The need to alleviate the strain of great-power competition and navigate uncertainties in international politics has prompted many countries to broaden their partnerships and establish new avenues of cooperation. Taiwan is no exception. Since the official launch of the New Southbound Policy (NSP) in 2016, the Tsai Ing-wen administration has made great strides to strengthen … Read more
Last month, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence warned in its Annual Threat Assessment that China is intensifying its “efforts to mold U.S. public discourse” and will also likely continue to “apply military and economic pressure as well as public messaging and influence activities while promoting long-term cross-Strait economic and social integration to … Read more
Taiwan is now a geopolitical hotspot. Bloomberg Economics assesses the global economic impact of a war over Taiwan at $10 trillion – dwarfing the blow from the war in Ukraine or the COVID-19 pandemic. Some nations are trying economically and militarily to deter China from reunifying Taiwan by force. In fact, the best deterrent is … Read more
Chinese President Xi Jinping and former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou met on April 10 at 4 p.m. at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Earlier media reports suggested that Ma and Xi would meet on April 8. It has been speculated that the original date of the meeting was changed so that Ma … Read more
April 3 began as a typical day for the people of Taiwan. Workers and students set out on their usual commutes as cities across the island bustled with the usual activities of daily life. At 7:58 a.m. local time, during the peak of morning rush hour, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast of … Read more
Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush hour on Wednesday, damaging buildings and causing the deaths of four people. Taiwan’s national fire agency said four people died in Hualien County. Hualien was the epicenter of the quake that struck around 8 a.m. Wednesday. The local United Daily News … Read more
Their days often began at the crack of dawn. They’d head out to a church, a temple, a park and set up a stall. They’d seek out seniors in particular, those who are perhaps the most vulnerable citizens of the information-saturated society that has enveloped them. To get people to stop and listen, they’d offer … Read more
Firing rifles in different positions, crawling forward in simulated scenarios filled with explosions, evacuating wounded soldiers, and providing emergency first aid – the Taiwanese military’s first batch of one-year conscripts recently completed their eight-week basic training. This marked a turning point in the country’s defense strategy, reflecting President Tsai Ing-wen’s decision announced in December 2022 … Read more
As Philippine-China tensions continue near the Second Thomas Shoal, Taiwan is now facing its own South China Sea dilemma. While Taiwan’s South China Sea issue is currently a domestic political matter, the outcome could have regional effects. Over the last several months, Taiwan lawmakers have publicly debated whether President Tsai Ing-wen should visit Itu Aba (Taiping Island … Read more
In a rare display of cooperation, Taiwan’s coast guard, following requests from China’s coast guard, initiated search and rescue missions with their counterparts for surviving sailors after a fishing boat capsized near the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen Islands and Matsu Islands, groups of heavily fortified islands only miles away from the Chinese mainland. On March 14, Taiwan … Read more