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  ♦  ♦♦♦  Trump's tariffs   ♦♦ ♦ Taiwan's Trump problem    ♦♦♦  China-Taiwan war  ♦♦♦♦  China holds drills ; Taiwan lost its China spy war ♦♦ ♦♦  how world backs Beijing's claim  ♦♦♦  US supports Taiwan independence ?♦♦♦  Trump's defense policy on Taiwan  ♦♦♦   unprecedented recall  ♦♦♦   political vendetta  ♦♦♦  Lawmakers brawl  ♦♦♦   more  ♦♦♦   resource
   

China - Taiwan  War
◆◆Brookings, 2025-4-25 Only 37.5% of respondents in Taiwan believed in March 2025 that it is “likely” or “very likely” that the United States would intervene in a military conflict. Across almost all measures on the survey, the United States is seen as a less reliable partner, Taiwan and South Korea both feel less confident that the United States will assist them in the event of a conflict with their respective authoritarian neighbor.brookings.edu/articles/the-trump-effect-on-public-attitudes-toward-america-in-taiwan-and-south-korea/
◆◆TIME, 2025-4-26 Why China-Taiwan relations are getting so tense? Lai Ching-te's DPP lacks a parliamentary majority, and he can't be sure the Trump Administration has his back. Whatever his political intent, Lai has become more strident on cross-Taiwan Strait questions in recent weeks.
◆◆Reuters, 2025-4-18 the Republican Senator Pete Ricketts said that although administrations change, the bipartisan support for Taiwan in Congress continued; The US will keep helping Taiwan in its self-defence.
◆◆The Hill, 2025-4-19 The commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, gave testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee: In 2024, the People's Liberation Party demonstrated growing capabilities through persistent pressure operations with military pressure against Taiwan increasing by 300%”, “China's increasingly aggressive actions near Taiwan are not just exercises, they are rehearsals”.
◆◆The Insider, 2025-4-19 The commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command: China could stop US airpower from achieving air superiority in the first island chain, China's fighter fleet, bombers, and missiles are enough to cause problems. "their advanced long-range air-to-air missiles also present a tremendous threat.".  Researchers have said that China could more easily devastate American airpower than the other way around.
◆◆PBS, 2025-4-7 Taiwan's financial systems, energy and communications are vulnerable to Chinese blockade and cyberattack, and critics worry Taiwan isn't doing enough to prepare for social and economic disruption.   On paper, Taiwan's reserves appear large. But these men say military training is insufficient, Many young people today are reluctant to join the armed forces. There's also a general lack of awareness among civilians about the importance of national defense.
◆◆Washington Post, 2025-3-21 “We are moving toward conflict escalation with China, that's for sure,” said a professor at National Chengchi University.
◆◆Wall Street Journal, 2025-3-17 Taiwan envisions Chinese assaults on the island to potentially come by land, sea, air and space as well as through cyberattacks, among others. China could launch a rapid invasion or blockade Taiwan to try to pressure it into submission.

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Trump's new tariffs , Taiwan's chips
◆  The Hill,   2025-4-28 Taiwan's semiconductor industry no longer guarantees lasting security. The US is pressing Taiwan TSMC to increase production in the US, reducing its reliance on Taiwan-based manufacturing. As Taiwan's economic leverage diminishes,  will Washington still view it as indispensable? “Once Trump's America gets what it wants — or if you remove the chips from the equation — will the assurance still be there?”
◆  TIME,   2025-4-26 Though we don't yet know his tariff intentions toward Taiwan, Trump is extremely unlikely to cut it loose, at least in the near term.
◆  New York Times,   2025-4-16 President Trump has threatened tariffs on Taiwan and the chip industry. China has signaled it will not let the trade war keep it from the technology it needs. Analysts said China's move to exempt chips made in Taiwan was an acknowledgment of just how much China's tech relied on Taiwan. Expert at Techcet said,“Everyone is holding their breath" nytimes.com/2025/04/16/business/china-taiwan-tariffs-chips.html
◆  BBC,   2025-4-16 Trump is trying to create a chip industry through protectionism and isolation, when what allowed the chip industry to emerge throughout Asia is the opposite: collaboration in a globalised economy.   TSMC have faced challenges with their investments, including surging costs, difficulty recruiting skilled labour, construction delays and resistance from local unions.  major US companies could apply pressure on Trump to reverse any levies on the chip sector.yahoo.com/news/perils-trumps-chips-strategy-us-233939824.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
◆  Washington Post,   2025-4-9 Tariffs put Taiwan on shaky ground with U.S., may open door for China. Taiwan can't afford to take on Beijing and Washington at the same time, Taiwanese professor at NCCU said.  The U.S. aims to push other countries into negotiations through raising the tariffs, hoping they'll buy more American goods and services,  For Taiwan, key areas include natural gas and defense weapons.
◆  Business Insider,   2025-4-8 Trump tariffs are all about Taiwan. Tariffs are an attempt by Trump to reorder the global economy away from Chinese manufacturing.businessinsider.com/trump-tariffs-taiwan-china-invasion-explained-2025-4

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Taiwan has a Trump problem
◆  The Hill,   2025-4-28 U.S. support is no longer a given. Taiwan risks becoming less a steadfast partner and more a bargaining chip in the U.S.-China rivalry — or worse, standing alone against China
◆◆TIME, 2025-4-26 If he won't take on costs and risks to help Ukraine repel Russian invaders, how confident can Taiwan be that Trump will commit U.S. troops and taxpayer funds to defend an “ally” thousands of miles from American shores?
◆◆The WEEK, 2025-4-15 Increasing economic dependence on the US "could placate Mr Trump", said The Spectator, but "experience shows that it could just become a way for Trump to exert more pressure in the future"
◆◆Newsweek, 2025-4-8 Would Donald Trump Defend Taiwan?  Even as Pete Hegseth said that the U.S. priority is the Indo Pacific, the U.S. military is focused on the Middle East, and there have been reports that the U.S. THAAD battery in Seoul along with two Patriot missile batteries, deployed elsewhere, were moved to the Middle East.
◆◆The SUN (UK), 2025-4-8 Trump v Xi trade war makes world a scarier place – China could launch full scale invasion of Taiwan.  Trump cares about the TSMC, but he has made it clear he really doesn't care about Taiwan as an independent democratic state or as a staunch Western ally.  The word is,  Trump has made it clear to China that if he reached some grand bargain with Beijing that was better for America, he'd stand aside and let it absorb Taiwan.
◆◆Wall Street Journal, 2025-3-17 Taiwan's military planners signal to Washington the desire for a stable relationship as anxieties simmer in Taipei about whether President Trump would send help to defend against a Chinese attack.  Trump's recent suspension of U.S. support for Ukraine heightened those concerns in Taiwan.
◆◆Washington Post, 2025-3-21 The U.S. president's transactional approach has unnerved many in Taiwan.   The long-standing U.S. policy of “strategic ambiguity”is now even more pronounced.

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China-Taiwan war (2)
◆◆Associated Press, 2025-3-18 China conducts air and sea drills (an unusually large number of Chinese military ships, planes and drones entered airspace and waters surrounding Taiwan )  in response to US and Taiwanese statements.  Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te said that Taiwan law designates mainland China as a “foreign hostile force” and said tougher measures... The United States deleted the literal expression that reflected the one-China principle and that did not support Taiwan independence on the website of the U.S. Department of State.
◆  Brookings, 2025-3-13 In surveys (2021, 2022), Taiwanese people were asked how likely they are to be willing to fight against an invasion by China on a one-to-five scale. After observing the invasion, more respondents gravitated to extreme options.  A research in 2022 indicated that the more Taiwanese citizens believe the United States will assist Taiwan, the higher their willingness to engage in self-defense becomes. Additionally, a 2024 study by Ronan Tse-min Fu and colleagues found that when Taiwanese individuals perceive that Taiwan and U.S. interests align, they are more likely to trust that the United States will provide assistance, thereby strengthening their resolve for self-defense.
◆  Fox News, 2025-3-2 most Taiwanese aren't willing to make the sacrifices required for victory in war. Migrant workers serving as essentially mercenaries would only highlight how few of our citizens are willing to fight .  Taiwanese expert says: I understand the logic behind the U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity, but I fear far too many Taiwanese people – especially younger people – are counting on a rescue from Uncle Sam"
◆  Wall Street Journal, 2025-2-22 Taiwan must "adopt a new military culture" akin to that of Israel, turning itself into a warrior-state.
the DPP has flirted with sovereignty and self-determination, it has always been careful to stop short of provoking China with any outright declaration of independence —— that has kept Taiwan and China from falling into war.
◆  Brookings, 2025-2-12 China's strategy of “coercion without violence” includes cyber intrusions, economic coercion, influence operations, bribery, organized crime, united front activities, and ceaseless and intensifying military pressure surrounding Taiwan. In other words, Beijing is taking a full spectrum of actions...
◆    Economist, 2025-2-6 China is infiltrating Taiwan's armed forces.  Most of the prosecuted cases have been uncovered through internal reporting, showing that anti-spy education is working.
◆    New York Post, 2025-1-23 Trump says he can strike deals that would keep China out of Taiwan. “We have a pot of gold.”,“We have one very big power over China and that's tariffs”.
◆    Washington Post, 2025-1-17 Taiwan is entering a period of political upheaval that could hinder its combat readiness; The two parties (KMT, TPP) that hold the majority in parliament are calling for substantial cuts, including to defense spending; Debates over defense — “whether to increase the military budget or pay a ‘protection fee’ to Trump” — are being “turned into battlegrounds for partisan conflict”.  Trump has declined to give Biden's promise, instead calling for Taipei to pay for U.S. protection.
◆   Council on Foreign Relations,   2025-1-15 A top concern among U.S. security analysts is that China's growing military capabilities and assertiveness, as well as the deterioration in cross-strait relations, could spark a conflict that leads to a U.S.-China confrontation.
◆   Financial Times, 2025-1-13 Taiwan's long stretches of the coast comprise cliffs, reefs and rocks, while the flatter western seaboard is lined with mudflats.  China building new mobile piers could help possible Taiwan invasion;  But military experts said a Chinese invasion force would still struggle to advance through Taiwan's western plains, which are densely packed with paddy fields, fish ponds and urban sprawl, with wide roads often hard to reach from shore.
◆   Bloomberg,   2025-1-14

Taiwan's military is  not  prepared  for a Trumpian  World; With the former president soon back in the White House, Taipei needs to rethink its defense strategy. 
◆   The Hill, 2025-1-7 a professor at Brown University said the cost of a war with China is “incalculable” and would at the very least sow mass destruction in Taiwan and the South China Sea region;  the U.S. should avoid a war over Taiwan, arguing it amounts to a civil war dispute and, for the U.S., a moral conundrum more than a national security risk.
◆   Financial Times, 2025-1-5 Taiwan suspects a Chinese-owned ship of cutting a subsea cable off its northern coast.

Taipei is concerned that such “greyzone” operations, below the threshold of war, will make it harder to defend against aggression that could eventually escalate to an outright attack.

ps:  Politico Europe (2025-1-5): Taiwan has experienced several dozen incidents of damage to its underwater telecom cables in recent years, without being able to definitively identify the source of the attacks, and has appealed to the European Union for help.
◆  Wall Street Journal,   2025-1-3 In addition to unleashing its full military power, Beijing would be expected to use a variety of economic strategies in a showdown over Taiwan. A 2023 study by Rhodium Group and the Atlantic Council concluded that Beijing has been more systematic in preparing such defenses than Russia was to counter Western sanctions.
◆  Washington Post,   2025-1-1 Xi's New Year speech:  "No one can sever our blood ties, and no one can stop the historical trend of the reunification of the motherland!"
◆  Washington Examiner,   2025-1-1 The quantity and quality of munitions to deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan has fallen as they have been diverted to Ukraine. The sooner the war in Ukraine ends, the sooner American forces can rearm in the Pacific. While Taiwan's 2.5% of GDP spent on defense is impressive compared to many European nations, it is nowhere near what is needed in a nation at the front line of conflict.
◆  New York Times,   2024-12-31 Without a plan, a Taiwan crisis risks undermining the foundations of American prosperity and security. As a report from a House panel concluded last year: "The United States lacks a contingency plan for the economic and financial impacts of conflict" with China.  Imposing sweeping sanctions on China would undermine the international economic system that the United States is uniquely positioned to protect.
◆   USNI News, 2024-12-19 The Pentagon's report recognizes that China has “both the will and capability to alter the international order in its favor”;  but Xi Jinping's goal of having his military ready to carry out a “short, sharp invasion” of Taiwan by 2027 “is not possible right now”; the force has not yet demonstrated the type and scale of sophisticated urban warfare or long-distance logistic capabilities that would likely be required for operations against Taiwan or major contingencies overseas”.
◆   Financial Times, 2024-12-13 US nuclear build-up would not help deter China from using atomic weapons in Taiwan, war game finds;  Unclassified exercise by CSIS and MIT suggests Washington should not go beyond current modernisation plans...  only five of 15 iterations of the nuclear game ended with a withdrawal of the PLA.
◆   Economist, 2024-12-5 American military officials have long worried about a “window of vulnerability” before new weapons enter into service in the 2030s.  But corruption in the PLA is changing the calculations of analysts; China's economic woes and social discontent mean that Mr Xi is turning inward.

The views (the period of greatest danger has probably been pushed out for several years) are not universally shared, in or out of government.  “Xi has his foot firmly on the accelerator and a full tank of gas".
◆   VOX, 2024-12-16 a majority of Taiwanese and US national security experts do not believe China currently has the capability to carry out an amphibious invasion of Taiwan, most do believe China could currently enact either a blockade or a quarantine of the island. And such an operation may prove just as effective while carrying far less risk for Beijing.
◆   Breaking Defense,   2024-12-6 The head of the Defense Intelligence Agency: China did appear to be on track to meet Xi's 2027 preparedness goal.
 House intel's Himes: You could implement a blockade. You know, what? If you invade Taiwan, what happens? A. You may lose. B. You may reduce the place to smoking rubble, what have you really achieved economically?
◆   Newsweek,   2024-11-20 U.S. Pacific Commander Samuel Paparo:  a cross-strait invasion executed by the Chinese military would be "exceedingly difficult" given the advantages of the U.S. and allies.
◆  Washington Examiner,   2024-12-4 Chinese leaders have said they want their military to be prepared to invade Taiwan by 2027, though U.S. defense leaders have said the date does not guarantee a decision to carry out such an operation has been made. 
War with China would exhaust munition stockpiles "very rapidly", national security adviser J. Sullivan acknowledged that China has "the single biggest advantage", "God forbid we end up in a full-scale war with the PRC" .

　

Trump's tariff (2)
◆   CNN, 2025-3-14 TSMC paying Trump a $100 billion ‘protection fee’ reignited fears and resignation in Taiwan about losing its crown jewel.   An economist at the University of Chicago: TSMC and others will have to “do whatever they can to make Trump happy.” But the risk is “Once you agree to blackmail, then there's no end of it”
◆   Fortune, 2025-3-13 TSMC's $100 billion promise to invest in the U.S. won’t shake up the chip supply chain: ‘Most of its capacity is still in Taiwan’.  a senior research analyst at Isaiah Research is skeptical that TSMC's $100 billion pledge will fully materialize.   Timelines for reaching the next generations of chips are “not quite aligned with U.S. capacity right now.
◆   NPR, 2025-3-12 Taiwanese chip giant's investments in U.S. stir 'silicon shield' security worries and divide politics in Taiwan.  TSMC chairman is facing a dilemma, because on one hand, he needs to meet the needs of the Trump administration. On the other hand, he needs to assure the Taiwanese people that we'll be safe.
◆   New York Times, 2025-3-6 Taiwan's president tries to ease fears and criticism over TSMC's investment in the US.  President Trump has pressed Taiwan to loosen its dominance in advanced semiconductors and to move production to the United States, and he has warned of hefty tariffs if his demands are not met.nytimes.com/2025/03/06/world/asia/taiwan-tsmc-chips-arizona.html
◆  Reuters, 2025-3-4 TSMC's $100 bln gamble jeopardises 'Taiwan First'.  TSMC committed to set up a major research and development centre stateside, despite an earlier assurance from boss C.C. Wei to keep innovation on the company's home island. That's a threat to Taiwan in multiple ways. The enormous disruption that military conflict would inflict on global semiconductor supply chains is a core part of the deterrence. But the more that TSMC replicates its business offshore, the more this protection will erode.
◆  NY Times, 2025-2-13 Taiwan is adjusting to a shift in its relationship with the United States, its primary backer — one that does not focus on shared democratic ideals, and that is more uncertain and transactional. Taiwanese officials have traveled to Washington to float energy deals and defend the island's semiconductors.
◆  Reuters, 2025-2-15 Taiwan pledges chip talks and investment to mollify Trump
◆  Bloomberg, 2025-2-15 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is considering taking a controlling stake in Intel Corp.'s factories at the request of Trump administration officials, as the president looks to boost American manufacturing and maintain US leadership in critical technologies.
◆  Reuters, 2025-2-14; PC Magazine, 2025-2-13 Trump: Intel was great until 'Taiwan took our chip business away'' ; Trump says he wants it (chip business ) back, "If they don't bring it back, we're not going to be very happy”
◆  Fortune, 2025-2-3 Taiwan offers to help firms move production to the U.S., Southeast Asia, or India as Trump threatens tariffs.  a U.S. think tank argues that a tariff on Taiwanese chips would likely backfire. The organization claims that such a measure will increase prices, hurt U.S. tech firms, and damage relations with Taiwan, while also failing to drive chip and electronics manufacturing back to the U.S
◆  Washington Post, 2025-1-28 the vast majority of chip production happens overseas, particularly in Taiwan  ── Trump said he wanted the manufacturers of semiconductors and chips — which are used in many high-end consumer electronics and sophisticated AI-powered technology and research — to open factories in the United States and would use the threat of high taxes and tariffs to force them to relocate.
◆  Politico (EU), 2025-1-30 Trump threatened to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on Taiwanese semiconductor imports in a bid to “return production of these essential goods to the United States of America.” Taipei will convene “emergency discussions” to determine countermeasures...
◆  Reuters, 2025-1-28 Taiwan Economy Minister said he only expected a small impact from any tariffs imposed by Trump on semiconductor exports given their technological superiority.

In another potential challenge for Taiwan, Trump last week directed federal agencies to investigate persistent U.S. trade deficits and unfair trade practices and alleged currency manipulation by other countries
◆   Business Insider, 2025-1-28 US tariffs on Taiwan's semiconductors could result in a steep increase in costs to Nvidia and other significant customers, such as Apple and AMD. Chip manufacturing efforts in the US are less developed and more expensive than those in Taiwan.   the US's chip manufacturing sector could take years to develop the same capacity as Taiwan's.
◆  CNN, 2024-12-15 Trump's remarks have prompted jitters that Taiwan would need to move more of its critical chip supply chain to the US at a faster pace, that could affect the island's economic security and dismantle the very “silicon shield”  ...

　

Taiwan has Trump problem (2)
◆◆The Hill, 2025-3-13 Taiwan president Lai has clearly gotten the message that he must increase defense spending in a world where the U.S. appears increasingly likely to leave small powers to fend for themselves.
◆◆TIME, 2025-2-27 University of London expert says: I haven't seen any evidence that Trump cares much about Taiwan.  Nanyang Technological University scholar says: China may be able to take Taiwan “without too much U.S. interference” if Beijing is able to strike a similar deal with Washington.
◆◆Eurasian Times, 2025-3-1 Same Playbook! just like the Ukraine minerals deal, the U.S. seeks to secure Taiwan's semiconductor technology through the TSMC-Intel deal.  The agreements conspicuously lack one crucial element—security guarantees in both cases.
◆◆New York Times, 2025-2-25 Mr. Trump executes a dramatic reversal of U.S. policy toward Ukraine, insisting that Ukraine is to blame for the war;  In Taiwan, Mr. Trump's stinging comments about Ukraine could feed a current of public opinion arguing that the island has been repeatedly abandoned by Washington and cannot trust its promises.
◆◆ Washington Post, 2025-2-18 Each statement by Trump that degrades the principle that territorial boundaries must not be redrawn by force or coercion might embolden China on Taiwan.  political scientist Graham Allison :  “Taiwan will be depreciated in the triangular relationship”,“I see no evidence whatever that [Trump] believes the U.S. has any vital interest in Taiwan.”
◆◆Council on Foreign Relations, 2025-2-21 Trump is making Taiwan more vulnerable. Trump has also made clear that he wants to negotiate a broad economic deal with China, which raises the question of what China will seek in return. If Trump can take Greenland, why can't China take Taiwan?
◆◆The Guardian, 2025-2-21 Taiwan holds its breath as a withdrawal of American support here would spark an existential crisis.  “The Trump administration has already demonstrated that it is willing to suddenly and without warning break from decades of bipartisan US policy on China,” says head at ASPI.  Worries about Trump's “lukewarm” view of Taiwan are becoming more obvious ...says professor  at Taiwan's National ChengChi university.
◆◆Bloomberg, 2025-2-14 Taiwan President pledged to boost military spending  to 3% of GDP; Trump suggested the archipelago should devote 10% of GDP to its armed forces.  The extra funds for defense would be secured through a special budget, Lai said. Such a move would require the cooperation of opposition lawmakers because they control the legislature.
◆◆NY Times, 2025-2-13 some hard-line hawks on Taiwan have been left out, “It looks like Taiwan bet on some of the wrong horses.” ; Elbridge Colby warned that Taiwan should not assume that it was indispensable to the United States.
◆◆Fox News, 2025-2-7 Trump's comments on the campaign trail suggest that he would not be willing to put boots on the ground to face another global superpower in defense of the island democracy.
◆◆Newsweek, 2025-1-3 Trump, who positioned himself as being tough on China, has suggested he would not defend Taiwan from China
◆◆Politico (EU), 2025-1-30 President Donald Trump's threat to use military force to take control of Greenland and Panama has spooked Taiwan.  This could  embolden Beijing to apply that same logic to pursuing its claims to Taiwan.
◆◆The Atlantics, 2024-10-25 The shortcomings of Taiwan's military lend some validity to Trump's complaint that America's allies don't pay enough for their own defense and dump too much of the responsibility onto the United States—a burden that a second Trump administration might not be committed to bear.
◆◆New York Times, 2024-10-26 Mr. Trump criticized Taiwan, saying that “they stole our chip business”,“They want us to protect, ... They don't pay us money for the protection... The mob makes you pay money, right?”America's heavy reliance on Taiwan's semiconductors has been a growing source of concern among U.S. officials, given China's ongoing threats to invade the self-governing island.

　

Taiwan's  Tougher Stance on China
◆◆Washington Post, 2025-3-31 Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has also adopted a harder line toward China and moved to crack down more on Chinese espionage in what analysts say is an effort to appeal to China hawks in the Trump administration.
◆◆New York Times, 2025-3-23 Taiwan President's Gambit: Time for a Tougher Stance on China.  President Lai may be betting that China's appetite for retaliation will be limited by Beijing's interest in containing tensions with the Trump administration. Part of Lai's calculus is that if the opposition played games with his proposed defense spending increase, that would get Washington's attention in a way they really don't want.  Nationalist politicians accused Lai of unfairly casting his domestic critics as “red” tools of Beijing,  and argue that reinstating   military courts  is backsliding.
◆◆Washington Post, 2025-3-21  For decades, Taiwanese leaders have performed a delicate dance of defending Taiwan’s sovereignty while not provoking Beijing. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te is changing that.  “We are moving toward conflict escalation with China, that's for sure,” said a professor  at National Chengchi University.

　

 China holds large-scale drills around Taiwan after president Lai announced measures to counter China's influence and espionage
Taiwan already lost its China spy war
◆◆New York Times, 2025-4-1 Chinese land, navy, air and missile forces would “approach close” to Taiwan and practice “seizure of overall control, etc.  The exercises appeared intended to intimidate Taiwan, without tipping over into a wider confrontation or crisis.  They likely want to persuade the Trump administration that Lai is a troublemaker and to deter the U.S. from maintaining high levels of support to Taiwan.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/world/asia/china-taiwan-military-drills.html
◆◆CNN, 2025-4-1 China's armed forces will “close in” on the self-governing island from “multiple directions”, testing US resolve.  US defense chief Pete Hegseth vowed to counter “China's aggression” on his first visit to Asia days ago.  Taiwan's government officials and experts view the Chinese drills as a signal to the Trump administration.   China also  released a series of propaganda videos, including one that depicts president Lai as a green cartoon bug and calls him a “parasite” hollowing out the island.
◆◆Washington Post, 2025-4-1 China targets Taiwan's president with military drills and personal attacks. Taiwanese expert: "we should call it a pre-invasion operation.”  By specifically targeting Taiwan and blaming Lai, China is engaging in “cognitive warfare” that is gradually making Taiwanese numb to the real threats they face. The gradual ratcheting up of activity in frequency and complexity raises the possibility that “drills could escalate into actual conflict”.
◆◆Washington Post, 2025-3-28 Taiwanese soldiers guarding president's office were spying for China. This shows how severe China's infiltration is in Taiwan; Taiwan's sentencing on espionage activities has been too lenient.  It is now even more uncertain whether Washington would come to Taiwan's aid. Taipei's latest crackdown on espionage helps show Washington that Taiwan is serious about plugging leaks 
◆◆The Diplomat, 2025-4-1 the U.S. has called on Taiwan to do more for its own security, including taking action on frequent cases of defection or espionage
◆◆Washington Examiner,  2025-3-25  Taiwan has already lost its China spy war.  Taiwan's defense and security structures are so deeply penetrated by Chinese spies that Beijing knows everything about its plans to deter aggression by the People's Liberation Army, including American defense and intelligence secrets. At this point, any secrets Washington shares with our Taiwanese partners stand a high chance of winding up in Chinese Communist hands.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/courage-strength-optimism/3357074/taiwan-has-already-lost-its-china-spy-war
◆◆Stanford Review, 2025-2-24 Taiwan's military is dilapidated. Reports of Chinese espionage and infiltration are commonplace throughout Taiwan's military and civil society.
◆◆Reuters, 2021-12-20 The repeated cases of the most senior level of Taiwan armed forces officers being convicted of espionage...Beijing has even penetrated the security detail assigned to protect Taiwan's President.  Well-placed spies in the ranks of the Taiwan military could offer a priceless advantage to China if the two sides plunge into open conflict, according to Taiwanese and U.S. military analysts.

