 2019-08-16> - China Rejects Request for Hong Kong Port Call on 2 US Navy Warships (2019-08-16)
(The Diplomat, By Franz-Stefan Gady) China denied two U.S. Navy warships port visits to Hong Kong due to the escalating political crisis on the controversial extradition bill in Hong Kong. China has continuously warned the U.S. not to interfere in Hong Kong. <Accessed 2019-08-16> - Flights Restart at Hong Kong Airport as Protesters Apologize (2019-08-16)
(The Diplomat, By Vincent Thian and Yanan Wang) Flights finally resumed at Hong Kong's international airport after two days of occupation by protesters. A group of protesters issued a statement via email apologizing to passengers for causing delays to their flight schedules. <Accessed 2019-08-16> - China's Type 001A Carrier Continues Sea Trials Amid Possible Complications (2019-08-16)
(The Diplomat, By Ankit Panda) China's Type 001A carrier will continue with its sea trials despite reports of possible complications. Besides testing the carrier's ability to move on the seas, the trials will also test its ability to recover and launch aircraft. <Accessed 2019-08-16> - The South China Sea Island China Gave Away (2019-08-16)
(The Diplomat, By Zhen-Gang Ji) In a secret agreement in 1957, Chairman Mao Zedong decided to hand over Bach Long Vi to North Vietnam. The decision to transfer Bach Long Vi to North Vietnam was because of Mao and Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary friendship and a shared common anti-American goal. <Accessed 2019-08-16> - Understanding Civil-Military Relations and Anti-Submarine Warfare (2019-08-16)
(The Diplomat, By Robert Farley) The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has greatly developed its anti-submarine capabilities over the past 10 years and devoted greater resources and attention to the anti-submarine mission. The PLAN's anti-submarine capabilities include air, surface and subsurface systems to hunt and kill U.S. and Japanese subs. <Accessed 2019-08-16> - China's J-20 Stealth Fighter Today and Into the 2020s (2019-08-16)
(The Diplomat, By Rick Joe) Going into the 2020s, there is a likelihood that China will further expand the production of J-20 using Al-31 variants or WS-10 variants interim engines. However, it is still uncertain as to how many J-20s the People's Liberation Army (PLA) will acquire. <Accessed 2019-08-16>