　

　


　

 
No.1  "review Taiwan"  on Duckduckgo,  2025-3-3, 2025-2-22, 2025-2-12, 2025-1-30, 2024-9-15, 2024-8-8, 2024-8-2, 2024-7-23, 2024-6-3, 2024-1-1, 2023-1-1; No.2 at 2024-7-11, 2024-7-1

　

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China fumes at Trump after the State Department drops website wording on not supporting Taiwan independence
♣   New York Post, 2025-2-18 The US agreed to acknowledge the so-called One China Policy and recognize Taiwan as part of China in the 1970s under then-President Nixon. But while the US has agreed to the One China Policy on paper, in practice, it has historically shown “strategic ambiguity” on the issue.
♣   NBC News, 2025-2-17 The State Department website has also been changed to add a reference to Taiwan's cooperation with a Pentagon technology and semiconductor development project and to say the U.S. will continue to support Taiwan's participation in international organizations, “including membership where applicable.  China has consistently opposed Taiwan's membership in international bodies such as the WHO.
♣   Independent (UK), 2025-2-17 Beijing accused the Trump administration of "gravely backpedalling" ; It is not the first time the State Department has removed the phrase. It did so in May 2022 but restored it a few weeks later after a strong protest from China.
♣   USA Today , 2025-2-17 US drops website wording on not supporting Taiwan independence, prompting praise from Taiwan island.  the State Department website reads in the update posted : "We expect cross-Strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the (Taiwan) Strait."
♣   The Hill , 2025-2-9 The president's rhetorical pivot from threats to compliments suggests that he may smell a deal in the air.  But US concessions (such as agreeing to "oppose" rather than "not support" Taiwan independence...)  would make the U.S. strategic position in Asia increasingly vulnerable, as they leave Beijing with openings for future exploitation.

　

How much of the world backs Beijing's claim to Taiwan?
♣   Economist, 2025-2-9 By The Economist's count, 70 countries have now officially endorsed that China is entitled to pursue “all” efforts to achieve unification, without specifying that those efforts should be peaceful.  China's latest diplomatic push appears to be designed to secure global support for its broadening campaign of coercion against Taiwan. That campaign includes the threat of imposing a quarantine or inspection regime on Taiwan  economist.com/international/2025/02/09/chinas-stunning-new-campaign-to-turn-the-world-against-taiwan
♣   Lowy Institute , 2025-1-29 nearly three-quarters of countries (74% or 142 in total) now support Beijing's position that Taiwan is part of China.。A growing number of countries support PRC efforts to “achieve national reunification” without any caveat that Beijing's objectives should be pursued peacefully. The widespread adoption of Beijing's stance might constrain US-led deterrence efforts and could provide the PRC with extra licence to escalate military aggression lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/how-much-world-really-backs-beijing-s-claim-taiwan
♣  National Review . 2024-10-7 Taiwan is losing the battle for diplomatic recognition overseas. The island nation cannot compete with China's “checkbook diplomacy,” preferring instead to await the day when the foreign beneficiaries of Beijing’s largess recognize the substandard services they're purchasing and see for themselves the point of diminishing returns.  Washington treated Taiwan as a chip to be traded away.
♣  National Public Radio, 2024-8-19 Taiwan is not officially considered a sovereign nation by most other countries and does not have the ability to conduct normal diplomacy. 

　

The scale of this recall effort is unprecedented in Taiwan's democratic history
◆  Foreign Policy, 2025-2-3 The ruling party's engaging in violence in the legislature to prevent bills from being passed, launching what many see as a political witch hunt against the leader of the third party, and attempting politically motivated recalls to target dozens of opposition lawmakers is a terrible look for any self-respecting democracy. These dysfunctional domestic politics are not just embarrassing, but damaging for Taiwan's stability  ──  in Taiwan, recalls have been wielded in a retaliatory and petty manner as political weapons rather than as legitimate means of kicking bad politicians out of office.  The opposition warned that if the DPP could use the judicial system against Ko, it could go after any other politician.
◆  The Diplomat, 2025-1-28 The KMT-TPP alliance's deep cuts to government budget spark widespread recall efforts against KMT legislators in Taiwan.   The scale of this recall effort is unprecedented in Taiwan's democratic history.  Most importantly, the budget cuts raise international doubts about Taiwan's determination to defend itself.  TPP claimed that the reduction is only 6.6 percent of the proposed budget and that the remaining budget is “more than sufficient” for the government's operations.  The majority may not support the recalls.
◆  Washington Times, 2024-12-27 "Elbridge Colby and Pete Hegseth: Charting a new course for U.S.-Taiwan security":  With the possibility of recall elections targeting these KMT politicians, Taiwan has an opportunity to confront these internal threats and demonstrate its commitment to national security.

　

Prosecutors indict former presidential candidate Ko   ♦    He and his supports accused  a political vendetta
◆  Foreign Policy, 2025-2-3 The ruling party's launching what many see as a political witch hunt against the leader of the third party......is a terrible look for any self-respecting democracy... These dysfunctional domestic politics are not just embarrassing, but damaging for Taiwan's stability.  the TPP slammed “green authoritarianism”and warned that if the DPP could use the judicial system against Ko, it could go after any other politician. KMT politicians also appeared...
◆    Washington Post, 2025-1-17 With Ko's indictment, the KMT and TPP are accusing Lai of abusing his powers to politically influence the judiciary.  Opposition supporters have been holding large-scale demonstrations in recent weeks.  Ko denies the charges, which his supporters say are politically motivated. “It's political persecution",  "an end to “DPP tyranny”.
In last year's presidential election, Ko with his party's strong performance key to why Lai's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lost its legislative majority. msn.com/en-us/news/world/taiwan-may-cut-its-defense-budget-just-as-trump-returns/ar-AA1xmU6y?ocid=BingNewsVerp
◆  New York Times,   2024-12-26 Ko has denied the charges and said that he was the victim of a political vendetta mounted by Mr. Lai's government...thousands of supporters  gathered in protests, arguing that the allegations were  flimsy and politically motivated, and that seemingly corrupt politicians from Mr. Lai's DPParty had been spared investigations.    “What's important to keep in mind is that the sort of political force that he awakened in Taiwan is not going to go away,” said  Lev Nachman, a political scientist at NCCU.   nytimes.com/2024/12/26/world/asia/taiwan-presidential-candidate-indicted.html
◆  Bloomberg,   2024-12-26 The Taiwan People's Party (founded by Ko) denounced the indictment in a press briefing : “Today, Taiwan is experiencing judicial injustice, with politics and state machinery being used to persecute political opponents,” The indictment “lacks financial evidence and concrete proof, relying solely on pieced-together claims to destroy political adversaries.”
◆  BBC,   2024-12-26 A dark horse in presidential election, Ko won votes not far behind ruling party candidate Lai Ching-te's 40%;  His sizable showing pointed to voters' demand for a more pluralistic political landscape beyond the two main parties.   Ko was expected to seek the presidency again in 2028.    His allies and supporters accused the DPP of using the charges to suppress its opponents.


　


　


　


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among top ranks at 2024-12-25, 2024-12-22

  

　

Taiwan has a plan for Trump's inauguration
◆  Radio Free Asia, 2025-1-20 Asia sends top officials to Trump inauguration amid concern over trade, security  ── Trump's return raises fundamental questions in Asia, in particular the extent he will follow through on his promise to ramp up tariffs and his commitment to the security of old allies in an increasingly dangerous world.
Taiwan's delegation will not be able to attend the inauguration “due to space constraints” in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol。Trump's talk of taking control of Greenland and the Panama Canal has triggered a wave of speculation in Chinese social media that he may be willing to let China take control of democratically ruled Taiwan. rfa.org/english/asia/2025/01/20/trump-inauguration-lookahead/
◆  Politico,   2024-12-20 Taiwan has a plan for Trump's inauguration.  Taiwan is launching a new charm offensive on Washington   ── dispatching a large delegation to Washington for the inauguration, which underscores how unnerved Taipei is over what Trump's return to the White House means for the self-governing island.  The Council on Foreign Relations David Sacks: Taiwan is likely to try to address those perceptions by telling Trump and his team that Taiwan “is taking its defense seriously, that it's not a free rider.”

　

Trump's defense policy on Taiwan
◆  Voice of America,  2024-12-26 Taiwan seeks clarity on Trump team policy amid Chinese pressure.
There is still quite a bit of resistance not only within the security apparatus and armed forces, which don't like the idea of involving citizens in defense, the opposition parties have also sought to derail [relevant] plans and fundings.  What may come next depends on Taiwan's actions and Beijing's assessment of Trump's policies toward the island after he takes office.
◆  Insider,   2024-12-26 Trump's next undersecretary of defense policy, Elbridge Colby, once called for the destruction of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's chip plants if China takes over Taiwan.  In Feb., Colby said "disabling or destroying TSMC is table stakes" if China invades Taiwan.   The US and its allies can't afford to allow China to "have such dominance over global semiconductors," he wrote in 2023.

　

　

Taiwan Lawmakers Brawl Over Controversial Bills
◆   Bloomberg,   2024-12-23 Taiwan's government said a legal change to budget rules could derail its 2025 spending plan, underscoring challenges the opposition is posing to the new leader of the democracy at the core of China-US tensions.
◆   Bloomberg,   2024-12-20 A new wave of political wrangling between Taiwan's ruling and opposition parties that has involved street protests and lawmakers tussling adds to questions about President Lai Ching-te's ability to govern one of the world's most dangerous geopolitical hotspots.
◆   Newsweek, AP News, France24 2024-12-20 The dispute centers on three bills pushed by the Nationalist Party (KMT, the opposition),  including one to redistribute tax revenues, allocating a greater share to local governments; another one to raise the threshold for removing elected officials. A DPP leader said that the party's actions were extreme but that it had no other options.  KMT said it would prevent the power of recalls from "being abused" but some DPP lawmakers said they fear the move would revoke rights to remove unfit officials.
◆  CBS,   2024-12-20, video cbsnews.com/chicago/video/taiwan-lawmakers-brawl-over-controversial-legislation/   

　

　

　


　

No.1 "Taiwan reviews" on US Google, 2024-9-15, 2024-3-15, 2024-3-3, 2024-2-27, 2024-2-1, 2024-1-14, 2024-1-1, 2023-12-31, 2023-12-19, 2023-12-13, 2023-12-1 
　

  

more stories

Taiwan's presidential office runs first 'tabletop' simulation of Chinese military escalation
◆   CNN,   2024-12-27 The simulation highlights Taipei's urgency in ensuring preparedness against an increasingly assertive Beijing.  Unlike traditional war games by the military, the tabletop exercise was aimed at testing how different government agencies could "ensure the normal functioning of society" in times of crisis
◆   Reuters,   2024-12-26 The exercise simulated scenarios including China's "high intensity" grey-zone warfare as well as when the island is "on the verge of conflict" to test response readiness by Taiwan government offices and civil society.

　

China's largest deployment around Taiwan since 1996
◆  Fox News,   2024-12-10 After Taiwanese president visits Hawaii and Guam, Chinese military makes massive deployment around Taiwan to send 'very simple' message: "The Taiwan Strait is ours"; Taiwan defense officials are raising concerns ..., saying the build-up could eventually lead to war as tensions continue to rise in the area.
◆   Financial Times, 2024-12-15 Big Chinese naval exercise  to "punish" its president, Lai Ching-te, for a trip abroad (included U.S.) leaves Taiwan and US struggling for response.
Taiwan:  the manoeuvres involved all three of the PLA's coastal theatre commands for the first time, a demonstration that they can lock down the First Island Chain.
The US: Taiwan may have become overly alarmed ... was trying to “wake up the public".   A senior Japanese official: “China has crossed some new line in every of their past exercises”; now they can do manoeuvres of this size without announcement.
◆  New York Times,   2024-12-10 Taiwan says China has deployed largest fleet of ships in decades, which could block American allies in the region  from coming to Taiwan's defense.  Speculation had been growing for days that China would launch war games in retaliation for visits made by Lai Ching-te to Hawaii and Guam last week; The surge in Chinese ships could also be a signal to the incoming Trump administration, which has yet to indicate how it will deal with Taiwan.
◆  AFP,   2024-12-11 Taiwan security official : the sea drills were "significantly larger" than Beijing's maritime response to then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei in 2022, which was China's largest-ever war games around Taiwan.  China's massive maritime operation began in October were aimed at demonstrating that Beijing could choke off Taiwan and also to "draw a red line" ahead of the next US administration.
◆  EuroNews,   2024-12-11 Expert: "They were practicing to seal off Taiwan” , referring to a scenario whereby the Chinese coast guard ships could block Taiwan's ports while the navy would form an outer barrier at sea.

Asked whether he would commit to defending Taiwan against potential Chinese aggression, Trump told NBC “I never say, because I have to negotiate things, right?"  “We talked about other things” ,“But I have a very good relationship, and I hope he doesn't do it"
◆  Reuters,   2024-12-11 China says it takes 'necessary measures' to defend sovereignty over Taiwan
◆  Associated Press, 2024-12-11 Taiwan demands that China end its military activity in nearby waters

　

　

　

　

pic.  : No.1 "Taiwan reviews" on US Google, 2024-3-3, 2024-2-27, 2024-1-31,  2024-1-13, 2023-12-31, 2023-12-19, 2023-12-13, 2023-12-1, 2023-10-14, 2023-10-6, 2023-9-18, 2023-9-13, 2023-9-6, 2023-9-1, 2023-8-25, 2023-8-21, 2023-8-8, 2023-8-1, 2023-7-14, 2023-7-10, 2023-7-8; No.2 at 2024-7-11, 2023-11-1

No.3 "Taiwan reviews" on US Google, 2024-5-1

　

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Taiwan Prepares for Trump's Return.
◆    CNN,   2024-12-15 one thing's for sure: Trump is a less vocal supporter of Taiwan than Joe Biden. That's why Taiwan is buckling up for what could be a far more volatile relationship with Washington.  Trump's remarks have prompted jitters that Taiwan would need to move more of its critical chip supply chain to the US at a faster pace, that could affect the island's economic security and dismantle the very “silicon shield”  ...
◆    New York Times,   2024-11-24 Taiwan is ready to defend democracy. Is Trump?  Maybe he will strike some sort of bargain with Taiwan. But whatever Taiwan can offer him, Beijing can easily top.  More and more, there are those in Taiwan who say we are an “abandoned chess piece,” no longer valued by the United States.  China amplifies these fears...
◆   Wall Street Journal,  2024-11-18 Some in Taiwan say its survival as a self-ruled democracy is at stake, that it can't afford to spend what Trump demands on defense and that it would wither in the crossfire of a U.S.-China trade war.
 Taiwan's military spending is currently at 2.45% of GDP—a lower share than Singapore's 2.8% and South Korea's 2.7%;  In Washington, the percent of GDP is really seen as a proxy for your seriousness.
◆   New York Times,  2024-11-10 Taiwan's leading chip makers may face demands from the Trump administration to locate more production in the United States.  Taiwan has already been raising its military spending, partly under pressure from Washington. But Mr. Trump has said that Taiwan should raise military spending to 10 percent of its gross domestic product (from about 2.6 percent).  Sharply increasing military spending could be politically difficult for Taiwan's president.  Beijing, for its part, appears poised to exploit any signs of discord between Washington and Taipei.
◆   Fox News,  2024-11-10 Trump's public comments might suggest that he would not be willing to put boots on the ground to face another global superpower in defense of a tiny island democracy (Taiwan).   there is hope among restraint groups that Trump will be focused on economic warfare with China – rather than military.   "We don't have that alliance with Taiwan, ... the Taiwan issue is a powder keg — it's exceedingly dangerous. "
◆   New York Times,  2024-11-6 Some diplomats in Asia expect China to intensify pressure on Taiwan, if not invade the self-governing island it claims as its territory; and China may calculate that Mr. Trump would not go to war for a democracy that he has accused of “stealing” the microchip industry from the United States.  “With Donald Trump, there are large amounts of uncertainty,” said Lev Nachman, a political scientist,  “And it's a matter of uncertainty that comes with great risk for Taiwan.”
◆   Washington Post,  2024-11-6 Trump's statements this year that raise doubt about his willingness to come to the island democracy's defense and his misleading assertion that Taipei needs to pay the US for defense. Such rhetoric could “fan the flames of skepticism” about American intent at a time when the Taiwanese are “directly threatened by CCP disinformation aimed at undermining U.S. credibility”
◆   New York Times,  2024-11-6 news briefing Many believe Trump's foreign policy changes could have a greater impact than anything since the start of the Cold War.

Trump could decide to do the true “America First” thing and withdraw completely, and basically say, "defending Taiwan is not in our interest.” But I doubt he's going to actually do that...
◆   Business Insider,  2024-11-9 In 2025, Taiwan will have to contend with uncertainty on whether the US will protect it, or play it.
◆   Bloomberg,  2024-11-5 Taiwan's Economic Affairs Minister acknowledged that Trump could introduce measures that might prove harmful for Taiwan's semiconductor industry. But the impact will not be as severe as some anticipate.
◆  Reuters,  2024-11-6 From Taiwan to trade, China braces for more rivalry as close US presidential race ends.  Trump might try to use the Taiwan issue as a bargaining chip to gain leverage in other areas, such as offering to restrain Taiwan's provocative actions in exchange for Beijing's compromise on trade.

　

Taiwan Travel & Tourism
◆    CNN , 2024-11-14 Taiwan boasts 10 national parks and 19 national forest recreation areas covering a wide range of terrain;  More than 260 peaks over 3,000 meters (9,800 feet), hiking trails blazed by Indigenous people thousands of years ago, for outdoor adventure and wellness fansmsn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/taiwan-is-fast-becoming-a-top-destination-for-outdoor-adventure-and-wellness-fans-it-s-easy-to-see-why/ar-AA1u7c09?ocid=BingNewsVerp
◆    New York Times , 2023-1-12 In the Times Travel section's 52 places to go in 2023, Taipei ranks No. 36, other Asia's selections include No.2 Morioka Japan, No. 5 Auckland NZ,  7 kangaroo island Australia, 12 Bhutan,  13 Kerala India,  19 Fukuoka Japan,  20  Flores Indonesia,  25 Ha Giang Vietnam,  27 U-K Tjuta National Park, Australia nytimes.com/interactive/2023/travel/52-places-travel-2023.html?campaign_id=7&emc=edit_mbae_20230113&instance_id=82548&nl=morning-briefing%3A-asia-pacific-edition&regi_id=93861781&segment_id=122347&te=1&user_id=4a9594d616730fc2c1567d65a316b5f1
◆   Daily Telegraph, 2024-9-14 Taiwan has historically been a rare stop on the tourist trail– its appeal long limited by an association with geopolitical tension.  telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/taiwan/taiwan-deserves-place-on-your-wish-list/
◆    CNN , 2022-12-6 Taiwan's 'living hell' traffic is a tourism problem.  Taiwan is notorious for its dangerous roads. Multiple countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan and the US, have specifically called out Taiwan's road conditions.
◆   STATISTA: Leading countries in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), 2021-2-4 Taiwan ranks No.13 in Asia.  No.1 Japan, No.2 Australia, No.3 China, No.4 Korea Rep., No.5 Hong Kong, No.6 Singapore, No.7 New Zealand, No.8 Malaysia, No.9 Thailand , No.10 UAE, No.11 India, No.12 Indonesia, 

　

Taiwan's pres. Lai flies to US, angering China
◆   AP,  Washington Post, 2024-12-4 Taiwanese President Lai reportedly has phone talks from Guam with US Congress leaders; their talks seemed designed to underscore the bipartisan support for Taiwan in the U.S. Congress.
◆   Wall Street Journal,   2024-12-2 Trump has publicly called for Taiwan to spend more to defend itself and has accused Taiwan's world-class chip makers of stealing American jobs.  In a closed-door speech delivered in English, Lai appeared to address some of those criticisms, outlining plans to bolster the country's self-defense. Lai promised deepening cooperation with the U.S. in the semiconductor industry.
◆  New York Times,   2024-11-30 Taiwan's government tries to fathom what changes President-elect Donald J. Trump will bring to U.S. dealings with Taiwan。In uncertain times, Taiwan needs every edge of international advantage that it can get. Taiwanese leaders have used their brief stops to promote stronger ties with the United States; This time, Mr. Lai will not set foot in the continental United States, reducing opportunities for high-profile meetings.
◆  Wall Street Journal,   2024-12-1 Taiwan's President begins Hawaii stopover and sends a firm but conciliatory message to both China and the incoming Trump administration: While Taipei doesn't seek a war with Beijing, it is counting on U.S. support to deter any aggression from its larger neighbor.  "Transits" are part of careful arrangements made between Washington and Taipei to allow its leaders to engage with each other on American soil after the two severed formal diplomatic ties in 1979.
◆  CNN,   2024-12-1 Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te in Hawaii: A stopover that speaks volumes. 
◆  BBC,   2024-12-1 The trip is amid long-running tensions between the US and China and growing concerns about the possibility of conflict over Taiwan
◆  CNN,   2024-11-30 Chinese government labeled Lai's visit as "a provocative act", and could respond by staging a fresh round of military drills near the island democracy.  China hopes to create an incident during the transition period in the United States to create pressure on the incoming Trump team by drawing a red line.
◆  AFP (France),   2024-11-30 President Lai Ching-te's trip has ignited fiery threats from Beijing. Bonnie Glaser:  Lai's tour of the Pacific was an opportunity for him "to show those countries and the world that Taiwan matters".  China always wants to leave the impression that Taiwan is isolated and it is dependent on the PRC.
◆  Deutsche Welle (Germany),   2024-11-30  China has slammed the trip as a step toward independence from Beijing, and described Lai's planned stopover in the US territory of Guam as "separatist actions."

　

　

No.1  "review Taiwan"  on Metager of  Germany, 2024-8-8, 2024-8-2, 2024-7-23, 2024-6-3

　

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◆ Brookings, 2024-11-22: To many in Beijing, Taiwan's leaders are testing the boundaries of China's tolerance by incrementally advancing efforts to permanently separate Taiwan from China. American officials generally do not judge that Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has taken steps to undermine peace and stability.   ◆ Daily Mail (UK) , 2024-11-23:  In a war simulation by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)showed devastating costs for all involved. The grim war simulations come at a time of political upheaval, with Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te taking a tougher line with China.

　

◆ New York Times, 2024-10-22: The frequency of the exercises suggests that China is stepping up its intimidation efforts: The Chinese military has held two such large-scale exercises since Mr. Lai took office in May, the same number that it held over the previous eight years.◆  Wall Street Journal, 2024-10-17: China practiced a military blockade of Taiwan that is an all too real future possibility.  Short of Taiwan's surrender, a blockade may be President Xi Jinping's preferred option. All underscores the urgent need to buttress deterrence against a blockade or invasion. This means more civil defense training and military spending in Taiwan, and faster U.S. weapons delivery...The next U.S. President could easily face a Taiwan crisis ◆  Foreign Affairs, 2024-10-16: By almost universal agreement, the Taiwan Strait has emerged as the most combustible flash point in the world.  Some have called on the United States to make an unequivocal commitment to defend Taiwan. Others have focused on enhancing Taiwan's defenses. A much smaller number of analysts have advocated cutting a deal with Beijing in which Washington ends its commitment to defending Taiwan and the island is left to fend for itself.◆  Council on Foreign Relations, 2024-10-16: Taiwan and other U.S. partners will need to contend with an increasingly capable and aggressive China and rising isolationism and protectionism in the United States. Trump's foreign policy pronouncements reflect sentiments held by many in the United States.

　

China's response to a speech by President Lai Ching-te in Taiwan's national day
◆◆New York Times, 2024-10-13 China began holding military drills in areas surrounding Taiwan,  a response to a speech by President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan, who said that China had “no right to represent” the island and China and Taiwan were “not subordinate to each other” . 
◆◆New York Times, 2024-10-16 David Sacks, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said PLA's activities are coming closer and closer to Taiwan shores.   China's military drills were aimed at demonstrating its potential to choke Taiwan's access to food and fuel and block the skies and waters from which the United States and its allies would presumably approach in coming to the island's defense.  The drills send the message that Taiwan remains so sensitive, so important and crucial for the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party”, said Bonnie Glaser.
◆◆le Monde, 2024-10-15 Taiwan announced that it had detected a record 153 Chinese aircraft in one day near its territory.  Making Taiwanese air force (fighters) modernization is an acute necessity.
◆◆Bloomberg, 2024-10-15 China sent a record 111 warplanes across a US-drawn boundary in the strait separating the sides.
◆◆BBC, 2024-10-15 the deployment and how close Chinese ships and aircraft were to Taiwan - as well as the fiery rhetoric - could be seen as very aggressive behaviour -   a dramatic escalation.
◆◆USA Today, 2024-10-14 China launches "punishment drills"  as 'Stern warning'
◆◆BBC, 2024-10-14 "Scared" and "desensitised" - here's how people on the streets of Taipei are talking about China's fresh wave of military exercises - which involved all parts of the military and simulates a full-scale attack.  
◆◆Reuters, 2024-10-12 China threatens Taiwan with more trade measures after denouncing president's speech

　

◆◆ Chicago Council on Global Affairs , 2024-10-8: Should China invade, Americans support arming Taipei but oppose direct military intervention.。A narrow majority of Americans (51%) say the United States should encourage Taiwan to maintain the status quo rather than move toward independence (36%) or unification (4%).
　

If China were to invade Taiwan, would you support or oppose the United States: (% support)
　 2024 2023 2022
Using the US military to airlift food and medical supplies to Taiwan 74 78 　
Imposing economic and diplomatic sanctions on china 72 75 76
Sending additional arms and military supplies to the Taiwanese government 59 62 65
SAending US troops to Taiwan to help the Taiwanese gov. defend itself against China 36 39 40
globalaffairs.org/research/public-opinion-survey/taiwan-americans-favor-status-quo

　

◆  The American Conservative , 2024-10-11: Although there is widespread agreement in Taiwan that avoiding war is desirable, there is no consensus on whether deterrence through militarization is the best path forward. Conscription, currently set at a year, is far from adequate in preparing Taiwan's youth for the type of civic and military readiness found in nations like Israel or South Korea. There is a prevalent assumption,  that America will unquestionably intervene in the event of an invasion. A comprehensive strategy must also aim at fostering political unity, morale, and military readiness in Taiwan
◆   United States Institute of Peace, 2024-10-9: Bloomberg Economics has estimated a war with Taiwan would cost equivalent to 10% of global GDP —  China's GDP would suffer a 16.7% blow compared to 40% for what would be a devastated Taiwanese economy.  With a far bigger economy than Russia's, China would have more leverage than Moscow to resist U.S.-led efforts to isolate it after an attack on Taiwan.

◆  Economist, 2024-10-3: China is using an "anaconda strategy" to squeeze Taiwan.  "They are ready to blockade Taiwan at any time they want", Taiwan's navy commander warns. The number of PLA air incursions across the median line, has jumped more than five-fold, from January to August. The number of PLA ships operating around Taiwan has steadily risen, too, doubling...

　

China's "coercion short of violence" strategy
◆  Associated Press, 2024-10-5 Beijing could wage an economic and cyber war to force a surrender from Taiwan without direct use of military power, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said in the report.  the U.S. government has yet to formulate a plan to respond to non-military tactics, giving Beijing flexibility in working to undermine Taiwan without triggering an outright response from Washington...
◆  Foreign Policy, 2024-10-4 Taiwan's greatest vulnerabilities extend beyond its military    ──     financial, cybersecurity, and energy risks that China could exploit.
◆   Foundation of Defense of Democracies, 2024-10-4 the “most likely” scenario: Sometime in the next decade, China will combine economic coercion, malicious cyber activity, and limited military moves short of kinetic attacks to break Taiwan's societal and/or economic resilience and force a major adjustment in its policy toward unification. fdd.org/analysis/2024/10/04/targeting-taiwan/
◆  Brookings, 2024-10-3 China's leaders appear determined to show directional progress toward their goal of asserting control over Taiwan. Beijing is pursuing two parallel paths, significant military build-up and "coercion without violence" to compel the people of Taiwan to accept some form of union with the People's Republic of China as a least bad option for Taiwan's future. Harris said in 2022 that the United States would “support Taiwan's self-defense, consistent with our longstanding policy.”. Trump's disdain for alliances and security partnerships, though, negatively impacted Taiwan by calling into question the reliability of America's security commitments. The common thread among these utterances is Trump (team) suggestion that Taiwan is too small and far away for the United States to feel obliged to defend.
◆  American Enterprise Institute , 2024-5-3 From Coercion to Capitulation: How China Can Take Taiwan Without a War / (1) uses economic carrots and sticks, information operations, and military escalation to convince the US and Taiwan that their cooperation directly precipitates further escalation (2) Economic warfare, cyberwarfare, sabotage, rigorous (and pseudo-legal) inspections of ships carrying goods to Taiwan, air and sea closures, electronic warfare, and propaganda (3) break the Taiwanese public's will to resist by intimidating supporters of resistance, sowing doubt and fear ...  (4) information campaigns aim to decrease the US public's and political leadership's willingness to support Taiwan.   aei.org/research-products/report/from-coercion-to-capitulation-how-china-can-take-taiwan-without-a-war/

　

:  ◆  New York Times, 2024-9-25: Taiwan and U.S. Work to Counter China's Drone Dominance , a move that would also help blunt any threats posed to the island by China. “Security and intellectual property risks are real but manageable with the right safeguards”◆  Council on Foreign Relations, 2024-9-25:  today China's outmatches Taiwan's both in size and quality,  U.S. defense officials say it does not yet have the ability to carry out a successful amphibious assault on the island amid a U.S. military intervention on Taiwan’s behalf.  ◆  Wall Street Journal, 2024-9-21: Supply bottlenecks had delayed delivery of weapon systems to Taiwan valued at more than $20 billion. Unlike Ukraine or Israel, Taiwan's geography as an island makes resupplying its military a bigger challenge. Military experts in the West are particularly concerned that China could try to force Taiwan to capitulate with a blockade.Taiwan needs to be as independent as possible to be able to replenish its weapon systems.

China's strategy to annex Taiwan
◆   Brookings, 2024-9-16 What Taiwan most fears—an amphibious invasion—is currently  beyond the PLA's reach. Beijing has developed two different means—military and coercive—to achieve its political objective of unification.Both require the resolve of Taiwan leaders and the public, plus a capable military to enhance deterrence. The U.S. commitment to the island's security remains critical.
brookings.edu/articles/why-does-the-us-security-partnership-with-taiwan-matter/
◆  Financial Times, 2024-9-19 The scale of China's military activity is getting larger and larger, and so it is harder to discern when they might be shifting from training to a large exercise, and from an exercise to war. military moves below the threshold of war poses challenge to Taiwan's defences.ft.com/content/3402d159-418c-4485-abb4-7e2155288d61  
◆ Politico, 2024-9-11 Nearly three in four Americans are concerned about a potential invasion of Taiwan, according to the latest Reagan National Defense Survey. And, Washington has fixated on a potential 2027 invasion scenario.  China's strategy to annex Taiwan is more about cyber power than firepower

U.S. SEAL Team Six  ──   resisting China's invasion ?
◆ Insider, 2024-9-18 A Navy SEAL unit that killed Osama bin Laden may be training Taiwanese forces to defeat a possible Chinese invasion. The US has become more hawkish about the possibility of defending Taiwan if China ever invades.
◆ Voice of America, 2024-9-14 the secret and precise combat characteristics of the  United States Navy's elite SEAL Team Six mean its role in resisting China's invasion of Taiwan would be very limited and the focus would be on carrying out special tasks.
◆ Financial Times, New York Post, 2024-9-12 SEAL Team Six has spent more than a year training for possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan.  However,  the US has so far declined to explicitly say it would come to Taiwan's aid if attacked.

　

◆ Politico, 2024-9-11: Nearly three in four Americans are concerned about a potential invasion of Taiwan, according to the latest Reagan National Defense Survey.  And, Washington has fixated on a potential 2027 invasion scenario. But, China's strategy to annex Taiwan is more about cyber power than firepower  ◆ Economist, 2024-9-5: Taiwan needs to hold out long enough for friends to come to its aid, but polls suggest the will to resist rests, in turn, on whether Taiwanese think America will defend them.  Taiwan can do much to strengthen its defences but, alas, it can do little to influence American politics ◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-9-2: Elbridge Colby's argument has always been that Taiwan isn't itself of existential importance to America. Rather, our core interest is in denying China regional hegemony over Asia. Taiwan is very important for that goal, but not essential ◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-8-28: Elbridge Colby suggested the U.S. may not come to Taiwan's defense in the event of Chinese aggression. Robert O'Brien urged Taiwan to spend at least 5% of its gross domestic product on defense.◆ Insider, 2024-8-29: Taiwan is rethinking its use of US-made anti-tank missiles after less than half hit their targets in recent combat drills.       

The Chair of TPP (third largest party), Ko Wen-je,  was arrested
★  Financial Times (UK), 2024-9-6 Prosecutors' swift moves against Cheng (former premier 鄭文燦) and Ko Wen-je (Chairman of TPP) have prompted Taiwanese commentators to question whether president Lai was “cleaning house” of political rivals or pushing an anti-corruption crackdown to win back public support (divert attention from the current chaos in domestic politics.). ... investigators typically sounded out their superiors before proceeding with big cases, especially those involving vested interests or politicians. “In a case like this, a signal would have been given from above before they go and detain him".
★ Council on Foreign Relations, 2024-9-3 Ko Wen-je──accuses the government of attempting to “suppress” its opponents and the press and judiciary of “being the government’s political tools.”
★  Asia Nikkei (Japan), 2024-9-5 Ko Wen-je accuses government of witch hunt ... and launched broadsides against the legal system and the press, accusing them of doing the bidding of President Lai Ching-te's Democratic Progressive Party..."the judiciary and the media being the government's political tools" ( the KMT's most powerful lawmaker, that most legal professionals only listen to the DPP)

　

◆  Financial Times, 2024-8-22: Taiwan's top security officials make secret trip to US for talks. The US has grown increasingly concerned about rising Chinese military activity around Taiwan. Some US officials are also privately nervous about Lai, who is inexperienced in foreign affairs and seen as more unpredictable than Tsai. ◆ Atlantic Council, 2024-8-21: The period between delivery and integration is often invisible to the public.  The US should be focused not only on what Taiwan may need to deter and defeat China, but also on what can be quickly integrated into Taiwan's military. ◆  National Public Radio, 2024-8-19: instead of just sending signals to Beijing or just sending weapons, arms to Taiwan, People really want to know whether the U.S. Navy or marine forces will help Taiwan to defend itself ◆ New York Times, 2024-8-21: President Biden approved in March a highly classified nuclear plan that reorients America's deterrent strategy to focus on the rapid expansion of China's nuclear arsenal. The Pentagon believes China's stockpiles will rival those of the U.S. and Russia over the next decade.◆  National Interest, 2024-8-17: Tensions between China and Taiwan threaten to boil over. Multiple experts, including this author, believe some kind of major Chinese move against the island democracy is at hand. Instead of mirroring U.S. military capabilities, Taiwan should invest in anti-aircraft defenses, coastal defense batteries, hypersonic weapons, drones, and widespread civilian armament.      

　

◆  The i  (UK), 2024-8-16: Emboldened by Russia's actions in Ukraine, Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to use any force necessary to take Taiwan back, putting his military on notice to be ready for a full-scale invasion by 2027, UK and US intelligence agencies understand.◆  Council on Foreign Relations, 2024-8-9: Taiwan's President, Lai Ching-te, has unveiled plans to increase defense spending by nearly six percent.   Taiwan should do all it can to prepare for the worst and mounts a stiff resistance if deterrence fails. To that end, Taiwan's leaders should embrace a new defense spending target of five percent of GDP ( Israel's 2022 defense spending totaled 4.5 percent of GDP) and rapidly meet that goal through yearly double-digit percentage increases ◆  Washington Post, Star and Strips, 2024-8-4: Taiwan's slow progress on boosting training concerns military experts ... Matt Pottinger says that Taiwan needs the political will and foresight to dedicate some of its best military officers to recruitment and instruction. “I'm really hoping that Taiwan makes these sacrifices" ◆  National Interest, 2024-7-30: An invasion would be swift and sharp.  Taiwan spends less as a percentage of GDP on its defense than the US. On top of that, Taiwan does not have a strong draft. Taiwan's politicians likely realize better than Washington that Taiwanese voters may not be as inclined to make the kind of heavy sacrifices that are necessary to defend their freedom as the Ukrainians, Israelis... ◆  Bloomberg, 2024-7-30: Taiwan President Lai Ching-te pledged to work with other democracies around the world to stand up to China, and “continue to push for defense autonomy” and weapons procurement from overseas, his comments likely to deepen his rift with Beijing.◆  Bloomberg (2024-7-24): China squeezes Taiwan by targeting islands and fishing Sites  ──   The Chinese Coast Guard is now “constantly” patrolling east of the median line in the Taiwan strait;  It's likely that China will increasingly harass fishing boats and sightseeing boats to test Taiwan's response,  China's detention of the vessel may also be a subtle test of the US.

★

Taiwan's Annual Han Kuang exercise      ──   People don't realise the stage of infancy the military is in, said expert of the Atlantic Council.

◆  Newsweek , 2024-7-22 This year's drills are designed to better reflect the uncertainties of actual warfare...participating troops are not being briefed on where or when the "enemy" would strike and with what weapons systems, as a result of the added uncertainties of the new format,...assess how Taiwanese forces would handle a decentralized command structure in the event they are cut off from headquarters, as could happen should Chinese air strikes disable communications infrastructure before any invasion.
◆  Deutsche Welle (Germany), 2024-7-22 Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said that this year's drill will probe the island nation's ability to protect critical infrastructure in the capital and help refine the resilience of key facilities throughout the country.
◆  Financial Times (UK), 2024-7-21 This year's drill pivots from scripted performances to realistic battlefield scenarios to address the Taiwan military's core problem, which is operational-level and tactical-level decision-making,”"Their structure is very hierarchical, almost Soviet-style."  The biggest problem was the general staff's planning process, they need to learn to adapt operational plans to a changing situation in wartime in rapid, live planning cycles.
◆  Barron's,  AFP (France),  2024-7-22 Japan has reportedly concluded that a ground landing in Taiwan by Chinese troops would now be "possible in less than a week" instead of the previous estimate of a month.
◆  FoxNews, 2024-7-23 drills video   https://foxnews.com/video/6359009563112   

　

◆ New York Times, 2024-7-17: Donald J. Trump said that Taiwan should pay the United States for defending it from China, a remark highlighting the uncertainties — and high stakes — of how he might handle the smoldering Taiwan Strait dispute ◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-7-18: As if to remind everyone, Mr. Trump is casually signaling that the U.S. might not defend Taiwan from a Chinese assault.◆ New York Times, 2024-7-16: many Taiwanese officials are convinced that their island will be vulnerable unless it quickly steps up preparedness.  some experts argue that the island should lengthen conscription — already extended recently to 12 months ◆ Bloomberg, TIME, 2024-7-11: China sent a record number of warplanes across a U.S.-drawn boundary in the Taiwan Strait—a move that comes as the new president of the archipelago mulls a trip that may include a stop in America ◆ Le Monde, 2024-7-11: Taiwan reports record-high Chinese military aircraft activity in 24 hours ◆ Financial Times (2024-7-10):Experts warn that Taiwan remains woefully underprepared for war. A bigger challenge would be overhauling bureaucratic structures and procedures. War games and other assessments of Taiwan's defence readiness have repeatedly highlighted a lack of co-ordination between different government departments and the civilian and military bureaucracy.

China seized Taiwan boat with crew for fishing illegally -  a move could add to tensions between Beijing and President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan.
◆ New York Times, 2024-7-3 China Seizes Taiwanese Fishing Boat in Latest Uptick in Tensions; Bonnie Glaser: China wants to demonstrate to Taiwan that it does not have control over air space and sea space...and sends a  signal to Lai that he is very close to their red lines and he had better not cross them.
◆ CNN, 2024-7-3 China's coast guard detains Taiwan fishing boat near frontline islands; three Taiwan coast guard vessels answered a call for help but retreated to avoid conflict when they were outnumbered by their Chinese counterparts.
◆ Bloomberg, 2024-7-3 China sees Lai as pushing for independence for the US-backed island...Officials in Taipei have also expressed concern that China will detain more individuals from the island to pile pressure on Lai.

　

◆ Washington Post, 2024-7-1: China: Taiwan's leadership, along with its supporters in the United States, is pursuing “separation” from China in “incremental” fashion.  ◆ Washington Examiner, 2024-7-2: Xi Jinping's regime is setting the legal and diplomatic table for a crackdown on Taiwan while blaming the United States for the growing possibility of war over the island democracy...  “The Chinese government has the right to expel this regime..."  The ominous rhetoric seems to express in part Xi's displeasure with Lai Ching-Te    ◆ The Atlantic Council, 2024-6-27: Taiwanese officials have rejected not only that interpretation but also Beijing’s claim that Taipei agreed to its view of “one China” when forming the “1992 consensus” at a semiofficial meeting in Hong Kong that year. The 'consensus' term was artificially coined nearly a decade after the meeting. There was no actual consensus, even according to Taiwan’s president in 1992, between Beijing and Taipei about the status of Taiwan with respect to the PRC. ◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-6-23: Lai Ching-te said he aimed to make Taiwan the “Asian center for the democratic drone supply chain."; Taiwan has the know-how to build its own unmanned aircraft, now it is a question of scale.  The overwhelming majority of the types of small, inexpensive drones that are having the greatest impact on battlefields are made in China  ◆ New York Times, 2024-6-17 : the United States' chief representative in Taiwan advices: Avoid panic about China's combative language and moves, but don't grow numb to the risks. ◆ New York Times, 2024-6-11 : Hardly any nations besides U.S. allies have imposed sanctions on Russia. Isolating China, if it attacked Taiwan, would be an even taller task.  ◆ Washington Post, 2024-6-6:China's gray zone strategy on Taiwan is gathering in intensity; The West must strongly deter — without foreclosing a future reconciliation between Taipei and Beijing ◆ United States Institute of Peace , 2024-6-6:Given Lai Ching-te's tougher line on China and Beijing's unyielding position on Taiwan, it's unlikely that cross-Strait relations will improve or that tensions will lower anytime soon.  Washington should remain laser-focused on helping Taiwan defend itself and deter military conflict.

The US defends Taiwan ?

◆ TIME, 2024-6-4 Asked by Time magazine whether The US might involve boots on the ground, US President Joe Biden said, "It would depend on the circumstances""we are not seeking independence for Taiwan nor will we in fact, not defend Taiwan if they if, if China unilaterally tries to change the status...Not ruling out using US military force. There's a distinction between deploying on the ground, air power and naval power, etc"

　

China's 'reunification' with Taiwan

◆ Reuters, 2024-6-2 Prospect of peaceful 'reunification' with Taiwan is being increasingly "eroded" by Taiwanese separatists and external forces (alluded to Washington), China says
◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-6-2
Taiwanese political security, not simply military deterrence and rhetorical balancing, are key to Chinese success.

★

China Launches Military Drills Around Taiwan as 'Punishment', 'Reprisals'
◆  Washington Examiner, 2024-5-31 Foreign Affairs : invasion does not appear to be China's preferred option. Beijing's more probable plan is to gradually intensify the policy: a creeping encroachment into Taiwan's airspace, maritime space, and information space. The United States must become more alert to the dangers posed by a slow strangulation of Taiwan.
◆  FoxNews, 2024-5-28 House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul said : "These war games to intimidate and protest the election from China are probably the most provocative I've ever seen in terms of the numbers of ships and planes", "we will probably lose if China invaded Taiwan."
◆  New York Times, 2024-5-27 “The United States must maintain the capacity to resist any resort to force or coercion that would jeopardize the security of the people of Taiwan,” Mr. McCaul, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said.
◆  New York Post, 2024-5-24 Beijing's endless saber-rattling over Taiwan proves just how high the stakes are for the United States. 
◆  New York Times, 2024-5-22 China took offense to Mr. Lai's assertion that  —  they “are not subordinate to each other” —  and his emphasis on Taiwan's democratic identity and warnings against threats from China. Beijing accused Mr. Lai of promoting formal independence for Taiwan ── the drill was “based on various stages of an invasion of Taiwan... might feature training to seize one of those islands".
◆ BBC, 2024-5-23 the ongoing exercise is aimed at "simulating a full-scale armed invasion of Taiwan"... for the first time also targeted the Taipei-controlled islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin.  China aims to show Taipei that its east is now exposed to Chinese attack, and to show the Americans that any effort to resupply or re-enforce Taiwan from the east is vulnerable to Chinese missile strikes and naval attack.
◆ AFP, 2024-5-23 China holds war games around Taiwan, vows flowing blood。 CCTV : the drills were partly aimed at rehearsing an economic blockade of the island, "strangle" Taiwan's critical Kaohsiung port to "severely impact" its foreign trade,  and cut off "Taiwan's lifeline of energy imports" as well as "block the support lines that some US allies provide to 'Taiwan independence' forces".   General S. Sklenka described the exercises as "concerning" but not unexpected.
◆ CNN, 2024-5-22 CCTV: creating an omnidirectional approach in pushing toward the island.  An expert ( at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)  calls China's latest drills “an intimidation tactic, part of a pattern, not a sign of imminent war.” Beijing has a robust coercion kitbag from which it will mix and match, ratchet up and back and up again to signal its range of options to coerce and inflict pain。
◆ AFP, 2024-5-22 China slammed the inauguration speech of new Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te as a " downright 'confession of Taiwan independence'"

　

　

◆ New York Times, 2024-5-20: Taiwan's president, Lai Ching-te vows to keep the island democracy safe in the face of Chinese pressure and wars raging abroad that have fed uncertainty over Western staying power.  "Peace through strength" is going to be his main posture ;  Lai's opponents in Taiwan say that he risks driving the island down a security dead end — unable to talk with Beijing and yet ill prepared for any confrontation.  ◆ Washington Post, 2024-5-20: Taiwan swears in new president, the ruling party DPP has transformed the island democracy into a bulwark against Chinese aggression and brushed off increasingly ominous threats from Beijing; the perception is that Lai Ching-te's policy could be more provocative compared to Tsai's policy   ◆ Reuters, 2024-5-20: Lai Ching-te takes office as Taiwan's new president facing an angry and deeply suspicious China which believes he is a "separatist", and a fractious parliament with an opposition chomping at the bit to challenge him. ◆ Foreign Affairs, 2024-5-15: Only when Washington was able to convince Moscow that it was serious about defending the city did the Soviets blink and pull back from confrontation.  Today, a similarly muscular deterrence strategy to convince China that an invasion of Taiwan would trigger catastrophic consequences is the United States' best chance to achieve a similar détente with China.  If the United States can avoid a crisis over Taiwan in the next few years, China's economic and demographic weaknesses will likely force Beijing into making more and more compromises    full text

　

◆ War On The Rocks, 2024-5-15: Zelensky: "I need ammunition, not a ride"; Whereas Ukraine was focused on acquiring military aid, Taiwan will almost certainly be asking potential allies to engage in a direct military intervention.  Instead of focusing on ideology, Taiwan might be better served by appealing to the core security interests of the United States and its regional partners. ◆ Foreign Policy, 2024-5-12: China and the U.S. are numb to the real risk of war.  The pair are dangerously close to the edge of nuclear war over Taiwan—again.   ◆ Business Insider, 2024-5-10: China is untangling its economy from the West. It could be preparing for long-term tensions — and an invasion of Taiwan. ◆ Defense News, 2024-5-7: DC became obsessed with a potential 2027 Chinese invasion of Taiwan.  But experts said Chinese law doesn't have timelines for an attack on Taiwan;“All politicians want options, so the last thing you want is to be tied to a deadline.” ◆ Bloomberg, 2024-5-2: China, Russia militaries work closer on Taiwan.  “We see China and Russia, for the first time, exercising together in relation to Taiwan...", Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said  in testimony to Congress.  ◆ New York Times, 2024-5-3: U.S. officials came to think that Mr. Xi would try to invade only if he believed he would succeed in a relatively bloodless operation before American troops responded... U.S. SM-6 missile seemed right for the job. ◆ Financial Times, 2024-5-3: Instead of trying to defeat China’s vastly superior air and naval forces head-on, Taiwan should ensure that any force attempting to come ashore would be slaughtered.  The US have long urged Taipei down that road...  ◆ TIME, 2024-5-1:  Communist China's leaders “have to understand that things like that can't come easy,” Trump says, but he declines to say whether he would come to Taiwan's defense. ◆ National Interest, 2024-5-1: To defend Taiwan, America needs to upgrade its defense-industrial base.  Both America and its allies are now deeply preoccupied by events in other portions of the globe, which could lead the CCP to believe that it should strike while the United States is spread thin.  ◆ The Telegraph, 2024-5-1: ... Beijing's hypersonic missiles and nuclear weapons – not to enable an attack on Taiwan at a chosen date, but to ensure that with the balance of power changing in China's favour, it will not be needed.  Xi is betting on political disarray and disunity among the US and his Western allies   ◆ ABC News, 2024-5-1: The US is in a Cold War with China over Taiwan.  Taiwan is really existential to U.S. interests because of its position in the region; whoever controls Taiwan, really controls that Indo-Pacific region.  Does China's economy make them more likely to invade Taiwan or less likely?  It may very well drive Xi if he thinks that he's not going to catch up with the United States in terms of being the biggest economy, it may drive him to go for this sooner.◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-4-30: Taiwan's economy got off to a strong start this year, boosted by strong exports as global demand for electronics picks up, benefiting the producer of high-end chips. The research firm projects Taiwan’s economic growth at 5.5% this year, well above consensus views.   

　

◆ New York Times, 2024-4-23:  in the Foreign Aid Package, the House attached a provision that would allow the Pentagon to quickly provide Taiwan with more offensive weapons and provides billions more for the purchase of advanced U.S. weapons technology as the U.S. and Taiwanese governments continue to build up their alliances to deter China from invading the island. ◆ USNI News, 2024-4-23: Report to Congress on Taiwan Defense Issues - A key consideration for U.S. policymakers is whether and if so how to support Taiwan’s ability to defend itself in a possible cross-Strait conflict without triggering such a conflict. ◆ New York Times, 2024-4-18: The House is set to vote on a foreign aid package for Taiwan -  allow the Pentagon to quickly provide Taiwan with more offensive weapons and provides billions more for the purchase of advance U.S. weapons technology as the U.S. and Taiwanese governments continue to build up their alliances to deter China from launching an invasion ◆ Economist, 2024-4-18: China is talking to Taiwan's next leader, just not directly ... being granted an audience with Xi Jinping, Ma Ying-jeou (Taiwan's former president ) wrote that Mr Xi had “extended an olive branch to us”.  Mr Ma hoped that Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's next president, would “put the people first and respond pragmatically”. ◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-4-15: Appointing a national-security team that is almost identical to that of his predecessor will help reassure the White House that Lai isn't likely to sharply alter Taiwan's posture toward Beijing; Bringing a civilian into the defense ministry can promote reforms,  Taiwan's military will likely accelerate spending on asymmetric capabilities, a path that many in Washington have called for as Taiwan focuses on deterring an attack by a much larger Chinese military ◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-4-13: many of Kinmen's (Taiwan's front-line, just 3 miles away from mainland)  residents have much more direct kinship ties to people on the mainland.  The use of force against Kinmen would signal that China can no longer hope to win the rest of Taiwan through anything but force, and would make such an invasion that much more difficult. ◆ New York Times, 2024-4-10: China's immediate focus is to push the incoming Lai Ching-te administration to adopt a more accommodating political stance on cross-strait relations.  China has brushed off Mr. Lai's offers to talk as insincere. On the other hand, Beijing has shown that it will court friendlier Taiwanese politicians, like Mr. Ma, who accept the framework for relations demanded by Beijing: that both sides accept that they are part of one China, even if they differ on what that means. ◆ CNN, 2024-4-10: It's the first time a former president of Taiwan has been hosted by China's top leader in Beijing since Chiang Kai-shek's KMT fled to Taipei in 1949.   Their reunion highlights the widening political divide across the Taiwan Strait, and is a signal to Taiwan and others that peaceful unification through winning over hearts and minds remains Beijing's preferred option   ◆ Fox News, 2024-4-6: The largest coordinated display since last year - The incursion into Taiwanese territory by People's Liberation Army (PLA) planes and sea vessels followed a Tuesday phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden. ◆ New York Times, 2024-4-3: In a rare call, Biden spoke with Xi. China said that Xi had called for “concrete actions” to demonstrate a U.S. commitment not to support Taiwan's independence.   ◆ War on The Rocks, 2024-4-4:  The comparative analysis suggests that a crisis in northeast Asia is more likely to start on the Korean Peninsula, not in Taiwan.  

　

7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off Taiwan
◆ Fortune, 2024-4-4 TSMC said its fabrication plants recovered 70% of tools within 10 hours of the earthquake, and that its “critical tools,” such as its multimillion-dollar extreme ultraviolet lithography tools, remain unharmed...  its massive chip foundry mega-complexes are nearly quake-proof.
◆ New York Times, 2024-4-4 Taipei 101, once the tallest building in the world, still, some experts say that more needs to be done to either strengthen or demolish structures that don't meet standards, and such calls have grown louder in the wake of the latest earthquake.
The government had also helped reinforce private apartment buildings over the past six years by adding new steel braces and increasing column and beam sizes...
◆ USA Today, 2024-4-4 The island's two nuclear power stations remain unaffected.  Nvidia said it expects no supply disruptions from the earthquake.  Taiwan, prone to earthquakes, sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where 90% of the world's temblors take place.  It felt strong in Taipei because of the “basin effect,” which occurs when earthquake reverberations become trapped in soft ground.
◆ ABC News, 2024-4-3  TSMC, one of the biggest companies in Taiwan's crucial semiconductor manufacturing industry, said its safety systems were operating normally and that some fabrication plants had been evacuated as a preventive measure.
◆ LA Times, 2024-4-4 Just recognizing that the fault didn't get near a major population center is probably the most important factor that reduced the damage.  Some residents voiced concerns about the alert system because not everyone was notified.
◆ United Daily (聯合報), 2024-4-4 Why didn't most of Taiwanese receive government's national alert ?   Why did the government make such a serious misjudgment ?  udn.com/news/story/7338/7876798?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2
◆ TIME, 2024-4-4 China offered earthquake aid to Taiwan—Taiwan's quick rejection likely stemmed, experts say, from lingering bitterness over how the 1999 earthquake was handled.

　

◆ National Interest, 2024-3-30 : Xi Jinping's statement in December 2023 hinted at possible invasion plans. Experts suggest Taiwan should pivot to insurgency tactics, including bolstering coastal defenses, developing hypersonic weapons, deploying massive numbers of drones, creating electromagnetic spectrum jammers, and distributing small arms widely among the population. ◆ Fox News, 2024-3-27 : Taiwan stands as major line of defense against global war with China, A change in Taiwan's status might not directly threaten the U.S. homeland in the immediate term, but it would irreversibly alter regional dynamics in ways that would benefit America's chief geopolitical adversary  ◆ New York Times, 2024-3-28 : Taiwan's top diplomat says a Russian victory could embolden China to move against Taiwan and would fuel anti-American propaganda   ◆ New York Times, 2024-3-24 : Larger, more menacing military actions are possible, especially after Mr. Lai's inauguration. Any conciliatory messages in Mr. Lai's presidential inauguration speech were unlikely to shift China's strategy -“The gray zone operations against Taiwan will become more intense”... only a few thousand troops on Kinmen, giving Kinmen little immediate protection if China ever decided to invade.   Mr. Xi probably won't make any big decisions over Taiwan before the United States' presidential election   ◆ War On The Rocks, 2024-3-21 : Military analysts have proposed  denying air superiority  to China via mobile surface-to-air missiles and drones and creating a “prickly fortress of sea denial” with  road-mobile anti-ship missiles; The naval mines make it easier to channel Chinese forces into areas where they are most vulnerable to Taiwan's anti-ship missiles, gun batteries, and drones  ◆ Bloomberg, 2024-3-20 : China on track to be ready for Taiwan invasion by 2027, US says / the leader of the Indo-Pacific Command  testified China is building its military and nuclear arsenal on a scale not seen since World War II and all signs suggest it's sticking to ambitions to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027 ◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-3-18 : U.S. officials and military scholars have long believed that the expensive hardware is apt to get wiped out by China's much larger military, in the early stages of attack. For the past few years, Taiwan's procurement, under U.S. pressure, has put more emphasis on asymmetrical weapons such as Harpoon antiship missiles, Himars rocket launchers and mines.  but if China amasses forces around the island in a blockade, or if Beijing's military establishes a firm beachhead on Taiwan. In such scenarios, small, short-range weapons could be less effective at degrading the enemy, Taiwanese defense officials say.      

　

Taiwan Confirms US Troops on Front-Line Islands Near China
◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-3-20 Taiwan acknowledges presence of U.S. troops on outlying islands /  The U.S. planned to expand its presence of troops in Taiwan to between 100 and 200 last year, up from roughly 30 in 2022. The U.S. and Taiwan have been largely silent on the deployment as they attempt to avoid agitating Beijing while they work to fortify Taiwan against a potential Chinese invasion.
◆ Taiwan News, 2024-3-21 US commander denies permanently stationing troops on Taiwan's outer island

　

◆ New York Times, 2024-3-14 : Taiwan is building a satellite network without Elon Musk.  China is Tesla's largest market outside of the United States. Musk has made comments endorsing the Chinese Communist Party's stance on Taiwan. ◆ War On The Rocks, 2024-3-14 : U.S.  public support  for Taiwan, which is as high as it has ever been according to polls, supports aiding Taiwan to defend itself against China in the event of an attack, but consistently opposes any direct military intervention by the United States. ◆ Foreign Policy, 2024-3-14 : Taiwan imports  97 percent  of its energy through highly vulnerable maritime shipping routes. Any quarantine, blockade, or invasion of the island by China would devastate its ability to sustain basic services and critical infrastructure—not to mention the factories that produce approximately  90 percent  of the world's most advanced semiconductors. Solutions are in short supply. ◆ Financial Times, 2024-3-11 : Frequently, "grey zone", semi-hostile behaviour, is via fishing boats and coastguard vessels on the fringes of Taiwanese waters, designed, it seems, to keep testing and squeezing Taiwan.  China recently sharpened its rhetoric saying it must “fight” Taiwanese independence, rather than “oppose” it, its previous preferred formulation.  ◆ CNN (2024-3-10) : the Economist declared that Taiwan was “the most dangerous place on Earth.”; The world's most dangerous place has only gotten more dangerous. Perhaps the extraordinary and rapid growth of China and the reality of America's dominant status made this inevitable, "destined for war" .  In the past, Communist China believed that it could wait (reunification) because time was on its side. But that premise is proving untrue. This issue will need to be managed rather than solved —All three sides should keep talking ... ◆ United States Institute of Peace (2024-3-5) : After Taiwan's election, China is now ratcheting up the pressure. China's efforts to change the status quo with Taiwan could lead to unintentional conflict. ◆ Associated Press (2024-3-5):  conquest over the self-governing island democracy of Taiwan, driving Indian forces from their disputed border, and asserting control over islands in the East China and South China Sea all on Beijing's list of priorities. ◆ Reuters, 2024-3-5: In the government work report, China reiterated a call for "reunification" with Taiwan, but dropped the descriptor "peaceful", which had been used in previous reports. The change in language is closely watched as a possible sign of more assertive stance towards Taiwan.  China raises defence spending by 7.2% ◆ USNI.org, 2024-3-1: Report to Congress on Taiwan Defense and Military Issues / The archipelago's energy, food, water, internet, and other critical infrastructure systems are vulnerable to external disruption.  Civil-military relations are strained...Taiwan's civil defense preparedness is insufficient, and its military struggles to recruit, retain, and train personnel.  it is not clear what costs—in terms of economic security, physical safety and security, and lives—Taiwan's people would be willing or able to bear in the face of possible PRC armed aggression...renewing U.S. debates about how to allocate limited resources to shore up Taiwan's resilience  ◆ New York Times, 2024-2-26: The P.L.A.'s now-normalized presence around Taiwan raises the risk of an accidental confrontation. Taiwan's response has been inconsistent and lacks transparency, which may further embolden Beijing...Taipei's approach to sharing information about Chinese activities with the public has not been fully transparent  ◆ Financial Times, 2024-2-27: Chinese research ships increase incursions near Taiwan ◆ Financial Times, 2024-2-23: In the past, China would only talk about the ‘one-China principle’, but now they have rolled it all into one with the push for unification ◆ VOA, 2024-2-23: Taiwan faces tough balancing act as China increases pressure ◆ Yahoo News, 2024-2-24: Trump wouldn't say definitively one way or the other whether he would defend Taiwan. DAVID SACKS: and actually blame Taiwan for taking America's semiconductor industry.  So I do think the US presidential election could be a real factor here. ◆ CNN, 2024-2-23: Xi takes a page from Putin as he vows to control Taiwan; Xi is expanding China's military at a pace the world has not seen in a century since before World War II.

　

◆ Foreign Affairs, 2024-2-20       foreignaffairs.com/scared-strait  brief
Raymond Kuo, Michael A. Hunzeker, Mark A. Christopher GLASER, WEISS, AND CHRISTENSEN reply
(They) argue that Washington and Taiwan are not doing enough to assure Beijing of their intentions, in the process undermining deterrence in the Taiwan Strait.... providing more assurances will simply embolden Beijing to continue its threatening behavior.  Conditional, credible consequences are now essential to encouraging a less bellicose Chinese policy...when deterrence is needed against a determined and capable rival, assurances that are not reciprocated can quickly become concessions. we did not advocate an “assurance first” strategy that offers “concessions” to appease Beijing... the new military measures we think are needed for deterrence will be less effective if Beijing believes they are aimed at buttressing a unilateral assertion of independence by Taiwan or ... an alliance... China can attack out of fear.  They may believe that Taiwan can safely assert permanent sovereign independence as long as there is sufficient military might in place to dissuade Beijing from attacking. If so, they are hardly alone, but we strongly disagree.

　

War On The Rocks, 2024-2-22:  the destruction of squadrons of fighter planes and ships would harm Taiwan's ability to resist by tanking civilian morale in the opening days of the war... If Taiwan's military is unable to defeat a PLA invasion force at sea, or on the shore, it will be necessary to “deny in depth” using a host of cheap and man-portable weapons as well as a flexible and survivable command system.  Toward that end, Lee also suggests a “territorial defense force” of mobilized civilians

　

　

◆ CNN, 2024-2-19: China ramps up patrols near Taiwan's outlying islands following death of Chinese fishermen.  The patrols are likely to put Chinese coast guard vessels in closer proximity to their Taiwanese counterparts, potentially raising the risk of miscalculation and conflict. ◆ Financial Times, 2024-2-19: China coastguard boards Taiwan tourist boat. Rare inspection raises tensions around Taipei-controlled island of Kinmen just off the Chinese coast.  Taiwan national security officials worry about as it could disrupt supplies and undermine public confidence even without reaching the level of a full blockade ◆ Foreign Affairs, 2024-2-16: A war over the island could easily cause a global depression.   A Chinese seizure of Taiwan could trigger a race among nations to develop their own nuclear arsenals as U.S. security guarantees lost credibility ◆ DW, 2024-2-16: Elbridge Colby: Taiwan's military preparation has "lagged behind the scale of the threat" despite some incremental progress. "Not really doing anything near what it would need to do to make itself more defensible" borders on "vaguely suicidal behavior"  ◆ CSIS.org , 2024-2-13: Specific interests, rather than democratic solidarity,  stability, rather than debates over Taiwan's sovereignty are more likely to drive engagement with Taiwan in most parts of the world  ◆ War On The Rocks , 2024-2-12: the military balance of power has shifted decisively, enabling an amphibious invasion from a capabilities standpoint in the not-too-distant future, while prospects of peaceful unification have faded. As such, it is now something of a conventional wisdom that a Chinese invasion has become more likely than not.   Taiwan's armed forces should instead prioritize the acquisition, production, and employment of mines, drones, and missiles. Mines are likely Taiwan's best way to “buy time” with minimal risk  ◆ Council on Foreign Relations, 2024-2-8: Differences over Taiwan's status have fueled rising tensions between the island and the mainland.  Through its policy of strategic ambiguity, the US has for decades attempted to maintain a delicate balance between supporting Taiwan and preventing a war with China. But President Joe Biden has seemingly rejected the policy, stating several times that the US would come to Taiwan's defense if China attacked. White House officials have walked back his comments, saying the policy has not changed, but ultimately, the president gets to decide how to respond. ◆ TIME , 2024-2-9: In an event of invasion, the first 48 hours are extremely important, because that’s the window within which China will take advantage of its geographic proximity, and it will take some time before the American Navy Indo-Pacific Command can respond to a major contingency,  “That's where the Philippines comes in.”◆ Newsweek, 2024-2-8: US Army special forces as a permanent arrangement train Taiwan troops in Penghu, Kinmen and Taoyuan; the permanent presence of American forces on the island was considered a possible trigger for a cross-strait shooting war ◆ Reuters, 2024-2-6: If an attack comes, the Pentagon believes Beijing will want to seize the capital as fast as possible and isolate the island's leadership; Stopping that would require rapid mobilisation -  but more than two million former conscripts receive no ongoing further training   ◆ New York Times, 2024-2-5 briefing: China's expanding nuclear arsenal - The weapons could also shape the future of Taiwan — if China gained confidence that it could use their existence to limit Western intervention in any conflict ◆ National Interest, 2024-2-2:  hybrid warfare operations still fit better into China's cost-benefit calculus. China's invasion of Taiwan seems unlikely in the short term. Instead, the military aspects of China's hybrid warfare operations may be more visible in the near future ◆ Reuters, 2024-1-31: Taiwan angered at 'unilateral' China change to Taiwan Strait flight path, saying it appeared to be a deliberate attempt to change the status quo for possible military means.    

　

 ◆  Lowy Institute Asia Power Index, 2023 Edition
　 Taiwan China Japan Korea Singapore
Comprehensive Power No.14 ,  15.2 points 2nd 3rd 7th 8th
Economic capability 8th, 13.0 2nd  87.0 3rd   5th 6th
Military Capability 11th, 21.7 2nd   68.1 6th   27.4 5th 9th
Resilience 18th, 24.7 3rd   70.4 11th  10th 14th
Future Resources 12th, 6.5 2nd   72.9 5th 7th 11th
Diplomatic Influence  22th , 19.4 1st    91.5 3rd 6th 10th
Economic Relationships 12th, 11.1 1st   98.3 3rd 5th 4th
Cultural Influence 13th, 12.6 2nd   47.4 3rd 7th 9th
Defense Networks 16th, 11.8 7th    23.7 3rd 4th 5th
Asia's Comprehensive Power rankings:  1.US 2.Chn 3.Japan 4.India 5. Rus 6. Aus 7. S. Korea 8. Singapore 9.Indonesia
10.Thailand  11.Malaysia 12. Vietnam 13. NZ 14. Taiwan (ROC)
power.lowyinstitute.org/countries/taiwan/

New York Times, 2024-1-20: Polls show growing distrust of the United States in Taiwan
　

◆ Bloomberg, TIME, 2024-1-31: China says the U.S. could abandon Taiwan if Trump wins the Presidency; In July, Trump avoided directly answering a query over whether as president he'd defend Taiwan if China attacked.

 ◆ New York Times, 2024-1-27:  The truth is that Taiwan hasn't been willing to make deep sacrifices for its own security.  It allocates a smaller share of G.D.P. to defense than the United States, Israel or Estonia; it is only now requiring a year of military conscription (for men); and it is phasing out nuclear power plants, which are critical for resilience in a blockade because they provide homegrown power when imports provide 98 percent of energy ◆ National Interest, 2024-1-27: the Atlantic Council reported that Taipei has a potential defensive force of 450,000 troops. Using the traditional three-to-one ratio of attackers to defenders to successfully mount an invasion, China would need more than 1.2 million troops. While an air campaign could bring Taipei to its knees and then the peace table, such an effort would utterly destroy the island's infrastructure in the process  ◆ Economist, 2024-1-25: Amid this drama a new diplomatic battle is intensifying that risks setting the stage for war. China is changing the status quo militarily and on the diplomatic stage. That bodes ill for the future. As China sees it, the more countries that adopt its view of Taiwan, the more cover it has to turn words into action ◆ New York Times, 2024-1-24: Some believe — it appears this may be Trump's view — that T.S.M.C. is so valuable that it might tempt China to try to grab Taiwan, and then bring the world to its knees.  Given how difficult it is to move production, the best way to safeguard the manufacturing of chips may be to work harder than ever to deter and avoid war in the Taiwan Strait. ◆ The Hill, 2024-1-23: according to a new survey from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a majority of experts said they believe a crisis in the Taiwan Strait is likely in 2024, with a Chinese blockade or “quarantine” of the island seen as the most likely scenario ◆ Wall Street Journal, 2024-1-19: The prospect that Taiwanese voters might never elect a Beijing-friendly government again could tilt China toward harsher methods to seek unification, including military force ◆ Washington Post, 2024-1-17:  The Taiwanese people showed they are not interested in becoming a pawn in the U.S.-China competition. Taiwan wants ties with both the US and China ◆ New York Times, 2024-1-17: A peaceful solution on Taiwan is slipping away.  Chinese law explicitly states that Beijing may use force if possibilities for peaceful unification are “completely exhausted.”.  Conflict between China and the United States just got a little more likely. ◆ New York Times, 2024-1-15: Taiwan's president-elect represents a setback for China.  Some U.S. officials have warned, China will be increasingly ready to try to seize or subdue Taiwan by force... Lai may have to watch his tendency for occasional off-the-cuff remarks, which Beijing could exploit and turn into crises.  ◆ New York Times, 2024-1-13: With Taiwan's sense of self and China's expectations in conflict, Mr. Xi is not expected to sit idly by.    

　

　

Lai Ching-te won the presidency with 40 percent of the votes but his ruling DPP lost its majority in parliament. His Biggest Challenge Lies Ahead
media comments
New York Times, 2024-1-13 tensions are likely to rise; Lai Ching-te is an impulsive and politically biased figure, so we cannot rule out the possibility that unpredictable and unknown developments may occur during his tenure”,“I'm afraid it's very dangerous”, 'noting that Mr. Xi's views on Taiwan were clear. That includes his insistence that force can be used if necessary. nytimes.com/2024/01/13/world/asia/china-taiwan-election-result-analysis.html Damien Cave
CNN, 2024-1-13 Beijing has a wide range of coercive measures in its toolbox ;  Analysts say China could escalate economic and military pressure on Taiwan to show its displeasure in the coming days and weeks, or save a more forceful response for May, when Lai takes office  msn.com/en-us/news/world/taiwan-voters-dismiss-china-warnings-and-hand-ruling-party-a-historic-third-consecutive-presidential-win/ar-AA1mUnBb  Eric Cheung, Wayne Chang, Nectar Gan and Jerome Taylor
Washington Post, 2024-1-13 China's military pressure campaign has fueled concerns of miscalculation that could spark conflict and draw in the United States. Analysts are watching closely to see if Beijing responds to Lai's victory with large-scale drills that could send tensions spiraling washingtonpost.com/world/2024/01/13/taiwan-president-lai-ching-te/  Christian Shepherd  Vic Chiang
XinHua (China), 2024-1-13 China:  the results reveal that the Democratic Progressive Party cannot represent the mainstream public opinion on the island...the elections will not change the basic landscape and development trend of cross-Strait relations, will not alter the shared aspiration of compatriots across the Taiwan Strait to forge closer ties, and will not impede the inevitable trend of China's reunification.   english.news.cn/20240113/a669c1402683472ca4e420ca94fcd8df/c.html
Independent, 2024-1-14 Taiwan's new president Lai Ching-te issues defiant message to China after historic election win...The DPP is often criticised for only focusing on efforts to counter the threat from China while having no solutions for social and economic problems that have been troubling the Taiwanese people news.yahoo.com/taiwan-president-lai-ching-te-184055493.html
Euro News, 2024-1-13 China: Beijing wouldn't accept the election result as representing “the mainstream public opinion on the island,” without giving any evidence or justification.
TIME, 2024-1-13 ...those disaffected by the ruling DPP vote and wanting a less confrontational approach to cross-strait relations, certainly exists. The final result proved this, with over half the electorate voting for the alternatives to the DPP. But a majority for an approach or idea that doesn't translate into majority support for a party cuts no ice. msn.com/en-us/news/world/lai-ching-te-won-taiwans-presidency-but-his-biggest-challenge-lies-ahead/ar-AA1mV0Au   Kerry Brown
NHK (Japan), 2024-1-14 China noted that the results of the Saturday election reveal that the Democratic Progressive Party cannot represent the mainstream public opinion of Taiwan.
USA Today, 2024-1-13 The outcome of the vote will ultimately determine the nature of ties with China relative to the West and will have strong bearing on the state of play in the South China Sea
BBC, 2024-1-13 Taiwanese voters have chosen William Lai as their president in a historic election, cementing a path that is increasingly divergent from China.  bbc.com/news/world-asia-67920532  Tessa Wong
The Hill, 2024-1-13 Taiwan elects ruling party candidate Lai Ching-te as president in high-stakes race  Lauren Irwin news.yahoo.com/taiwan-elects-ruling-party-candidate-131754245.html
Reuters, 2024-1-13 US does not support Taiwan independence, Biden says
WSJ, 2024-1-13 Taiwan voters defy Beijing in electing new president
Vox, 2024-1-13 there is expectation among some China experts that China's response will be “assertive”...  it's likely to happen in the coming weeks or months, not in the next few days.“We're going to see a reaction from China; the question is, when and how,”'“Whereas five, 10, 15 years ago, it was fairly predictable — the kinds of things that Beijing would do. But I think it's increasingly difficult to predict what is going to happen and when it's likely to happen

 msn.com/en-us/news/world/in-taiwan-s-high-stakes-elections-china-is-the-loser/ar-AA1mVl3g  Ellen Ioanes

　

◆ Washington Post, 2024-1-10:  increasingly frequent warnings from China's strongman leader Xi Jinping that Beijing's rule here is “inevitable” — raising the prospect of a conflict that could draw in the United States ◆ New York Times, 2024-1-9: Chinese officials have framed the race (presidential election) as a choice between peace and war. A warning from Taiwan about a satellite, erroneously called a missile in English, raised concerns about Chinese harassment days before an election.  ◆ Wall Street Journal , 2024-1-9:  The problem is that Beijing can't tolerate Taiwan's example of a thriving Chinese-speaking democracy in which voters settle political differences at the ballot box. If a conflict breaks out in the Taiwan Strait, this will be why. ◆ BBC, 2024-1-9: Today, the DPP no longer talks about the need for formal independence and the KMT speaks of dialogue with Beijing, but sidesteps the subject of unification, or whether Taiwan is part of China. Both are now embracing Taiwan's peculiar "status quo"- it elects its own leaders, but it is not considered a country ◆ Economist, 2024-1-8: victory for the DPP is far from certain. The party once appealed to young voters, but after eight years in power it has a stuffy image. Wage growth has fallen behind inflation and house prices are high... fears of an energy-price crunch. Most importantly, it has become clear that China will not have formal contact with DPP governments.   full text

　

◆ Fox News, 2024-1-6: The potential winner could further cement moves toward what could be called ‘de jure Taiwan independence.’ This will significantly increase the possibility of a war between the two sides; a war in which the U.S. will almost certainly be involved in ◆ Washington Post, 2024-1-5: With wars in Europe and the Middle East, U.S. power is stretched dangerously, historically thin. The temporary reduction in cross-strait tensions that would accompany a KMT victory could give Washington a window — if politicians are willing to seize it — to put the U.S. military deterrent on a firmer footing ◆ Foreign Affairs, 2024-1-5: a growing chorus of voices argue that continued support to Ukraine is detracting from the real threat—namely, a Chinese invasion of Taiwan; Prematurely abandoning Ukraine to preserve resources for Taiwan could embolden other adversaries. It might, for example, signal to Iran and North Korea...  ◆ The Guardian, 2024-1-5: The next president of Taiwan is likely to shape events less through proactive measures than his response to circumstances he cannot dictate: a crisis such as a military manoeuvre gone wrong, or more broadly, China’s internal politics ◆ Atlantic Council, 2024-1-3: Beijing's direct economic-electoral linkage ahead of the election may end up being a double-edged sword. If the purpose is to influence the election's outcome, then it could backfire ◆ Reuters, 2024-1-3: 'Hawkish' China military squeeze on Taiwan likely after election. If the DPP wins the presidency but loses its majority in parliament, that could also temper China's response given it would weaken the DPP's ability to pass legislation ◆ Fortune, 2024-1-2: opposition blame China tensions for pushing the chipmaker TSMC to invest overseas ◆ Wall Street Journal, 2023-12-29: Taiwanese politics has shifted decisively, and perhaps irrevocably, away from China. In Taipei, Lai paints a picture of a Taiwanese public far less preoccupied with Beijing’s designs than political leaders in the Western world. The KMT accused the DPP of underplaying the deterioration of cross-strait ties and the risk of war ◆ CNN, 2023-12-29: Beijing has long used its massive coast guard as a force to project power, some analysts believe that China could soon start to deploy the coast guard to ratchet up the pressure on Taiwan ◆ NBC, 2023-12-26: Xi's private warning  on reunifying Taiwan to Biden was delivered at a time when China's behavior toward Taiwan is seen as increasingly aggressive and ahead of a potentially pivotal    presidential  election in the self-governing democratic island next month. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. said: First, create a robust defense supplemental for Taiwan and second, draft pre-invasion sanctions from hell to impose on China if they take action to seize Taiwan. ◆ New York Post, 2023-12-26: Xi Jinping says China's ‘complete reunification’ with Taiwan will ‘surely’ happen ◆ New York Post, 2023-12-21: China's Xi Jinping warned Joe bluntly that Beijing will take Taiwan... It represents a clear escalation on China's part, moving from its longtime claim of ownership to notification of intent to take possession. ◆ Council on Foreign Relations, 2023-12-20: China distrusts Lai far more than Tsai.  China is all but certain to greet a Lai victory with intensified military, economic, and political pressure.   

　

　

Taiwan Presidential election debate 2023-12-30
◆ VOA News , Washington Post, AP,   2023-12-30  Taiwan's presidential candidates expressed desire for peaceful relations with Beijing. Tensions with China have featured strongly in the presidential campaign. Lai Ching-te promised to help strengthen Taiwan's defense and economy if elected. Hou said he opposed Taiwan's independence but also a potential unification under China's “one country, two systems” framework. Ko Wen-je, referenced a quote by Antony Blinken, saying that “Taiwan and China will cooperate if they can cooperate, compete if there’s a need to compete, and confront each other if they must confront each other.”; my bottom line is that Taiwan must maintain its current democratic and free political system and way of life. voanews.com/a/taiwan-s-presidential-candidates-emphasize-peace-with-beijing/7418610.html 
◆ Reuters (UK), 2023-12-31 China calls Taiwan president frontrunner a destroyer of peace,"His words were full of confrontational thinking," after he spoke at a presidential debate  the island's sovereignty and independence belong to its people,  the Republic of China and People's Republic of China "are not subordinate to each other". KMT's Hou has denounced Lai as an independence supporter. news.yahoo.com/china-calls-taiwan-president-frontrunner-012538807.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
◆ DW (Germany),  2023-12-31 Presidential candidates debate in shadow of China。Lai remained defiant, at one point insisting that, "The sovereignty of Taiwan belongs to the 23 million people in Taiwan. It does not belong to China”, "I will not go backward like the Kuomintang and be willing to become a vassal of totalitarianism... There are so many uncertainties regarding their policies". msn.com/en-in/news/world/taiwan-presidential-candidates-debate-in-shadow-of-china/ar-AA1mfuFn
◆ AFP (France),  2023-12-30 China ties dominate Taiwan presidential debate，Ko, whose small TPP has performed above expectations in Taiwan's dominant two-party landscape, called President Tsai's cross-strait policies "a mess". The results of which could determine Taipei's future ties with an increasingly bellicose China. msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-ties-dominate-taiwan-presidential-debate/ar-AA1meDRj
◆ Reuters, 2023-12-30 The televised debate was dominated by arguments over China and tensions in the Taiwan Strait.。Taiwan belongs to its people: presidential candidate，"The current status quo is that the Taiwan Strait is on the brink of war. So, to maintain close ties with the United States while also making peace with China is the solution to the problem," Hou said news.yahoo.com/taiwan-belongs-people-presidential-candidate-131009794.html
◆ The Guardian, 2023-12-30 All three presidential candidates have acknowledged the potential risks of Taiwan becoming the next conflict zone. They aim to convince voters that they are the most capable leaders who can ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan strait, for Beijing the priority is to ensure the ruling Democratic Progressive party (DPP) is kicked out of office.  theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/30/taiwan-election-new-president-growing-threat-china  Helen Davidson
◆ SKY News (Australia),  2023-12-31 the race has become more unpredictable. The stakes for Taiwan's future have never seemed more unsteady, in light of rising tensions with China. skynews.com.au/world-news/our-future-has-never-seemed-more-unsteady-what-taiwans-2024-presidential-race-means-for-the-islands-rapidly-deteriorating-relationship-with-china/news-story/fe83df822e798ea6452659ceab914849   Hilton Yip

　

　

　

　

　

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pic.  : No.1 "review Taiwan" on Swisscows of Switzerland, 2024-1-1, 2023-8-8, 2023-7-4, 2023-6-22; No.3 at 2024-2-1

　

　

　

　

◆ Brookings Institution, 2023-12-18: although China would respond to a Taiwan declaration of independence with a military campaign, Beijing knows that this would be quite risky, in part because the PLA is not ready to undertake such a complicated campaign; a wide-ranging campaign of coercion that includes displays of military force but a variety of non-military pressure and intimidation, a low-risk approach, targets the confidence of the people of Taiwan, and there are signs that it is gradually working. ◆  Economist, 2023-12-13:  There is an argument from the us that although Taiwan is a key security interest for the US, it should stop saying that. Because that's going to provoke China, and the US should say it's up to the people of Taiwan and China to decide their future.  Taiwan's vice pres. candidate: Taiwan is a security interest primarily for the people of Taiwan. But Taiwan is also a security interest for the world.  ◆ Reporters Without Borders (RSF) , 2023-12-13: Taiwan is a country that suffers from one of the lowest trust rates in the media among democracies (28%) and where the media community is often criticised for disregarding journalism ethics... journalists suffer from a very polarised media environment dominated by sensationalism and the pursuit of profit at the expense of quality news reporting. ◆ The Conversation, 2023-12-11: While Taiwanese people are concerned about potential conflict - one poll finds more than 80% of Taiwanese people believe the China threat is worsening – prospects for peace and stability are also affecting the island’s international business and investment outlook. ◆ The Diplomat, 2023-12-11: Taiwan's election is not a turning point for US policy -  but- Continuity in U.S. support for Taiwan and hardening against China will face an inflection point if Biden is replaced by Donald Trump or some other candidate with strong “America First” leanings in the November 2024 elections  ◆ The Guardian, 2023-12-9: Cracks are appearing in China's monolithic regime – and its leader might decide a military adventure will strengthen his grip on power ◆ Fortune, 2023-12-5: After Israel and Ukraine, Taiwan business leaders fear Taipei-Beijing tensions may trigger the next geopolitical conflict...the Republican-led House approved money only for Israel in November, defying Biden's request for spending for all three allies (Ukraine, Taiwan). ◆ New York Times, 2023-12-4: Taiwan's presidential election candidates have focused on who can best handle the island's volatile relationship with China. But many voters, especially those in their 20s and 30s, say they are weary of geopolitics and yearn for a campaign more focused on their concerns, like rising housing costs, slow income growth and narrowing career prospects... could be a crucial factor in deciding the presidential election ◆ Foreign Affairs, 2023-11-30: as the United States works with Taiwan to strengthen its security, it must avoid giving the impression that it is moving toward restoring formal diplomatic relations or a defense alliance with the island. Combined with a conditional and credible threat of a military response by the United States and Taiwan to the use of force, such assurances will help prevent a war.     

　

　

　

      

　
New York Post (2023-12-20):Xi told Biden he plans to take Taiwan — by any means necessary;  NBC (2023-12-20):Xi's private warning to Biden was delivered at a time when China's behavior toward Taiwan is seen as increasingly aggressive and ahead of a potentially pivotal presidential election in the self-governing democratic island next month. Business Insider (2023-12-20): Xi straight-up told Biden that China is going to take over Taiwan, report says. It could end in war;  Daily Mail (2023-12-20):  Top Republicans alarmed by 'beyond unnerving' report Xi warned Biden that China WILL reunify with Taiwan in blunt message

　

western media ♣  Taiwan's presidential election -  could reignite U.S.-China tensions
Washington Post, 2023-11-28 Beijing calls the race a “choice between war and peace” and it has escalated an intimidation campaign around the island democracy, taking Chinese military aggression in the Taiwan Strait to heights unseen in decades... a vote that could reignite U.S.-China tensions if Beijing takes the results badly.   brief
Washington Post, 2023-11-28 Our policy, therefore, has to be not truculence and deterrence but to make sure that push does not come to shove. That means ... scrupulously avoiding support for Vice President Lai Ching-te.  brief
CNBC, 2023-11-27 Chinese government has framed this elections as a choice between “peace and war, prosperity and decline.”  The outcome of Taiwan’s elections will likely go some way in influencing testy U.S.-China ties and impact security in the Asia-Pacific region more broadly.  brief
Bloomberg, 2023-11-26 an unprecedented third straight term in power for the DPP is by no means a foregone conclusion. After almost eight years in power, there's growing unhappiness with the party and a desire for change, especially among younger voters. brief
Reuters, 2023-11-28 China repeated its attacks on Lai and Hsiao "distorted facts and downplayed the harmfulness and danger of 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities to deceive voters in the 2024 leadership election in Taiwan"  brief
SCMP, 2023-11-29 Taiwan poll: DPP senses win with Lai-Hsiao ticket but Beijing might see 'war'

 

◆  New York Times, 2023-11-26: Taiwan, a highly online society, has repeatedly been found to be the top target in the world for disinformation from foreign governments.  RAND: China's disinformation work has had “measurable effects”.  Critics denounced the government's anti-disinformation campaign as a political witch hunt, Taiwan's media ecosystem, with its diverse political leanings, often produces pro-Beijing content that can be misattributed to Chinese manipulation.        

　

Taiwan's economy - compared with Asian countries
★

Hong Kong

Taiwan
Median wealth per adult (Credit Suisse, Research Institute, 2023 ) US$ 202,410 (world No.3) US$ 108,250
Mean wealth per adult (Credit Suisse, Research Institute, 2023 ) US$ 551,190 US$ 273,790
The average salary (Morgan McKinley, Business Insider, 2023) HK$ 36,583 (about TWD147,204) TWD 48,032 (plus overtime etc TWD 57,045) - storm.mg/lifestyle/4851897
Median salary (UDN, 2023-12-14) about TWD 84,000 about TWD 43,000
Market Capitalization  (UDN, 2023-12-14) more than double of Taiwan's about USD 1.7 trillion
★ At the end of 2022, Taiwan's per capita GDP amounted to $32,756 while Singapore's was $82,808, Japan and South Korea were at $33,815 and $32,255, respectively, according to the World Bank.

　



　


 No.1  "review Taiwan"  on Duckduckgo,  2024-6-3, 2024-1-1, 2023-1-1
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western media ♣  Taiwan presidential election -  opposition alliance collapse
New York Times, 2023-11-24 even experienced observers baffled as to why the opposition parties would stage such a public rupture over who would be the presidential candidate on a unity ticket... , It really defies theories of coalition building.  Lai's party asserts Taiwan's distinctive identity and claims to nationhood, and has become closer to the United States.  China could respond by escalating menacing military activities around Taiwan, which sits roughly 100 miles off the Chinese coast.   brief
Economist, 2023-11-24 polls suggest the flurry of chaotic opposition negotiating has modestly bolstered both Mr Hou and Mr Ko. After eight years in power, the dpp is struggling especially with younger voters, who are suffering from high housing costs and low wages. Some also worry about a possible war with China.  brief
Bloomberg, 2023-11-24 There is zero chance that the unhappy trajectory in cross-strait relations gets reversed if Lai wins.  It will certainly lead to a continuation and probable escalation of pressures and threats...will impact the nature of the US’s already tense ties with China.   brief
BBC, 2023-11-24 Mr Lai is not much of a campaigner. His poll ratings have gradually sunk, from over 40% in the summer to barely touching 30% now.   brief
VOA, 2023-11-24 analysts say will be a referendum on China relations. Beijing said Lai attempted to hide that he is a “pursuer of Taiwan independence” and an “instigator of war.” brief
Washington Post, 2023-11-24 Lai's advantage is largely thanks to disarray in the opposition camp. He has consistently polled around or just above 30 percent.     A win is not guaranteed. Public grievances against the ruling party have bubbled up during Tsai’s presidency, which has been hit by corruption scandals and grumbling from Taiwanese businesses about lost trade with China;  Lev Nachman:“This election is becoming about who voters think is the safest choice for Taiwan。” brief
Reuters, 2023-11-24 China ties on the line as Taiwan opposition splits in dramatic feud,    potentially easing the way for the ruling party, which has defied Beijing's pressure, to stay in power.
TIME, 2023-11-24 collapse of the alliance is likely to consolidate both the KMT’s and the TPP's vote base on the one hand, as intensified conflicts usually can promote vote base consolidation and unity,  wing voters who have no stable identification with either party will be less likely to vote for [either of] them.”
Wall Street Journal, 2023-11-24 China isn’t backing off Taiwan.  The U.S. will wish it had deterred the crisis when faced with these grim choices; Far better to avoid this conflict than to fight it in any form.

　

　

　

　
  
    		　

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pic.  : No.2 "Taiwan reviews" on US Google, 2023-7-3, 2023-6-9
　

　

 

pic.  : No.1 "Taiwan reviews" on US Google, 2023-7-10, 2023-7-8

　

　


　

　

  ◆  Washington Post, 2023-11-21: Xi Jinping is sending ominous signals on Taiwan / on the most important issue in the relationship — Taiwan — Washington and Beijing are moving further apart. Xi's rhetoric indicates he's getting impatient with the status quo — and his actions are even more worrisome. ◆  FoxNews, 2023-11-16: Xi underscored that this (Taiwan) was the biggest, most potentially dangerous issue in U.S.-China relations.  Biden again calls Xi a 'DICTATOR' as china vows to be 'UNSTOPPABLE' in retaking Taiwan ◆  The Hill, 2023-11-16: Biden, Xi reset relationship but without a ‘breakthrough’ ◆  New Yorker, 2023-11-14: The war in Gaza, along with ongoing U.S. support of Ukraine, has prompted concern in some quarters that Taiwan could be left dangerously vulnerable ◆  Washington Post, 2023-11-13: the United States’ Indo-Pacific Command now considers it harder to distinguish between Chinese military coercion and the full-scale mobilization that would presage an invasion...However, China probably remains years away from being capable of using civilian ships to support a successful cross-strait invasion ◆  Economist, 2023-11-13: If William Lai, the DPP's candidate, wins in January, China may respond with a similar show of force or go further, enforcing a longer blockade, interfering with Taiwan's internet or creating more crises in the Taiwan Strait       

　

media Biden-Xi meeting
USA Today, 2023-11-15 Biden and Xi spar over Taiwan, Xi said there are no plans for military action, but stressed the need for an eventual resolution
Foreign Policy, 2023-11-15 Taiwan’s Room to Maneuver Shrinks as Biden and Xi Meet; As the latest crisis in the Taiwan straits wraps up, Taipei is on the back foot.
France 24, 2023-11-15 Taiwan set to dominate talks as Xi meets Biden，from Beijing's perspective, the most important issue in the US-China relationship will be over Taiwan
New York Times, 2023-11-16 The two nations have spiraled into their worst relationship in four decades, and Biden’s primary goal was simple: Find a way to keep an increasingly bitter competition with China from tipping into conflict

　

　

 ◆  Bloomberg, 2023-11-10: The US's top general said he doubts Beijing plans to try to take Taiwan militarily ◆  BBC, 2023-11-9:Beijing's espionage strategy has intensified and expanded beyond elite military circles. Taiwan did not have a robust system for restricting access to classified information until recently. ◆  Economist, 2023-11-6: Invading Taiwan would be a logistical minefield for China; despite huge advances in many areas, it still does not have the troops, equipment, experience, command structures or logistics necessary to be confident of victory in a war over Taiwan. ◆  BBC, 2023-11-6:  in a conflict with China, Taiwan's navy and air force would be wiped out in the first 96 hours of battle. Under intense pressure from Washington, Taipei is switching to a "fortress Taiwan" strategy - The focus will switch to ground troops, infantry and artillery  -  Taiwan still cannot hope to deter China by itself. This is the other lesson from the war in Ukraine. There is now fierce debate in Washington about how far the US should go in supporting Taiwan ◆  Economist, 2023-10-31: Taiwan's chips give the world an economic reason to protect the island from a Chinese invasion. But now America and China are competing to control the supply of these sophisticated chips. And that puts Taiwan in the middle of the two superpowers ◆  Washington Post, 2023-10-31: China's bellicosity against Taiwan has ratcheted up. China now regularly makes military feints at Taiwan with naval and aerial incursions. ◆  New York Times, 2023-10-29: Xi may decide to strike if he begins to feel that Taiwan is slipping further from his grasp, especially if the United States continues to bolster Taiwan's military and its own forces in the region. Taiwan must accelerate its shift toward investing in defense capabilities  ◆  Economist, 2023-10-26: In 2019 Xi Jinping, China's president, gave a speech linking the 1992 consensus with the mainland's one-China principle and proposed a “one country, two systems” formula for incorporating Taiwan. That speech “set the tone” for a more assertive Chinese policy on Taiwan ◆  Nikkei Asian Review, 2023-10-27: Taiwan still invests in conventional weapons at the expense of asymmetric capabilities, and it's "not clear whether the government has embraced asymmetric warfighting concepts ◆  New York Times, 2023-10-21: Why we should fear China more than Middle Eastern war ? Only China is an arguable peer of the United States, only China's technological and industrial might can hope to match our own, and only China has the capacity to project power globally as well as regionally. ◆  Newsweek, 2023-10-20: Pentagon Lists Six Possible Causes of China-Taiwan War: 1.  Formal Declaration of Independence 2. Undefined Moves Toward Taiwan Independence 3. "internal unrest" in Taiwan 4. Acquisition of Nuclear Weapons 5. Indefinitely Delayed Cross-Strait Dialogue on Unification 6. Foreign Military Intervention in Taiwan's Internal Affairs ◆  New York Times, 2023-10-16: Beijing is far less concerned with U.S. efforts to enhance its military posture in the region — the deterrence side of the equation — than with the political rhetoric, which is seen in China as proof ... supporting Taiwan's de facto independence. ◆  BBC, 2023-10-16: A spooked and lonely Taiwan looks for new friends. Perhaps the most fertile ground for making new friends is in the young democracies of Eastern Europe Increasingly Taipei relied on its chequebook to hold on to a dwindling list of allies, mainly in the form of aid and investment.  

　

♣ Taiwan's presidential election
Newsweek, 2023-10-26 Taiwan Voters Must Choose Between 'War and Peace,' China Says
Economist, 2023-10-26 46% of voters are worried about a possible war between Taiwan and China in the next five years. 。KMT and TPP would need to work out an acceptable distribution of cabinet members. If they can fix these issues over the next month, Taiwan could be in for a very tight race.
Nikkei Asian Review Taiwan's election may open 'window' for better China ties. International Crisis Group warns that conflict risks are rising
Australia Financial Review, 2023-10-26 voters are torn in Taiwan - Inflation, housing affordability, energy prices and scandals are on the mind of the electorate. As well as whether China will invade, of course.
Reuters, 2023-10-26 Foxconn founder Terry Gou lies low in Taiwan election as China tax probe reverberates

　

◆  AP, Washington Post, 2023-10-12:  the Hamas-Israel war “blew up so suddenly,” prompting Taiwan to up its ability to forecast possible threats. Russia’s full-on invasion of Ukraine has also raised concerns that China may act against Taiwan, possibly with Moscow's backing ◆  Newsweek,  2023-10-12: Since war broke out in the Mideast, some with hawkish views in the U.S. have suggested that Taiwan needs to take its self-defense seriously ◆  VOA News,  2023-10-13: some Taiwanese citizens worry China could see an opportunity to attack Taiwan if Washington were to be dragged into the conflict in the Middle East. Lev Nachman said a Chinese attack on Taiwan in the coming days is unlikely.  ◆  AP, Reuters, 2023-10-10: Taiwan seeks 'peaceful coexistence' with China, president says, Differences between Taiwan and China must be resolved peacefully, and maintaining the status quo is "critical" to ensuring peace ◆  BBC, 2023-10-5: Most analysts agree that Taiwan's military - a shrunken army, outnumbered navy and old artillery - would be no match against a far more powerful China. ◆  Washington Examiner, 2023-10-5: Were Taipei truly serious about deterring and defeating a PLA attack, it would be spending closer to 10% of its GDP on defense ◆  VOA, 2023-10-5: US warns China cost for blockading Taiwan to be 'Very High' ◆  CNN, 2023-10-3: Taiwan gears up for its presidential election in January, with the island's foreign policy and relations with China a central issue in the race alongside more bread and butter issues like the cost of living and stagnant wages  ◆  American Spectator, 2023-10-3:  when the leaders of authoritarian China decide whether to attack Taiwan, their top consideration is not economics but politics. ◆  The Diplomat, 2023-10-3: US support could prove to be a sore point in Washington's approach to regional capitals if relations deteriorate between Taiwan and Southeast Asian nations over human rights violations - the way Taiwan treats its large population of migrant workers has far-reaching ramifications ◆  AP, 2023-10-3:  a decades-old agreement between Taipei and Beijing means that Taiwanese teams can only compete internationally if they don't use the name - or flag - of Taiwan...China has strayed in recent years from the agreement to call Taiwan “Chinese Taipei” at international sporting events. Official Chinese media now call it “China Taipei” - suggesting it is part of China - instead of “Chinese Taipei,” which implies more of an ethnic or cultural similarity.  

　

◆  Washington Post, 2023-9-28: Taiwan launches the island's first domestically made submarine for testing
NewsWeek, 2023-9-29 A senior researcher at RAND: The relatively shallow, choppy waters of the Taiwan Strait were well-suited for masking submarines but also harder to operate in.  Policy experts in the U.S.  have urged Taipei to adopt an asymmetric defense strategy based on "lots of small, deadly things—anti-ship missiles, anti-air missiles, etc.—that would make Taiwan a porcupine." Such an approach would become more useful, and submarines less so。
CNN, 2023-9-28 While the Taiwan Strait might be too shallow for submarines to operate in, the vessels could be most useful when deployed to target Chinese warships in the Bashi channel – which separates Taiwan from the Philippines – and the waters between Taiwan and Japan’s westernmost islands.  China has planned for a major naval engagement with the US outside the first island chain, around the Philippine Sea”.
BBC, 2023-9-28 National University of Singapore Drew Thompson:  the "centre of gravity" for any China-Taiwan naval conflict would not likely be in the deep waters off the island's east coast, where submarines would be most effective in...Instead, the main theatre of war would be in the shallower waters of the west coast facing mainland China...The submarine is not optimised for a counter invasion role...
Defense News, 2023-9-29 Reuters has also reported that that Taiwan had recruited engineers and retired submariners from the U.S., U.K., Australia, South Korea, India, Spain and Canada to work on the program
Forbes, 2023-9-28 In CSIS's war games, Chinese escorts, aircraft and submarines usually sank around a fifth of the deployed subs every three or four days throughout the weekslong war. In the end, perhaps a dozen or more subs lay wrecked at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, tombs for thousands of submariners.
The Diplomat, 2023-9-30 Some see the Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) program as a poor use of scarce defense resources on a prestige project ;   The ODC ( typically utilizes large numbers of cheaper, smaller, shorter-range, and more survivable weapons systems.) appears to have fallen out of favor as a result of institutional opposition, even though the United States has sought to pressure the government to focus on less gold-plated procurement projects.

　

　

News:  ◆  TIME, 2023-9-28:  If China's military responds to a Lai (Ching-te) victory in January by challenging Taiwanese defenses much closer to the island's shores,...Beijing and Washington could find themselves managing a crisis neither side really wants but can't avoid ◆   Economist, 2023-9-26: Taiwanese voters will in effect be asked to decide whether Taiwan should remain aligned with America in strengthening deterrence against a possible Chinese invasion,... the one-fifth of voters who are not aligned with any party and could be a decisive bloc. ◆  The Daily Caller, 2023-9-24: Asia-Pacific security chair at Hudson Institute warns that the PLA has never fielded a more comprehensive and lethal set of capabilities than it does now.  China has been preparing for the possibility of fighting the U.S. over Taiwan going back to around 1996 or 1997 after realizing Washington intended to preserve the status quo of Taiwan's semi-autonomy, experts explained.  

　

◆  New York post, 2023-9-19: China would have to do a combined amphibious and airborne air assault operation, which is an incredibly complicated joint operation to be able to do ◆  Reuters, 2023-9-19: Chinese blockade of Taiwan would likely fail, Pentagon official says ◆  New York Times, 2023-9-18:  China sends record number of military planes near Taiwan. China is also testing and eroding the island's vigilance, seeking to wear away its military equipment and personnel, and remind Taiwanese politicians and voters of China's military might.  Taiwan expert: The sorties appeared to signal “China's dissatisfaction with the recent developments in strengthening military and economic and trade cooperation between Taiwan and the United States” ◆  Financial Times, 2023-9-15:  opinion polls in Taiwan show public confidence is shaky in Washington's assurances.  Taiwan opposition candidate to push US for clarity on defence commitments, Some US officials are likely to bristle at KMT demands for more explicit backing from Washington.  ◆  Modern War Institute at West Point, 2023-9-14:  Many experts incorrectly predicted that an invasion would be too costly for China's already shrinking economy  given the inevitable global backlash.   The capital city can reasonably be anticipated to quickly fall into the grip of PLA forces, every Taiwan citizen should be a resistance member : Preparing for a Chinese occupation   ◆    Bloomberg,2023-9-12:  a separate report to lawmakers: Taiwan's Defense Ministry warned that China's ruling Communist Party may “push forward the process of solving the Taiwan issue” during President Xi Jinping’s third term, which runs to 2027.   ◆ Military, 2023-9-13: By 37% to 22%, Americans on a bipartisan basis believe we should militarily protect Taiwan   ◆ Associated Press, 2023-9-9: The U.S. and the Canadian navies sailed two warships through the Taiwan Strait on Saturday, in a challenge to China's sweeping territorial claims ◆  Chicago Tribune, AP, VOA News, 2023-9-2: Taiwan's government is racing to counter China, but many on the island say they don't feel the threat. That may be partly due to the nuanced views many Taiwanese hold of China.  Many say they are attracted to their much larger neighbor’s dynamic economy, and its shared language and culture. Others are simply numb to hearing about the threat in their backyard. ◆  CNN (2023-8-30): US approves first-ever military aid to Taiwan through program typically used for sovereign nations  

　

China's economic crisis     news.yahoo.com/china-economic-woes-could-raise-220300203.html  Michael Martina   businessinsider.com/joe-biden-china-unlikely-invade-taiwan-economy-property-crisis-g20-2023-9   Huileng Tan

◆ Reuters, 2023-9-12 :  the Republican chair of a U.S. congressional committee on China says China's economic slowdown could increase the risk of Beijing taking military action toward Taiwan
◆ Washington Examiner, Insider, 2023-9-11: Biden says China is unlikely to invade Taiwan now because Beijing just too busy with its own economic crisis

　

News:  ◆ Reuters, 2023-8-31:  The outcome of the closely watched January 2024 vote will set the tone for Taipei's tumultuous relationship with Beijing ◆ Council on Foreign Relations, 2023-8-30:  Taiwan Announced a Record Defense Budget: But most important, the proposed budget still falls far short of what the island should be investing in defense. Ironically, the smallest growth in Taiwan’s defense budget in half a decade is coming at a time when defense spending should be accelerating to confront the growing threat that Taiwan faces. In practice, Taiwan needs procuring more anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, investing in rapid mining capabilities, developing drones and unmanned underwater vehicles, expanding domestic defense industrial capacity, and hardening critical infrastructure.  

　

◆  Taiwanese Divided on US Military Sales /  VOA News , 2023-9-6
♦  66.5% of the respondents support U.S. military sales to Taiwan
♦ 43.1% of respondents think U.S. military sales to Taiwan will further increase tension across the Taiwan Strait. Whereas 37.8% think U.S. military sales can help maintain peace between China and Taiwan
♦ Taiwan rarely has the autonomy to decide what types of weapons it wants to purchase from the U.S. Rather, the deliverables often seem to have been “decided” for Taiwan

♦ there are often deeper political meanings behind U.S. military sales to Taiwan.  These military sales should be conducted more discreetly, rather than publicly announcing these programs

♦  the U.S. provides more offensive weapons for Taiwan through military sales, they believe it increases the risks of prompting a potential Chinese military attack on Taiwan.

voanews.com/a/taiwanese-divided-on-us-military-sales-amid-growing-chinese-threats/7256298.htm

　

◆ BBC, 2023-8-29 : Opinion polls also show that around 40% of voters are pretty solid supporters of the ruling DPP. That means the ruling party can be beaten. But to have any chance the opposition would have to unite around a single candidate.  Now Taiwan's opposition vote will be split three ways ◆ Washington Post, 2023-8-28 : Taiwanese voters could either fuel or dampen the mounting tensions. Their choice is between a ruling party determined to maintain Taiwan's political independence, and an opposition that sees closer ties with China as the only viable path.    

　

Using Foreign Military Financing （ＦＭＦ） program to transfer military aid to Taiwan will likely infuriate China.
USA China

 ♣ CNN (2023-8-30): US approves first-ever military aid to Taiwan through program typically used for sovereign nations

 ♣ Bloomberg (2023-8-31): The Foreign Military Financing mechanism covers international organizations as well as nations
  ♣ The Hill (2023-9-1): the first time the U.S. has provided military assistance under FMF to Taiwan and the second time it's given it to a non-nation-state, the first being to the African Union.

 ♣ The Hill (2023-9-1): China says it 'deplores' US military transfer to Taiwan

　

　

◆ Reuters, 2023-8-25: Taiwan reported renewed Chinese military activity around the island, including 13 aircraft entering Taiwan's "response" zone,  Taiwan could not judge whether China's drills had formally ended  (Reuters, 2023-8-26: Taiwan has not reported any Chinese military aircraft in its territorial air space, though it has said planes have come close to island's contiguous zone, which is within 24 nautical miles (44 km) of its coast.) ◆  Atlantic Council, 2023-8-23:  full-fledged invasion of the island would be difficult. But there are other scenarios, such as a blockade, that would paralyze life on the island and make a Chinese invasion a lot easier. In the event of a PRC invasion of the island, the West will come to Taiwan's aid, with the United States taking the lead, but the most important part should be done by the Taiwanese. We can’t be more Taiwanese than they are themselves. ◆ Wall Street Journal, 2023-8-25: analysts said Lai's lead could erode by the time voters cast their ballots in January, given Taiwan's reputation for volatile politics. ◆ TIME, 2023-8-21 :  China stops importing Taiwan's mangoes after Beijing announced naval and airforce drills as a “stern warning” to what it called Taiwan independence forces. It has reacted angrily to the transit of Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-te through the U.S., having also condemned his remarks about Taiwan’s status in an interview with Bloomberg  ◆ Washington Post, 2023-8-20:  The election of a third consecutive DPP administration would confirm that Beijing's attempts to bring Taiwan under its closer control through coercion and intimidation are failing.  Although Lai is currently leading in the polls, opposition candidates who are much friendlier to Beijing might be able to amass a majority if the three top contenders chose one to rally around ◆ New York Times, 2023-8-19:  In warning to Taiwan, China Announces joint air and sea drills, so far, China's response after Mr. Lai's visit appears more muted than it was in April, or last August, Chinese leaders may grasp that menacing, large-scale maneuvers around Taiwan could work in Mr. Lai's favor by pushing more support to his party in presidential election ◆ Chicago Tribune, 2023-8-14: As tensions build between China and Taiwan, tensions continue to ratchet up between Beijing and Washington, with both sides wanting to appear tough to deter the other from taking military action. The result, however, is making war more likely, not less. The United States must do something to lower tensions to maintain the peace while also retaining the ability to defend our interests   

　

US Congress CRS Report, 2023-8-24  - Taiwan: Defense and Military Issues
crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF12481
♣  Civil military relations are strained for historical, political, and bureaucratic reasons. The archipelago’s energy, food, water, internet, and other critical infrastructure systems are vulnerable to external disruption. Civil defense preparedness is insufficient, ... Taiwan's military struggles to recruit, retain, and train personnel. It is not clear what costs—in terms of economic security, well-being, safety and security, and lives—Taiwan's people would be willing or able to bear ...
♣ persistent, low-level, non-combat operations that analysts say are eroding Taiwan's military advantages and readiness... unmanned combat aerial vehicle flights near and encircling Taiwan, and reported flights of unmanned aerial vehicles in the airspace of Kinmen...The normalization of PLA operations ever closer to Taiwan's main island in peacetime could undermine “routine” operations or exercises to obscure preparations for an attack.  If the PLA were to use such operations as cover for an imminent attack, it could significantly shorten the time Taiwan would have to respond
♣ many observers argue that Taiwan's military is insufficiently equipped to defeat a possible PRC armed attack.  observers have raised concerns about impediments to the timely delivery of U.S. defense items to Taiwan.

　

◆  Bloomberg, 2023-8-14:  Taiwan's Election Is All About War...  it's concerning that the opposition may not be able to coalesce behind one candidate. That's an election Lai (DPP Lai Ching-te) can win. ◆ New York Times, 2023-8-11: large-scale missile attacks or saturation attacks would likely overwhelm Taiwan's air defense systems.   A real fighting on the ground at the airport and using infantry forces imply that Taiwan had already lost the war in the air. "By the time , it will be, more or less, over"  

　

　

◆  Lai Ching-te  'stopover'
New York Times (2023-8-14 news brief, 2023-8-12) A Taiwanese presidential contender walks a fine line... it's likely that he'll be more muted...Expect restraint...And his visit, however low-key, is also likely to prompt an escalation of Chinese military flights and naval maneuvers near Taiwan, bringing into focus the risks of real conflict over its future. nytimes.com/2023/08/12/world/asia/taiwan-us-china-lai-ching-te.html
NPR (2023-8-12) Taiwan's Vice President is stopping by the U.S. this week, under China's watchful eye，U.S officials pointedly refer to Lai's trip as a transit, meaning a stop for logistical, rather than political, purposes.   For Lai, this trip is especially to break out of some of the suspicions the U.S. may have about him and prove he can engage with the U.S.。
DW (2023-8-12) Beijing labeled Lai  — a separatist and a "troublemaker."
BBC ( 2023-8-14) China accused Washington of engaging Taiwan in political activities under the guise of a stopover.  Mr Lai's visit comes at a low point in US-China relations, with Taiwan emerging as the biggest flashpoint.  Mr Lai has previously called himself - to Beijing's displeasure - a "pragmatic worker for Taiwanese independence".  bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-66495368?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA)   Derek Cai
France 24 ( 2023-8-14) China considers Taiwan its most important diplomatic issue, and is a constant source of friction between Beijing and Washington
CNN (2023-8-13) China calls him a “troublemaker through and through.”. China deplores and strongly condemns the US decision to arrange the so-called ‘stopover'.
 AFP (2023-8-13) China on Sunday vowed "resolute and forceful measures" over a weekend trip by Taiwan Vice President William Lai to the United States

Lai has been far more outspoken about independence than Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, to whom Beijing is already hostile as she refuses to accept its view that Taiwan is a part of China.   news.yahoo.com/china-vows-forceful-response-over-035750831.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
 Wall Street Journal (2023-8-12) China's leaders have more to think about as they weigh a response.  While it serves Beijing's interests to have better relations with Washington at this moment,” that doesn't mean the Chinese leadership would shy from taking strong action on Taiwan, if they deem it necessary  msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-visit-by-taiwan-vice-president-puts-china-in-a-bind/ar-AA1fbCxI   Chun Han Wong, Joyu Wang, Charles Hutzler
VOA (2023-8-11) experts think Beijing will launch a military response to Lai’s stopovers in the U.S., but the scale will depend on how "official-looking" his trip is. "This includes who he meets with, what he says, and how public those meetings are" ... any reaction deemed too provocative could help increase Lai's chance of winning the election. However, she added that Beijing also worries about sending the wrong signal if its responses are deemed too weak.  voanews.com/a/analysts-us-taipei-aim-to-keep-taiwan-vp-transit-stops-low-key-/7220905.html

　

　

◆  European Council on Foreign Relations,2023-8-8:  the structures within the leadership are antiquated. The island state urgently needs modern civilian oversight of its military. ◆  New York Times, 2023-8-8: In the political debate, Taiwanese nationalists often emphasize the existence of the Indigenous groups as evidence that Taiwan has its unique origins, of which the Chinese culture is only a part... Even though the Indigenous groups make up only 2 percent of Taiwan's population, they’re an important part in the narrative of Taiwanese nationhood. ◆ New York Times, 2023-8-8:  the P.L.A. Rocket Force (which manages conventional and nuclear missiles ) being central to future conflicts  — is under a shadow.  This unexplained shake-up suggests suspicions of graft or other misconduct  ◆ JustSecurity.org, 2023-8-7: A recent Council on Foreign Relations task force report  about "U.S.-Taiwan Relations in a New Era" warns that "deterrence is steadily eroding in the Taiwan Strait and is at risk of failing, increasing the likelihood of Chinese aggression." ◆   New York Times, 2023-8-4: TSMC's chairman rejected the idea of the "silicon shield",“China will not invade Taiwan because of semiconductors. China will  not  not  invade Taiwan because of semiconductors”Mr. Liu said, "It is really up to the U.S. and China: How do they maintain the status quo, which both sides want?"  ◆  The WEEK UK, 2023-8-1: A report by the RAND Corporation stated that the island nation does not spend enough on defence, and what it does goes on “antiquated systems".   

　

Pew Research, 2023-8-11: 28-48, Taiwan seen more favorably than not across 24 countries
 pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/08/11/taiwan-seen-more-favorably-than-not-across-24-countries/
　 unfavorable favorable
US 30 65
UK 25 60
Nederland 35 52
Germany 28 50
France 26 49
Japan 14 82
S. Korea 19 77
Australia 27 71
India 43 37
Greece 30-28, Hungary 25-25, Spain 37-38,  S Africa 40-23, Brazil 34-29, 24-country median 28-48

　

◆  Economist, 2023-7-28: Joe Biden believes donating weapons to Taiwan will help forestall a war across the Taiwan Strait. The military move may instead provoke a new crisis. ◆  Wall Street Journal, 2023-7-28: Taiwan amps up Chinese-Invasion drills to deliver a message - War could happen.   ◆  Kyodo News (Japan), 2023-7-28: The military balance between China and Taiwan is "rapidly tilting to China's favor" , and "the gap appears to be growing year by year."  , Japan' said in its 2023 white paper     

　

　

#MeToo in Taiwan
◆ New York Times, 2023-7-27 our society remains patriarchal and hierarchical. Under Confucian values, women obey their fathers and their brothers and eventually their husbands. People are expected to respect and yield to their elders and superiors — in short, the powers that be... In a collectivist culture like ours, the burden of being nice and preserving group harmony falls on those with less power and authority nytimes.com/2023/07/27/opinion/taiwan-women-metoo.html  Vickie Wang
◆ Reuters, 2023-7-28 Despite Taiwan's reputation as a progressive bastion in a conservative region - the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage...to confront a problem long shrouded in shame and silence.   victims of abuse often stay silent due to what experts say is a tradition of victim-blaming, cultural pressure, and unequal power relationships.   .reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/years-after-metoo-first-swept-world-taiwan-races-respond-2023-07-28/   Sarah Wu   
◆ New York Times, 2023-6-25  torrent of sexual harassment accusations has prompted questions about the state of women's rights on an island democracy ... entrenched sexism that leaves women vulnerable at work, and a culture that is quick to blame victims and cover up accusations against powerful men.  nytimes.com/2023/06/25/world/asia/taiwan-harassment-metoo.html

　

◆   The coming China war over Taiwan -    Fox News, 2023-7-28  

♦  The US should fight alongside allies, not in their place.

♦ a critical question – is Taiwan committed to its own defense? There are multiple indications that the answer is no.
♦ perhaps most alarmingly, some Taiwanese youth, it turns out, are reluctant to die for their country.Research in 2018: Large numbers of young Taiwanese were "apathetic toward the military and averse to service." 
 ♦ Biden must show leadership now, before it's too late, and force Taiwan to participate much more in its own defense...
 foxnews.com/opinion/coming-china-war-over-taiwan-needs-american-leadership-before-too-late   Rebekah Koffler

　

◆   What would be the signs that a PLA invasion is in the planning ?
♦ Economist, 2023-7-27: China would want to secure adequate supplies of commodities, namely energy ( coal, gas, oil - one of the best indicators ), food and metals (unusual metal-buying patterns,  export controls on rare-earth metals  ) and to reduce the country's dependence on the dollar. China might move its foreign-exchange reserves out of dollars and euros and into assets such as gold,  and probably tighten its capital controls, they also might freeze all foreign funds in China, etc   economist.com/china/2023/07/27/could-economic-indicators-signal-chinas-intent-to-go-to-war
♦ National Interest , 2022-11-21:  there would be reliable indications, including surging production of various missiles, rockets, and key munitions, China would take visible steps to insulate its economy, military, and key industries from disruptions and sanctions and would start preparing the population psychologically for the cost of the war.... They might take a strategic advantage, such as by catching the rest of the world off-guard, capitalizing on the chaos and distraction in other countries.  nationalinterest.org/feature/china’s-new-politburo-has-taiwan-its-crosshairs-205909
 ♦ Japan Times, 2022-10-18: some of indications could be a mix of both short- and long-term economic steps to try and insulate the Chinese economy from external vulnerabilities and to minimize China's dependency on the world while maximizing the world's dependency on China.       Short-term economic indicators are more likely to signal Beijing’s intent. These could include a number of abrupt steps such as freezing foreign financial assets within China, quickly repatriating Chinese assets held abroad, a surge in stockpiling emergency supplies such as medicine or key technology inputs and a suspension of key exports such as critical minerals, refined petroleum products or food. japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/10/18/asia-pacific/signs-china-invasion-taiwan/

　

◆ BBC, 2023-7-27:  many of Taiwan's conscript soldiers remain woefully under trained, and its weapons systems and military doctrine old and out of date. ◆ Financial Times, 2023-7-26:  Annual Han Kuang drills - “The progress is very slow, in fact too slow considering the threat we are facing,” said a Taiwanese military scholar ◆ Financial Times, 2023-7-24:  so-called salami-slicing tactics that Beijing is employing right now are slowly changing the status quo, and could eventually deprive Taiwan of the ability to defend itself.  Some defence experts therefore believe that the US military's strategy for deterring China is misdirected because it is focused too much on an outright invasion, rather than these pressure tactics. ◆ VOAnews, 2023-7-22: Taiwan VP's US transit to test already tense China-US ties. "Beijing distrusts Lai even more than they distrust Tsai Ing-wen," said Bonnie Glaser ◆ Wall Street Journal, 2023-7-15:  Simulations by the CSIS found the U.S. could likely block a Chinese takeover of Taiwan with the support of allies such as Japan and Australia.  But Keio University prof. said he think 90% of Japanese people would say 'no' at this point to the question of 'whether you are willing to risk your life to defend Taiwan'  ◆  National Review, 2023-7-15: the Chinese military is advantaged if a Taiwan invasion is viewed as a local, limited conflict... Janet Yellen:  If reelected, president Biden may prefer not to fight for Taiwan.  ◆  Lowy Institute, 2023-7-17:  the RAND assessed that just two US allies in the Indo-Pacific – Australia and Japan – could be expected to help the United States. Moreover, this would likely just lie in the realm of “limited support”... similar to that which the United States and its allies imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine  ◆  National Interest, 2023-7-15:  With the intensification of competition between China and the United States and the gradual deterioration of China's international situation, it is increasingly preferable for China to unify Taiwan earlier rather than later...  it is likely that Beijing will act early against Taiwan... extension of the compulsory conscription program received backlash from younger Taiwanese. U.S. deterrence strategy without sufficient Taiwanese military capability and determination of Taiwanese people would lose its solid foundation  ◆   CNN, 2023-7-14:  it may become too late for Washington to come to Taipei's rescue if large amounts of PLA planes and ships are already on station around the island. The longer the delay in reacting to PLA buildups, the less time available to match or counter that buildup. The US margin of advantage is too slim to achieve success if its forces move too late  ◆  Reuters, 2023-7-14:  US needs to speed up delivery of weapons like air defence systems and those that could target ships from land to Taiwan  in the coming years.  Milley said the United States was looking at whether it needed to change where some U.S. forces were based within the Asia Pacific.  ◆   Bloomberg, 2023-7-13: Taiwan #MeToo scandals push Tsai government to toughen equality laws.  "Our gender culture still hasn't caught up with the laws", said a DPP legislator , "Speaking up takes a lot of courage, because speaking up in this culture may lead to victim shaming." ◆  West Point, Modern War Institute, 2023-7-11:  <White Sun War: The Campaign for Taiwan>  implicitly suggests that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is essentially a land war... systems (a range of cyber fires, electromagnetic attack, and long-range precision missile systems...) are the primary means to achieve decisive advantage.   

　

◆  CNN, 2023-7-11: NATO Secretary General  summed up the US-led alliance's collective concerns that what is happening in Ukraine today could occur in Asia tomorrow. ◆  Sky News, 2023-7-12: A war over Taiwan – a conflict cause mass casualties and destruction, international trade would plunge, supply shortages of essential goods would pile up and inflation would surge  ◆ The Guardian, 2023-7-9: while the war in Ukraine has underlined the importance of civilians in helping to fend off a powerful invader, only a fraction (annually, to 260,000) of 2 million reservists are thought to be combat-ready...  the drills lack urban warfare or modern weaponry instruction. ◆ Wall Street Journal, 2023-7-5:  Taiwan is far from ready, many U.S. officials and analysts say. Taiwan's military budget is still only 2.4% of the GDP—compared with about 5% in Israel.  The professionalism and motivation of Taiwan's military are a particular concern. ◆ Council on Foreign Relations, 2023-7-7: U.S. reliance on Taiwanese chips gives it a major stake in preserving peace in the Taiwan Strait but does not make a war between China and Taiwan less likely.  While Taiwan’s dominance of semiconductor production acts as a brake to hostilities by raising the cost to China of using force, it does not diminish China’s desire to gain control over Taiwan and is unlikely to act as a “silicon shield". ◆  Atlantic Council, 2023-7-7: Taiwan, is one of the world's most energy-insecure economies, relying on maritime imports for about 97 percent of its energy. Beijing appears increasingly capable of launching a quarantine, blockade,... ◆  le Monde, 2023-7-5:  many Hong Kongers (pro-democracy protesters) struggle to obtain Taiwan visas and feel unsafe ◆ RAND, Jun. 2023: Taiwan is vulnerable to defeat by China within 90 days  — a posited minimum amount of time required for the United States to marshal sufficient forces to carry out a major combat intervention in East Asia. A well-led and socially cohesive Taiwan might be able to mount a determined resistance for a long time, but, without a robust U.S. military intervention, China... would allow it to eventually subjugate the island. ◆ Economist, 2023-6-29:   if a war did break out, even severe sanctions might do little. The conclusion was that the best time to plan sanctions is before they are needed. ◆  CSIS.org, 2023-6-29:  Fundamentally, both the August and April exercises were suggestive of an “encirclement” of Taiwan using PLA Navy forces;  the April exercises were no less significant than those in August. ◆ AFP, Moscow Times, 2023-6-28:Taiwan sighted two Russian frigates sailing off its eastern coast. The presence of Russian warships is unusual,  Interfax reported the warships were performing tasks as part of a long-range sea crossing, which included "a simulated naval battle   

　

News:  ◆   TIME, 2023-6-26:  Taiwan needs to overhaul its reserves. Taiwan also needs to improve its resilience by addressing shortfalls in energy, water, and food security. It should also do more to incentivize companies to diversify their operations away from China ◆ FoxNews, 2023-6-26:  Chinese officials reportedly pressed Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Washington's stance regarding the upcoming 2024 elections in Taiwan during his trip to Beijing (induce Washington's cooperation against  Lai Ching-te) ◆ FoxNews, 2023-6-26:  56% Americans would support an increase in U.S. military presence as a way to discourage China from invading Taiwan and 30% indicated they would oppose such a move, according to the results of a Reagan Institute poll ◆ Reuters, 2023-6-24: Taiwan says Chinese air force approached close to island's coast ◆ Council on Foreign Relations, 2023-6-23: The United States needs to bolster deterrence in the Taiwan Strait without provoking China.  A heavy-handed U.S. approach could come with a heavy cost. Avoiding conflict will take great diplomatic nuance.   ◆ Atlantic Council, 2023-6-21:  China has deep global economic ties that make full-scale sanctions highly costly for all parties. G7 responses would likely seek to reduce the collateral damage of a sanctions package by targeting Chinese industries and entities that rely heavily and asymmetrically on G7 inputs, markets, or technologies. Taiwanese officials might not support economic countermeasures against China and opt for a de-escalatory response. Given the depth of economic ties between China and Taiwan, ... Public opinion would likely be divided  ◆  Council on Foreign Relations, June 2023:  If China were to annex Taiwan and base military assets, such as underwater surveillance devices, submarines, and air defense units on the island, however, it would be able to limit the U.S. military's operations in the region and in turn its ability to defend its Asian allies. ... it is at stake ... the ability to preserve U.S. access and influence throughout the Western Pacific  ◆  Economist, 2023-6-19:  Chinese officials pay much attention to online opinion. When it comes to a war with Taiwan, many Chinese urge caution, even some ardent nationalists; according to a recent paper, even if China were to decide to go to war by next January, only 55% said that would be acceptable ◆  FoxNews, 2023-6-19: Blinken says US 'does not support Taiwan independence' ; Over the last year, the U.S. and China saw more than $700 billion in trade which according to Blinken constituted the highest level between the two countries on record. He reiterated  that it would be "disastrous" for the U.S. to decouple and stop all trade and investment with China. ◆  Foreign Affairs, 2023-6-15: The Chinese military is now moving in an even more dangerous direction.  For too long, Taipei focused on the combat capabilities of its active-duty force of less than 200,000 soldiers while neglecting to prepare its 23 million civilians to resist Chinese aggression. Taiwan remains extremely vulnerable. It relies on imported energy, food supplies, and medical equipment, ...  ◆   CSIS, 2023-6-15: Given the stakes, it is perhaps natural that U.S. officials and lawmakers are becoming more vocal about Taiwan's future. While these statements are likely motivated by a sincere concern over U.S. interests, they not only weaken the United States' long-term influence over events in the Taiwan Strait   

　

◆  Wall Street Journal, 2023-6-21: Biden calls Xi a dictator, jeopardizing US-China thaw
◆  USA Today, 2023-6-21:  China threatens to undermine his administration's efforts to "thaw" intensifying relations.
◆  Reuters, 2023-6-21: expert at Fudan University: it  would not erase what Blinken had achieved on his China visit.


◆  National Interest, 2023-6-15:  If China launches an invasion without first destroying America's military assets in the region, its ships will be left vulnerable to attack. However, if it launches a preemptive strike on U.S. forces, especially on American soil in Guam, it will experience the full wrath of a vengeful United States ◆  L.A. Times, 2023-6-13:  Taiwan's relationship with China is one of the most contentious and defining issues that presidential candidates will have to grapple with in the January election. While the majority of Taiwanese support preserving the status quo, politicians are deeply divided on how to do so as tensions worsen, even within their own parties.

　

National Interest, 2023-6-20  nationalinterest.org/feature/are-taiwanese-confident-americans-will-defend-them-206566
“How confident are you that the U.S. would defend Taiwan if China were to start a war against Taiwan?”a web survey (implemented by Macromill Embrain)
　 overall DPP KMT TPP
not at all confident 26.61% 3.23% 55.63% 32.12%
not very confident 37.92 23.12 29.38 48.91
fairly 27.96 48.92 12.50 16.79
very confident 7.51 24.73 2.50 2.19

 

#MeToo  in Taiwan
◆ CNN, 2023-6-10 The fallout from the #MeToo revelations risks adding more uncertainty to the all-important presidential race. Taiwan, priding itself on gender equality, is facing its own reckoning over sexual harassment.   Most sexual harassment victims were told to "let it go" ... Such culture of self-sacrifice is deep rooted in Taiwan's political reality, where the "big picture" often comes above everything else.  Only when it happens across society – including in more conservative circles,  will it be the real #MeToo moment.  edition.cnn.com/2023/06/10/asia/taiwan-metoo-netflix-wave-makers-intl-hnk/index.html
◆ The Guardian, 2023-6-8 The belated #MeToo reckoning has exposed the deeply patriarchal norms that still govern Taiwanese society. while these accusations had played out in the court of public opinion, in formal legal proceedings they were unlikely to succeed.   theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/08/taiwan-ruling-party-rocked-sexual-harassment-claims-metoo AmyHawk
◆ Washington Post, 2023-6-7  The #MeToo accusations have caused the DPP's favorability ratings to plummet just as Taiwan gears up for a tough election campaign. The ruling party risks losing to the nationalist Kuomintang.  people across Taiwan have now come forward with experiences of harassment by university professors, doctors, directors and baseball umpires. But the government has until now been slow to respond to reported cases of sexual harassment. msn.com/en-us/news/world/hit-netflix-show-sparks-a-wave-of-metoo-allegations-in-taiwan/ar-AA1cefPH    Vic Chiang, Meaghan Tobin 
◆ Wall Street Journal, 2023-6-7 Sexual misconduct allegations roil Taiwan's U.S.-friendly ruling party.  wsj.com/articles/sexual-misconduct-allegations-roil-taiwans-u-s-friendly-ruling-party-5b0d8894 Joyu Wang  Wenxin Fan
◆ ABC Australia, 2023-6-24 Young women, since they were children, they are already taught to protect themselves, or try to tolerate this kind of inconvenience (accept harassment).  Sexual harassment and sexual assault are prevalent in all kinds of power relationships. The impact of the Netflix show《 Wave Makers (造浪者)》has been huge, and it resonated with young Taiwanese women, s
criptwriter Chien says the show struck a chord because of the prevalence of sexual harassment in Taiwanese society. 
  abc.net.au/news/2023-06-24/taiwan-metoo-movement-triggered-by-netflix-show-wave-makers/102505174  Joyce Cheng and Erin Handley
◆  SCMP, 2023-6-11 NTU prof.  Tso Chen-dong: the DPP has greatly disappointed the public as ... referring to the party's pledges to promote gender equality and human rights.  DPP had long focused on LGBTQ equality, rather than women's rights. scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3223609/wave-metoo-cases-threatens-engulf-taiwans-ruling-democratic-progressive-party   Lawance Chung

　

economist / The world's most liveable cities in 2023
City liveability index, Mar. 2023   -   Taipei ranks world No. 65, Asia's No.14
score

cities in Asia
90+ Melbourne, Sydney, Aucland, Adelaide, Osaka(Japan), Perth, Tokyo(Japan), Brisbane, Wellington, Singapore
 80-90 Seoul(Korea), Hong Kong(Chn),  Busan(Korea), Taipei (Taiwan), Kaohsiung, Taichung
60-80 Noumea, Nantong, SuZhou, Beijing, ShenYang, Shanghai, etc
top 5 cities: Vienna 98.4,  Copenhagen, Melbourne, Sydney, Vancouver ... No.10 Osaka, Aucland 96
 Score out of 100*  five categories: stability, health care, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

　

　

News: ◆ USNI, 2023-6-7:  Taiwan has not been transparent about how many missiles it can make. there are "rumors about slow production" ... Taipei has to decide whether to continue dividing resources across two different strategies - maintaining a traditional naval force that could leave it open to invasion or pursuing an asymmetric one ◆ Sydney Morning Herald, 2023-6-7: Anthony Albanese said Australia's goal was “not to prepare for war but to prevent it”. The more willing we are to support Taiwan's security, the less likely it is we would ever need to fight for Taiwan ◆  CNN, 2023-6-2:  the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) report:  there is no evidence the war in Ukraine has “altered Chinese thinking on the timescale or methodology” for a possible attack on Taiwan. ◆   Economist, 2023-5-31:  Taiwan's would-be presidents all promise a way to peace. Sadly, it is not entirely within their power. The next president will take office with the island at the centre of a bubbling superpower showdown ◆  Washington Post, 2023-5-31:  Why are tensions so high?  China increasingly sees the US as abrogating its “One China policy,” which has been the basis of relations since 1979.  ◆ IG Financial Times, 2023-5-31: Fearing a potential conflict in Asia, western companies are looking to move production out of Taiwan. But turning away from the self-ruled island will come at a high price for manufacturers ◆ New York Times, 2023-5-30: Taiwan ambassador says Ukraine's success against Russia will deter any consideration or miscalculation that an invasion can be conducted unpunished, without costs, in a rapid way    

　

Elbridge  Colby, a leading voice for a new “pivot to Asia.” John Walters, Hudson Institute CEO
He wants to see the U.S. concentrate efforts on deterring war in the Pacific, even if that means abandoning European interests.。 the U.S. simply does not have the capability for building the alliance system Walters envisions or supplying it with the requisite arms and ammunition to fight wars with two great powers at once; It will take well into the 2030s before we're in much better shape; before Chinese leader Xi Jinping moves on Taiwan, the U.S. should put in place immediate measures to attack the key segments of that CCP economic and military power。 “Ukraine Is No Distraction From Asia.”;  the US can fend off Russian and Chinese revanchism simultaneously; aggression must be met by strong American alliances with key countries, including both Taiwan and Ukraine; the kinds of weapons needed in Ukraine and Taiwan are different enough that supplying one will not substantially affect the other; most Republicans on Capitol Hill remain strong supporters of Ukraine.  Ukraine will help generate (US) domestic resolve to fight for Taiwan. 
washingtonexaminer.com/news/inside-right-debate-ukraine-taiwan  2023-6-1

　

◆ The Christian Science Monitor, 2023-5-30: Taiwan's rep. in US: Taiwan is preparing to defend itself, and not just rely on other democracies to save the day. The challenges that the US is experiencing in the defense supply chain have certainly had an impact on Taiwan. ◆ Reuters, 2023-5-27:  Failure to back Ukraine would send signal to China about taking Taiwan, Sen. Graham says ◆  Washington Post, 2023-5-29:  Choosing Taiwan over Ukraine is frighteningly misguided. China is a greater military threat than present-day Russia ; A turn toward Taiwan will most likely cause us to fail in both places ◆  The Guardian, 2023-5-24:  Taiwan's main political parties and an overwhelming majority of Taiwan's people reject the prospect of Chinese rule, but there are large differences in their plans for protecting Taiwan - the KMT says the best way forward is to have friendlier ties with China, DPP's Lai  has been described as more “green” (pro-independence) than Tsai Ing-wen ◆ The Guardian, 2023-5-22: US efforts to stifle China's chip industry are thought to be part of a wider plan to hinder Beijing's preparations for war;  The strategy seems to be working. ◆ Financial Times, 2023-5-21: Putin's war in Ukraine has "set back" China's ambitions to invade Taiwan, Hillary Clinton said ◆ Washington Post, 2023-5-18: it is now a very serious question whether the United States can defeat a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. To avert war with China, the U.S. must prioritize Taiwan over Ukraine ◆ New York Times, 2023-5-19 : Truss: only if more people visit Taiwan and more speak up for Taiwan, will the Chinese Communist Party realize that many people are paying attention to Taiwan, and so they should not act rashly ◆ New York Times, 2023-5-17  :  faced with voters who have been alarmed by Beijing's aggression toward the island, the Kuomintang is placing its hopes on a popular local leader with a blank slate on the thorny question of China.  ◆ The Hill, 2023-5-17:  Washington must dispense with its misguided policy of strategic ambiguity and make clear that it will defend Taiwan against Chinese aggression. ◆ Washington Post, 2023-5-12: military commitments are unlikely to endure under pressure unless they serve U.S. strategic and economic interests. Washington and Taipei share a vital interest in Taiwan's independence ◆  New York Times, 2023-5-11:  Some military strategists argue that TSMC's dominance in microchips provides Taiwan a guarantee against an invasion by China — in part because the United States would need to defend such an important piece of its supply chain. ◆ Council on Foreign Relations, 2023-5-9: Threatening to destroy TSMC is unnecessary and would also help China sow distrust among Taiwanese people toward the US and undermine Taiwan's will to resist Chinese aggression...China's determination to achieve reunification would be just as strong if Taiwan were a poor, agrarian society ◆ Nikkei Asia (Japan), 2023-5-11:  the upper echelons of Chinese leadership intend for it to spread, at least to a certain extent.  —   deciding to forcibly unify Taiwan now would be unrealistic and even dangerous. ◆ DW (Germany) , 2023-5-11:  Japan's public reluctant to defend Taiwan should China invade, but soaring defense spending and the upgrading of Japan's naval and air capabilities, in particular, indicate that the military is preparing itself in helping fend off any Chinese attack ◆ Washington Post, 2023-5-10: The president of the Hudson Institute:“Saying that we should prioritize Taiwan over Ukraine is like arguing that the firetruck should be parked at a house down the street to guard against a fire breaking out in the future instead of knocking down the fire at the burning house”  

　

★ Reuters Report (reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2023/taiwan)
 Trust in Taiwan's news overall: 28%; Trust in news I use: 35%; Trust score in 2017/2018: 31%, score in 2022/2023: 28%.   Due to the intense competition in the media market and the interventions of owners, trust in news (28%) remains among the lowest in our survey. In the polarised media landscape, many brands with political colours are less trusted, whereas business publications tend to have higher levels of trust. PTS (55%) remains one of the most trusted brands this year, after internal improvements.

★  RSF, <Reporters Sans Frontieres>, France, 2023: Taiwan's World Press Freedom Index - score 75.54, rank 35.

　

◆ Foreign Policy in Focus, 2023-5-10:  Unlike Russia, China seems unwilling to sacrifice the country's economic well-being on the pyre of nationalism ◆ Nikkei Asia, 2023-5-11: A contrarian and even taboo view has been allowed to flourish -- that deciding to forcibly unify Taiwan now would be unrealistic and even dangerous ◆ 19FortyFive, 2023-5-10: By stacking their heaviest punches upfront, Beijing thinks that they can render the Americans so dazed and confused — inflicting so much damage at the outset of a fight — that Washington will stand down and abandon Taiwan ◆ The Hill, 2023-5-9: lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have also warned that Taiwan is ill prepared to fend off a military invasion or withstand a blockade ◆ Air and Space Forces, 2023-5-1: There's little evidence that the Taiwanese are headed in that direction, and are heeding U.S. advice to make themselves a military “porcupine,”Glaser said  ◆ le Monde, 2023-4-30: China's military exercises in the Taiwan Strait are a reminder of how fragile the island's status quo is  ◆ The Nation, 2023-4-26:  A Chinese invasion of Taiwan, however, would look very different, involving giant air and sea battles and, in all likelihood, immediate US intervention...any such engagement would almost certainly brush up against the nuclear threshold—and very likely cross it. ◆   AP, 2023-4-22: Lawmakers war-game conflict with China, the toll on all sides is staggering.  Alarmed and alienated allies in the war game leave Americans to fight almost entirely alone in support of Taiwan. ◆   CNN, 2023-4-20: complaints at high levels of both the Taiwanese and US governments about the lack of preparation and poor morale in the Taiwanese military  ◆  New York Times, 2023-4-18: Fear of China is pitting Taiwan's people against each other ◆ Brookings, 2023-4-17: the Taiwan voters are deeply pragmatic. a significant majority of the Taiwan voters are in the middle ◆ Washington Post, 2023-4-15: Unlike Ukraine, there is no situation under which Taiwan can defend itself without direct military intervention from the United States ◆  Brookings, 2023-4-15:  Anxiety about China's growing military capabilities to threaten Taiwan... has fed American impulses to alter longstanding policy, and to increasingly view challenges confronting Taiwan through a military lens  ◆  New York Times, 2023-4-14: China's Communist Party is now convinced that America wants to bring it down, which some U.S. politicians are actually no longer shy about suggesting. ◆ The Guardian, 2023-4-14:  German foreign minister warns of ‘horror scenario’ in Taiwan strait... the French president, Emmanuel Macron: The worst of things would be to think that we Europeans must be followers on this subject and adapt ourselves to an American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction.”◆  TIME, 2023-4-12:  Xi understands that the risks of Pyrrhic victory – or even of defeat – are real. At a time when China is emerging from the world's most draconian lockdown and its worst economic slowdown in decades ◆ New York Post, 2023-4-8: House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Rep. Michael McCaul has said the US may send troops to Taiwan should China invade the self-governed island. ◆ BBC, 2023-4-8: Taipei residents seemed unperturbed by China's military rehearsing encirclement of Taiwan ◆ FoxNews, 2023-4-6:  Taiwan residents are in apparent agreement in believing the U.S. will not come to their aid  ◆ New York Times, 2023-4-6: Despite the combative words, any retaliation by Beijing may be tempered by the difficult calculations facing China's leader, including over Taiwan's coming presidential race - could hurt the presidential hopes of the Nationalists, which favors stronger ties with China  ◆ New York Times, 2023-4-5:  Walking a Tightrope: Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen, who recently visited the United States, has edged closer to America while trying not to anger China  ◆  Economist, 2023-3-29: a Taiwanese policy adviser frames voters' choice as one between “peace or war” ...The  DPP has criticised KMT's  "embracing appeasement”, but it, too, worries about conflict ◆ Taiwan is losing its friends.  Economist (2023-3-28): With China's wallet growing ever larger, Taiwan may instead need to hope that historical ties help to sustain the loyalty of its few remaining diplomatic partners ◆  AFP (2023-3-28): Latin America has been crucial to the diplomatic struggle between Beijing and Taipei since they separated in 1949....the decision by Honduras was a blow to Washington ◆  Modern War Institute at West Point, 2023-3-23:  to deter a specific fait accompli move by China against Taiwan—namely, the seizure of one of Taiwan's outlying islands. ... the best option is something they describe as “the poison frog strategy.”◆  Foreign Affairs, 2023-3-21: J. Chen Weiss: Alarm Over a Chinese Invasion Could Become a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy.  The hard but crucial task for U.S. policymakers is to thread the needle between deterrence and provocation...stray too far toward the latter, inadvertently provoking the very conflict U.S. policymakers seek to deter  ◆  

　

Taiwan's President  is expected to meet Speaker McCarthy, Beijing will decide how strongly it wants to respond
New York Times, 2023-3-29 President Tsai Ing-wen risks a show of force from Beijing。 Beijing just lured Honduras to abandon diplomatic ties with Taipei in what many saw as pre-emptive punishment for her trip. nytimes.com/2023/03/29/world/asia/taiwan-president-us-china.html
Bloomberg, 2023-3-29 Tsai is unlikely to use this moment to “push boundaries" , partly to avoid "accusations of being provocative by Taiwanese voters.". Any Tsai meeting with McCarthy "puts the ball in Beijing's court"  news.yahoo.com/china-warns-taiwan-leader-mccarthy-031352507.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
Washington Post, 2023-3-29 When Honduras switched allegiance from Taipei to Beijing last week, it put the diplomatic future of Taiwan in a more precarious position washingtonpost.com/world/2023/03/29/honduras-taiwan-china-allies-relations/
Newsweek, 2023-3-31 "Tsai's visit to the U.S. can be seen as a face-saving way for the U.S. to avoid another Pelosi-like fiasco from which it is still paying a price in global standing,""At the same time, Ma's visit to China shows there is strong desire on both sides of the Taiwan Straits for a peaceful solution."  msn.com/en-us/news/world/what-two-taiwan-trips-mean-for-fate-of-most-dangerous-us-china-issue/ar-AA19komh  Tom O'Connor
Bloomberg, 2023-3-31 The expected California meeting with McCarthy was considered a concession: At the request of the Taiwanese government, McCarthy decided to put off a potential trip to Taiwan until after presidential elections next year and instead host Taiwan’s leader on US soil.  msn.com/en-us/news/world/white-house-tries-to-keep-china-calm-while-taiwans-tsai-visits-the-us/ar-AA19il7y   Jenny Leonard and Cindy Wang
L.A. Times, 2023-3-31 On a sensitive U.S. visit, Taiwan's leader stresses defense and democracy msn.com/en-us/news/world/on-a-sensitive-u-s-visit-taiwan-s-leader-stresses-defense-and-democracy/ar-AA19j0p0   ELLEN KNICKMEYER, MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN and LISA MASCARO
The Guardian, 2023-3-28 (ex president) Ma Ying-jeou's "we are all Chinese" message is starkly at odds with vision of Tsai Ing-wen, who seeks support from Washington.   Taiwan caught between superpowers as rival leaders visit China and US theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/28/taiwan-leaders-visit-china-us-ma-ying-jeou-tsai-ing-wenTaipei

　

◆ Newsweek, 2023-3-20: The combination of political warfare, gray-zone actions, and the potential for kinetic warfare come together most clearly around Taiwan, which offers the most immediate prospect of China going on a major kinetic offensive. ◆ Reuters, 2023-3-13:  In "anticipation of a total blockade of the Taiwan Strait"... Taiwan says defence spending to focus on readying for 'total blockade' by China ◆ U.S. Naval War College  - China Maritime Studies Institute (Mar., 2023): The US may be able to defeat an attempted invasion landing but will lose when China imposes a blockade on the island...Unless US forces were able to dismantle the PLA-integrated air defense system,  the PLA could sustain the air blockade for months if not years without exhausting its inventory of air-to-air or surface-to-air weapons. (Asia Times) ◆ The Hill, 2023-3-13: The U.S. must recognize the centrality of maintaining the Taiwanese people's confidence that America and its partners will not abandon them.  Taiwanese must be sure not only that the U.S. will fight to defend them but also that it will prevent China from isolating them ◆ Economist, 2023-3-9: War is no longer a remote possibility, because an unstated bargain has frayed. Taiwan could resist an attack on its own only for days or weeks, any conflict could escalate quickly into a superpower confrontation.◆ Economist, 2023-3-6: Taiwan sees invasion and “grey zone” threats as equally important. they are unwilling to give up conventional defence, because there is no guarantee that America would step in. ◆ Foreign Policy Research Institute, 2023-3-9: Xi Jinping views “reunifying” Taiwan with China as an existential task for the ruling Communist Party. For the United States, preserving the status quo in the Taiwan Strait is critical for American security and economic interests ◆ Economist, 2023-3-6: Taiwan's fate will, ultimately, be decided by the battle-readiness of its people    ◆  

　

Honduras ditching Taiwan raises larger geopolitical concerns
AP, Washington Post, The Hill, 2023-3-15 thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-international/honduras-ditching-taiwan-raises-larger-geopolitical-concerns/   ... a blow to the Biden administration, which has rather fruitlessly tried to convince countries in the region to stick with Taiwan. Taiwan, a U.S. ally,...also exemplifies the American government is “losing it’s grasp on” Latin America
L.A. Times, 2023-3-15 The switch would leave Taiwan recognized by only 13 countries as China spends billions to win recognition of its “one China” policy.   msn.com/en-us/news/world/honduras-to-seek-official-ties-with-china-spurning-its-long-relationship-with-taiwan/ar-AA18EeCH
Bloomberg, 2023-3-15 Tsai Ing-wen has worked to raise the self-governing island’s profile on the world stage during her tenure. Tsai says Taiwan deserves broader recognition and greater support given its status as a democracy. msn.com/en-us/news/world/taiwan-may-lose-official-ally-as-honduras-mulls-china-switch/ar-AA18Du8h

　

 ◆ Reuters, 2023-3-5: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang pledged "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan...Taiwan holds presidential and parliamentary elections in early 2024 and tensions with China are likely to dominate campaigning ◆ Foreign Policy in focus, 2023-3-2:  if Beijing did decide to invade Taiwan after 2026, TSMC’s intellectual capital, in the form of its top computer scientists, would undoubtedly be on outbound flights for Phoenix, leaving little more than a few concrete shells and some sabotaged equipment behind...significant chip factory projects being put in place ... Add it all up and the U.S. is already about halfway to the “minimum of three years and a $350 billion investment… to replace the Taiwanese [chip] foundries  ◆  USNI, 2023-3-2:  Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl testified before the House Armed Services Committee that he does not think China will attempt to invade Taiwan before 2027.  ◆ Reuters, 2023-2-28: The threat of China invading Taiwan has moved to the centre of global money managers' risk radars and is factoring in their investment decisions,"China wouldn't have to invade Taiwan or actually get hot to just cause a stir in that part of the market"   ◆  Washington Post, 2023-2-28: The Russian invasion has allowed the United States to conduct a dry run of exactly the sort of policies that deterring or defeating a Chinese attack on Taiwan would require: active defense industrial production lines, an efficient logistics network ...a coalition of allies ...  ◆  

　

Pew Research org., 2023-3-2
US respondents' views about a hypothetical conflict between China, Taiwan differ by question wording
　 a conflict between China and Taiwan China invade Taiwan Taiwan declared Independence, China invaded
support China 8% 7 10
support Taiwan 45% 49 40
remain neutral 47% 44 50
when the scenario involves Taiwan declaring independence. Under this hypothetical, 46% of Democratic respondents say the U.S. should support Taiwan, compared with 28% of Republicans.
pewresearch.org/decoded/2023/03/02/testing-survey-questions-about-a-hypothetical-military-conflict-between-china-and-taiwan/

　

◆  New York Times, 2023-2-27: U.S. military planners would prefer to fight a conventional war. But the Chinese are prepared to wage a much broader type of warfare that would reach deep into American society. The U.S. economy is heavily dependent on Chinese resources and manufactured goods ◆  Washington Post, ABC news, 2023-2-27: CIA chief:  Xi Jinping has instructed his country's military to “be ready by 2027” to invade Taiwan; China has some doubt on ability to invade Taiwan ◆  Asia Society Policy Institute, Feb. 2023: evidence from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress in 2022 augurs against an invasion or all-out blockade in the short term. PRC might seizure of one or more of the islands currently controlled by the ROC. ◆ Japan Times, 2023-2-24: Japan will, at best, be a (possibly reluctant) follower of a U.S.-led coalition to defend Taiwan...In case Chinese President Xi Jinping attempts to annex Taiwan, the stakes of confronting Beijing will be much higher for Japan and other U.S. partners than facing Moscow is for Europeans. ◆ New York Times, 2023-2-22: TSMC might have been forced to set up a factory in the United States because of political considerations, but so far, the Phoenix project has yielded very little benefit for TSMC or Taiwan...citing lofty costs.  ◆  New York Times, 2023-2-22: Gallagher argued that Taiwan could not be expected to build defense formidable enough to deter Beijing...without the US making good on a backlog of purchase order  ◆ WSJ, Fox News, 2023-2-23: The U.S. is preparing to send 100 to 200 troops to Taiwan for training amid rising tensions with China; The Wall Street Journal described the planned troop increase in the coming months as the largest deployment of American forces in Taiwan in decades. ◆ TIME, 2023-2-23: Winning the tech war with China depended entirely upon persuading U.S. allies—particularly Taiwan, the Netherlands, and Japan—to follow the U.S. lead and adopt similar export control regulations   ◆ Aljazeera, 2023-2-23: CIA Director William Burns recently said although Xi was likely “unsettled” by Russia’s failures in Ukraine, he had still told China’s military to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027.  ◆ Bloomberg, 2023-2-22: Holding off the PLA for two weeks is a key goal of Taiwan's military because it would allow time for the US and other allies to come to its aid. ◆ Washington Post, 2023-2-22: Our best chance of preventing an invasion of Taiwan, and of essentially preventing World War III, is to put actual hard power on Taiwan ◆ Washington Post, 2023-2-20:  growing concern — conviction even — that war between the United States and China could be coming. The U.S. should deter — not provoke — Beijing over Taiwan. ◆ Economist, 2023-2-18: China still relies on Russia for certain crucial military components, which makes the friendship central to any plans China might have to invade Taiwan ◆ NY Times, 2023-2-15: An active denial strategy that focuses on supplying defensive weapons to U.S. allies and a lower-profile, more agile deployment of U.S. forces in the region would raise the costs of Chinese military action without exacerbating China's own sense of insecurity ◆ Council on Foreign Relations, 2023-2-12: the unpredictable nature of ADIZ violations is intended to keep the status quo around Taiwan unstable and ambiguous in order to facilitate strategic surprise ◆  CNN, 2023-2-9: More US firms in Taiwan say they're seeing 'significant disruption' due to rising tension with China - elevated concern from global headquarters, increased shipping, insurance or financial costs, as well as staff anxiety  ◆ Bloomberg, 2023-2-5:   the US position on the island remains equivocal. The intention is to avoid provoking Beijing, yet the consequence is to weaken deterrence. ◆ Washington Post, 2023-2-3: (China's) state-run People's Daily said the United States must drop its “obsession” with containing China.  ◆ Washington Post, 2023-2-2: Japan must do more, and faster, to avert war over Taiwan...Crudely, Japan seems to be prepared to push back against only Chinese assets that are clearly poised to attack its sovereign territory. ◆ New York Times, 2023-2-1: The United States is increasing its military presence in the Philippines , the Philippines is among the most geographically close to Taiwan...is crucial to countering China in the event it attacks Taiwan   ◆ US Naval Institute, 2023-2-1:  The US and Taiwan should plan a defense strategy centered on defeating China in an urban war;  it is possible that using the geography of the island and its urban citadels is the best hope of success in the face of PLA overmatch ◆ Forbes, 2023-2-2: The United States Could Defend Taiwan—At The Cost Of A Lot Of Submarines ◆ Forbes, 2023-1-31: China's lack of capacity for amphibious assault as evidence that it will not be ready for war so quickly.  China's use of civilian ferries in military exercises makes it difficult to predict when, and if, China will invade Taiwan. ◆ Fortune, 2023-1-29: WSJ: Seth Cropsey warned of a possible war with China over Taiwan.  "If Lai Ching-te, (a fierce supporter of Taiwan's independence) does win (in 2024), Beijing could move quickly to invade".◆ Wall Street Journal, 2023-1-26:  Will the U.S. Really Defend Taiwan? Washington is strategically unprepared for a crisis and Biden's policies are hampering deterrence ◆  WSJ, 2023-1-23: Taiwan is much more important (than Ukraine) to our security and prosperity. Any tanks we can spare should go to Taipei ◆ New York Times, 2023-1-21: Glaser warns that symbolic victories may not be worth the cost of provoking China ... "But the bottom line is, this is a fight over symbolism" said Dan Blumenthal  ◆  

　

◆  The Hill, 2023-1-23: the U.S. defense industrial base is not currently equipped to support a protracted conventional war...How do you effectively deter if you don’t have sufficient stockpiles of the kinds of munitions you’re going to need for a China-Taiwan Strait kind of scenario? ◆ Bloomberg, 2023-1-21: A more effective structure would de-emphasize vulnerable combat aircraft and surface ships and emphasize instead land-based anti-air and anti-ship capabilities. This is what some commentators have called the "porcupine strategy"  ◆ USNI, 2023-1-23: Sen. John Cornyn also questioned whether Taiwan could “hold out for a couple of weeks … until the cavalry arrives” for its rescue.◆  USA Today, 2023-1-20: Taiwan's envoy to the US says her island has learned lessons from Ukraine's war that will help it deter, defend against an attack by China. Among the lessons: preparing for the kind of all-of-society fight Ukrainians are waging against Russia  ◆  

　

Biden's State of the Union speech - Taiwan war
The Hill, 2023-2-9 Biden's State of the Union speech on Feb. 7 buried these two clear and present dangers simultaneously confronting national security. When is the Biden administration going to recognize that we are essentially in the equivalent of WWIII?
Washington Examiner, 2023-2-1 State of Our Union: Biden's China policy tolerates excessive risks    The Biden administration is playing with fire by refusing to prepare for war.
The Hill, 2023-2-14  In his first State of the Union address in March 2022, President Biden, proclaimed, “In the battle between democracy and autocracy, democracies are rising to the moment";...  if China invaded Taiwan, would the international order really collapse? Would authoritarianism really spread throughout the globe? Is it in the U.S. interest to come to Taiwan’s defense? Are we prepared to send Americans into harm's way?

　

◆ War On The Rocks, 2023-1-20:  Training, Not Arms Sales, Should Be the New Priority   ◆ AFP, 2023-1-21:  Blinken sees lower US tensions with China but risks on Taiwan ◆ WSJ, 2023-1-19: The Heritage Foundation's latest 'Index of U.S. Military Strength' warns of declining power in the U.S. Navy and Air Force. Taiwan  is ramping up its spending on defense but its conscription and readiness are underwhelming. ◆ CNN, 2023-1-20:  In Taiwan, ex-conscripts feel unprepared for potential China conflict ◆ Economist, 2023-1-19: TSMC  is playing a subtle game of diplomacy in which its business interests come first ◆ Star & Strips  2023-1-19: Taiwan defense experts expect few US boots on the ground if war breaks out with China  ◆ The WEEK (UK), 2023-1-19:  China's "compounding troubles" —  the demographic challenges, the pandemic and a troubled property market — could prompt President Xi Jingping to take rash action. ◆ New York Post, 2023-1-14:  the U.S. needs to speed up its military shipments to Taiwan, specifically long-range bombers with long-range anti-ship missiles. ◆ Washington Post, 2023-1-9: Taiwan needs to be prepared to withstand a lengthy siege but has not stockpiled nearly enough energy, food, medicine or ammunition. It has only about 10 days of natural gas supplies in reserve... Unfortunately, a lot of Taiwanese still don’t seem to grasp how perilous their situation is. ◆ CNN, 2023-1-9: CSIS  War game suggests Chinese invasion of Taiwan would fail at a huge cost to US, Chinese and Taiwanese militaries  ◆The WEEK (UK), 2023-1-10:  Bloomberg:“calls growing” among American politicians for a commitment to get involved if Beijing invades the island.   ◆  

　

General's memo spurs debate: Could China invade Taiwan by 2025?    The Hill, 2023-2-2, Fox News, 2023-2-4, USA Today, 2023-2-3
US generals, officials, experts, law-makers China invade Taiwan by ?
CIA Director William Burns  Xi has ordered military to be ready for Taiwan invasion by 2027
Philip Davidson, the former head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (Jan. 2023) China may attack Taiwan — even just its small, outer islands — by 2027
Adm. Charles Richard, commander of U.S. Strategic Command  predicted war by 2027
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday (Oct., 2022) Chinese could attack Taiwan before 2024...or a potentially a 2023 window
Secretary of State Antony Blinken (Oct., 2022) on a “much faster timeline” than previously thought.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner (July, 2022) “only a matter of time”
Minihan, the leader of Air Mobility Command 2025
Jacob Stokes, a senior fellow focused on U.S.-China relations at the Center for a New American Security, before 2027,  a crisis or incident that could spiral out of control
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul agreeing with the assessment on “Fox News Sunday.”
Sen. Todd Young (Ind.) 2025
House Armed Services Committee ranking member Adam Smith (D-Wash.)  the 2025 timeline for such an event was “not only not inevitable” but “highly unlikely,”
Retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey 2025 ,  a“bad judgment”
Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Nov. 2022)  it will be “some time” before the Chinese have the military capability to invade Taiwan.
news.yahoo.com/general-memo-spurs-debate-could-110000282.html     news.yahoo.com/china-says-balloon-flying-over-152021436.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

　

◆ Forbes, 2023-1-9:  the extended-range JASSM-ER that helped to win the war in CSIS War game  ◆ TIME, 2023-1-7:  the threat of a costly armed engagement may encourage Beijing to pursue non-military scenarios to try to coerce Taiwan under its control.  ◆ Asia Nikkei, 2023-1-6: reserves, supposedly 2 million strong, are a paper force, with "no way whatsoever" to reinforce existing units in combat ◆ The American SPECTATOR, 2023-1-5: coming crisis over Taiwan is now popularly treated as a foregone conclusion...What is more likely is that China will wait a while longer, probably until the early 2030s.◆ Newsweek 2023-1-5: Russia's Defeat in Ukraine Will Deter China Attack on Taiwan: Ex-NATO Chief ◆ The Hill, 2023-1-3: America's ‘strategic ambiguity’ on Taiwan gets more dangerous by the day ◆ Financial Times, 2023-1-2: Taiwan's move to extend military conscription will not address broader strategic shortfalls... expert has long urged them to build a territorial defence force, a force which could operate as an urban guerrilla under a more decentralised command ◆ Forbes, 2023-1-2: Economics, often takes a back seat to geopolitics and national pride (questions of sovereignty and  the hyper-sensitivities of China's leadership)  ◆ The Guardian, 2023-1-1: Ukraine is in the headlines now. But a whole new world of conflict is about to erupt，Taiwan, North Korea, Iran and Palestine are all potential flashpoints ◆ The Hill, 2022-12-30: Mark Esper says Taiwan is “not prepared enough” for a potential Chinese invasion ◆ The Guardian, 2022-12-30: Extending conscription may make Taiwan feel safer – but at the cost of alienating its young people    ◆  

　

◆  According to 2023's “Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, Taiwan ranks No. 9 among Asia's countries, Taipei ranks No. 17 among Asia's cities, Taipei's Mume restaurant ranks No. 45 in top 50 restaurants, the number of Taiwan's restaurants entering top 50 is the least in recent 10 years.  Taipei's Logy ranks No. 57, but its chef is a Japanese.  Tapei's Adachi Sushi ranks No. 87, Kaohsiung's Liberte ranks No. 96.

 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023
theworlds50best.com/asia/en/list/1-50

rank

countries with the most wins

  number of restaurants selected rank

cities with the most wins

 number of restaurants selected
1 China   (Hong Kong 5, Shanghai 2, ShenZhen 1, Macau 2, Beijing 1) 11 1

Bangkok (Thailand )

 9
2 Japan    (Tokyo 7,  Osaka 1, Wakayama 1, Kyoto 1) 10 2

Singapore

 9
3 Thailand  (Bangkok 9) 9 3 Tokyo (Japan) 7
4 Singapore 7 4 Hong Kong (China) 5
5 S. Korea 4 5 Seoul (S. Korea) 4
6 India 3 6 Shanghai (China) 2
7 Philippines 2 7 Macau (China) 2
8 Vietnam 1 8 Manila (Philippines) 2
9 Taiwan 1 9 Osaka (Japan) 1
♣ No.1 Le Du (Thai.), No.2 Sezanne (Japan), No.3 Nusara (Thai.), 4. Den (Japan), 5 Gaggan Anans (Thai.)...No. 45 Mume (Taiwan Taipei)

　

♣ Bangkok has long been considered a world capital when it comes to street food. But these days, its fine dining scene is proving to be just as alluring.  Though most of the winners on the list are fine dining restaurants, one street food eatery managed to break through the pack – Bangkok’s Michelin-starred Raan Jay Fai

 10 Wakayama (Japan) 1
11 Mumbai (India) 1
12 New Delhi (India) 1
13 Chennai (India) 1
14 ShenZhen (China) 1
15 Kyoto (Japan) 1
16 Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam) 1
17 Taipei (Taiwan) 1
18 Beijing (Chn) 1

　

◆ Deutsche Welle, 2022-12-30: US support for Taiwan is double edged: both essential to its survival, and risking dragging Taiwan into a much bigger conflict. ◆  Reuters, 2022-12-28: China slams Taiwan for seeking to use the Taiwanese people as "cannon fodder" by extending compulsory military service from four months to one year ◆Wall Street Journal, 2022-12-28:  Military conscription is a good start, but leaders in Taipei need to act with greater urgency still  ◆   New York Times, 2022-12-26: With Record Military Incursions, China Warns Taiwan and U.S. ;  71 military aircraft buzzed the airspace near Taiwan ◆ Modern War Institute at West point, 2022-12-19: Taiwan has mostly accepted the need to shift to a “porcupine strategy” ... implementation has been slow. And Taiwan has neglected to cultivate the guerrilla-style resistance forces that will be necessary to counter an occupation. ◆ Foreign Affairs, Feb. 2023:  a consensus is forming in U.S. policy circles that this peace (Taiwan) may not last much longer. ◆ Politico (eu), 2022-12-20: the consequences of war in Asia would be just as devastating for the Continent.  if Taiwan wants to alter Beijing's cost-benefit calculus and deter an invasion, it must move boldly and quickly to bolster its defense. ◆  War on the Rocks, 2022-12-19:  Biden's National Security Strategy of October 2022 tilted toward strategic ambiguity. ◆  CNN , 2022-12-17:  The population pool is decreasing, so Taiwan is actively considering whether to resume conscription to meet our military needs ◆  The Atlantic, 2022-12-14:  in recent years, China has combined those threats and missiles with other forms of pressure, escalating what the Taiwanese call “cognitive warfare”: not just propaganda but an attempt to create a mindset of surrender. ◆  War on the Rocks,2022-12-14: Is China planning to attack Taiwan? a careful consideration of available evidence says NO  ◆ The WEEK (UK), 2022-12-4 : A RAND Corporation study predicted that a yearlong war would cut the U.S.'s gross domestic product by 5 to 10 percent — but it would slash China's by 25 to 35 percent.  ◆ The Atlantic, 2022-12-3: Taiwanese people seem blissfully oblivious of a looming conflict with China. The U.S. can't afford that luxury  ◆  

　

NBC, 2022-12-27: Taiwan to extend military conscription to one year, citing threat from China
WSJ, 2022-12-27 a once politically unpalatable move that has become imperative in the face of  growing concerns about a Chinese attack and intensifying competition between Washington and Beijing. wsj.com/articles/taiwan-to-extend-mandatory-military-service-11672129529
PBS, AP,  2022-12-27 The White House welcomed the announcement on conscription reform, saying it underscores Taiwan’s commitment to self-defense and strengthens deterrence...mong the youngest demographic group of 20-24, however,  only 35.6 percent said they would support an extension pbs.org/newshour/world/taiwan-extends-compulsory-military-service-from-4-months-to-1-year
CNN, 2022-12-27  Chinese soldiers can only make an amphibious landing after taking control of the air and the sea...before they land, there will likely be bombing and blockade, and we need people to deliver goods and guide residents to air raid shelters  edition.cnn.com/2022/12/27/asia/taiwan-military-conscription-intl-hnk/index.html
Washington Post, 12-27 It had been a widely debated topic for a long time, but faced with Chinese threats, the government was left little room to be hesitant   washingtonpost.com/world/2022/12/27/taiwan-military-mandatory-service-china/
Mainichi Japan , 2022-12-28 The change is said to have come at the request of the United States
 mainichi.jp/english/articles/20221227/p2g/00m/0in/058000c
GT (China), 2022-12-27 the DPP authorities might incorporate some conscripts into the "cyber army" to engage in collecting intelligence and conduct information warfare against the mainland, given their relatively weak capabilities on the real battlefield.。globaltimes.cn/page/202212/1282753.shtml    12-27

　

◆ Economist, 2022-11-29:  many Taiwanese are tired of squabbles over national identity, especially after Ms Tsai's refusal last year to accept an offer of much-needed vaccines from China  ◆ Wall Street Journal, 2022-11-28: Taiwan Ruling Party's election drubbing could ease tension with China and persuade Chinese leaders that they can peacefully influence politics there.  ◆ Reuters,  2022-11-27: Tsai had tried to frame the elections as more than just a local vote, saying the world is watching how Taiwan defends its democracy amid tensions with China... But her strategy failed to win public support.◆  Bloomberg, 2022-11-26: Taiwan Counts Votes in Elections Set to Shape Presidential Race ; Expert: The winners of elections will have a say in who get picked to in the subsequent presidential elections ◆Washington Post, 2022-11-23: Despite consistent prodding from Washington, however, Taipei is also not nationalistic enough in the sense that it hasn’t engaged in the kind of military preparation necessary to deter an attack. Its political leaders are reluctant to reduce their dependence on U.S. protection ◆ Wall Street Journal, 2022-11-23:  ...the persistent fecklessness of Taiwanese government's defense policy, whose bottom line is that the island should be defended by others while Taiwan's youth can continue to play video games. ◆ Economist, 2022-11-24: Where might conflict flare up in 2023?  Keep an eye on Taiwan and the South China Sea—and the Himalayas  ◆Wall Street Journal, 2022-11-22: In Taiwan, a Shaky Status Quo Prevails; The people here have little desire either to yield to Beijing or to provoke a war ◆ Fortune, 2022-11-19:  U.S. restrictions on selling advanced computer chips to China could make invading Taiwan more tempting to Beijing. U.S. faces ‘immediate Great Depression’ if China seizes Taiwan’s semiconductor industry ◆ Economist, 2022-11-18: Will Taiwan be the Ukraine of Asia? The status quo is breaking down, making war more likely ◆Washington Post, 2022-11-13: Congress seeks to arm Taiwan quickly before the bullets start flying ◆ CNN's meanwhile in China, 2022-11-14:  The Chinese believe the US goal is to keep China down so we can contain it. And the US believes China’s goal is to make the world safer for authoritarian states, push the US out of Asia and weaken its alliance system ◆ CNN, 2022-11-13:  Asked during a news conference whether he would reiterate his commitment to defend Taiwan militarily directly to Xi, Biden demurred. ◆ NY Times, briefing, 2022-11-11: Taiwan is the top issue. Biden has taken a bolder stance on Taiwan than previous U.S. presidents. ◆ Washington Examiner, 2022-11-11: commander of U.S. Strategic Command: This Ukraine crisis  is just the warmup, the Taiwan war may be the next world war ◆ Washington Post, 2022-11-10: Beijing might also resort to force to stem what it sees ... a growing Taiwan-centric identity — as well as deepening U.S.-Taiwan security ties ◆ SCMP, 2022-11-10: General Mark Milley vows military support for Taiwan ◆ Economist, 2022-11-10: International attention is always welcome in Taiwan's quest for global recognition ◆ Newsweek, 2022-11-8: Beijing's forces have "a lot of work to do" before attempting what would be one of the most difficult military campaigns in modern history ◆ USNI, 2022-11-7: Pentagon official: China will increase pressure on Taiwan in next two years rather than invade   ◆ The Atlantic, 2022-11-7: Because Taiwan is an island, it will be difficult to resupply in the event of hostilities; Taiwan needs support now ◆ National Interest, 2022-11-4: Washington should mediate a political solution  between Moscow and Kyiv and refocus its global efforts on deterring Beijing from invading Taiwan ◆ Fox News, 2022-11-4: If China conquers Taiwan, it would be huge blow to US national security, economy ◆ Washington Post, 2022-11-3: Taiwan is sounding an alarm about Emperor Xi...time is running out to do what's needed to avoid war ◆ FoxNews, Reuters, Hill,Vice, 2022-10-31: US to Put Nuclear-Capable B52s in Australia as Taiwan Invasion Fears Grow ◆ NEWS (Australia),2022-10-30: The lessons of the Russian war against Ukraine shows that China militarily needs much more time to strengthen and revamp its war-fighting establishment to address the glaring weaknesses and gaps ◆ Fortune, 2022-10-30: China's Xi Jinping now has 'unlimited power' and could use Taiwan as a distraction from 'internal problems' ◆Washington Post, 2022-10-28: Taiwan, missiles and spying set to be China’s priorities under new Xi term ◆ WarOnTheRocks, 2022-10-28:U.S. support for Ukraine and other dynamics have led some to question if the current administration is truly prioritizing Taiwan ◆ CNN, 2022-10-27:  A hot war in Asia remains unlikely in the foreseeable future

　

  Can "silicon shield" protect Taiwan?
CNN, 2022-12-9 Taiwan worries about losing its ‘silicon shield’  /  TSMC's presence gives a strong incentive to the West to defend Taiwan against any attempt by China to take it by force...Chiu (a lawmaker) claimed that the chip giant was under political pressure to move its operations and its most advanced technology to the US.  edition.cnn.com/2022/12/09/tech/taiwan-tsmc-chips-hnk-intl/index.html 
USA Today, 2022-12-9 America just won a major victory over China. If China seized control of Taiwan's semiconductor factories, the global economic loss would be "mutually assured destruction."  usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2022/12/09/biden-tsmc-semiconductor-arizona-win-us-over-china/10847994002/  
Financial Times, 2022-12-12 TSMC's investments in the US and elsewhere are stoking fears over ‘hollowing out’ of Taiwan's economy... Premier Su has already stated that  TSMC is not free to transfer its technology wherever it wishes  ft.com/content/2408b289-dbf4-40db-87db-eb272aef68b9
New York Times, 2022-12-6 In Phoenix, a Taiwanese Chip Giant Builds a Hedge Against China ...But the company set a limit on the factory’s level of production technology  nytimes.com/2022/12/06/technology/tsmc-chips-factory-phoenix.html
Reuters, 2022-12 Taiwan seeks to reassure on TSMC commitment to island despite U.S. investment   msn.com/en-us/money/markets/taiwan-seeks-to-reassure-on-tsmc-commitment-to-island-despite-u-s-investment/ar-AA14ZR39
Bloomberg, 2022-10-7 some advocate the US make clear to China that it would destroy TSMC facilities if the island was occupied...Such a “scorched-earth strategy” scenario appeared in the November 2021 issue of the US Army War College Quarterly.    finance.yahoo.com/news/taiwan-tensions-spark-round-us-090131394.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
TIME, 2022-10-5 Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen recently argued in Foreign Affairs that the island's chip industry is a “‘silicon shield’ that allows Taiwan to protect itself and others from aggressive attempts by authoritarian regimes to disrupt global supply chains.” That's a highly optimistic way of looking at the situation.  time.com/6219318/tsmc-taiwan-the-center-of-the-world/
New York Times, 2022-9-9 Taiwan is protected by something far more subtle —The "silicon shield"...If it is clear that China will be better off with a steady flow of chips from Taiwan, peace is likely to prevail
New York Times, 2022-8-29 Analysts debate how much protection China's reliance on Taiwan gives it.  Some argue that calculations over supply chains are insignificant in a decision over war.
 National Interest, 2022-5-15 Taiwan's “silicon shield”—the name for a strategy that entrusts the island's defense to both Chinese and American reliance on its semiconductors—is an outmoded concept that burdens the United States, emboldens Taiwan, and fails to deter China
VOA News, 2021-5-10 Song Hong, assistant general director at the Institute of World Economics and Politics under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences  shrugged off the geopolitical implications of Taiwan’s silicon shield, saying that China views Taiwanese issues as domestic affairs and will not be deterred from its goals by U.S. action
AIT (US), 2021-5-22 Taiwan should not regard TSMC as a guaranteed security blanket.  
Fox News, 2022-8-26  Why would the U.S. fight China over Taiwan, Trade is the key reason and the aforementioned importance of semiconductor production is the glue
The Atlantic, 2022-10-3 The U.S. Has a Microchip Problem. A Chinese attack on the island would imperil the world’s supply of semiconductor components.  Safeguarding Taiwan Is the Solution.  theatlantic.com/international/archive/2022/10/taiwan-microchip-supply-chain-china/671615/  
New York Times, 2022-1-25 75 percent of production takes place in East Asia.  Ninety percent of the most advanced chips are made in Taiwan...China could use economic coercion, cyberoperations and hybrid tactics to try to seize or harm Taiwan's semiconductor industry — Biden promised he would work to bring production of semiconductor chips back to the United States.  nytimes.com/2022/01/26/us/politics/computer-chip-shortage-taiwan.html
 CBS News, 2022-9-25 Blinken said. "[Which is] one of the reasons we're now investing so heavily in our own capacity to produce semiconductors here in the United States. We designed them, but the actual production is done in a handful of places, and Taiwan produces most of them… The effects that that would have on the global economy would be devastating."

 
Taiwan dominates the global production of computer chips /
◆  BBC, 2022-1-12, source: The Military Balnce, IISS 2021
Taiwan S. Korea China Other
65% 18% 5% 12%

news.yahoo.com/china-taiwan-really-simple-guide-142542268.html
　
　

　

　

　

　

pic.  : No.1 "review Taiwan" on Yandex of Russia, 2023-6-17

　

　

pic. : This websites-group was ranked No.1  "review Taiwan" on Yandex of Russia, 2023-3-31

　

　

　

　

◆ The Guardian, 2022-10-25: Xi Jinping's party purge prompts fears of greater Taiwan invasion risk ◆ New York Times, 2022-10-20:  The longer, written version of Xi's speech also stated that China has strengthened its “strategic initiative for China’s complete reunification,” suggesting greater urgency for its future plans ◆  New York Times, 2022-10-19:  the Chinese leader is unlikely to seek military conflict, either to divert attention from domestic challenges or to act before China's power peaks. ◆ BBC, 2022-10-18: China is pursuing unification with Taiwan "on a much faster timeline" than previously expected, Blinken says, Beijing had decided the status quo was no longer acceptable   ◆ Newsweek, 2022-10-21: Beijing has responded to the U.S. Navy's warning of a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan as soon as this year by cautioning Washington against any intervention on the sensitive geopolitical issue ◆ Daily Express, 2022-10-21: the 'Weakness' of US could 'encourage' China's efforts to blockade Taiwan; Experts urged the US to stand firm against Beijing ◆ The Diplomat, 2022-10-21:  recent polling has indicated over 50 percent of Americans support coming to Taiwan’s defense if an invasion were to occur ◆ USNI news, 2022-10-18:  China is looking to speed up its timeline for taking control of Taiwan to 2027 ◆ CNBC, 2022-10-18: Political watchers say the (CCP Congress) speech showed that Xi is not be keen to take Taiwan by force ◆ Reuters,2022-10-17: Analysis-Xi's new generals face tough military challenges post-congress;  the conundrum for the PLA is the lack of operational experience  ◆ New York Times,2022-10-16: On Taiwan, Xi Jinping warns (at the Congress) against international 'interference' ...China is still exerting what Xi also uses in the speech — ‘strategic patience’◆ NPR, 2022-10-18: there's evidence to suggest that from China's point of view, what they really want is control, not that kind of symbolic unification ◆ VOA,2022-10-16: Despite Tough Words, Japan Might Not Enter a Taiwan War ◆ Washington Post, 2022-10-16: Xi: the party had already created a “new choice” for humanity with its unique path to modernization — a nod to China's emergence as an alternative to Western democracies.  ◆ The SUN (UK),2022-10-16: an authority on China's military, recently warned the country is convinced it needs to hit America "hard and early " in a surprise Pearl Harbor-style attack to invade Taiwan.◆ Washington Post, 2022-10-12: Xi's looming third term in China raises threat of war over Taiwan... “Before, leaders talked about unification as something to be achieved in the long run. Now, it's number one on the agenda.”◆ TIME, 2022-10-11: Defending far-off Taiwan ...is about defending Americans' security, liberties, and prosperity ◆ Wall Street Journal, 2022-10-10: Mr. Xi may be disinclined to wait, given the risk of a more assertive president in Taipei in May 2024 or Washington in January 2025. Beijing's recent rhetoric has been consistent with this hypothesis ◆ Economist, 2022-10-10:  In Washington, there is talk of intelligence that the pla has been told to be in a position to take Taiwan by 2027...The liberal political order is at stake ◆ CBS News,2022-10-9: while much of the world thought an invasion might be imminent, polls showed that a majority of Taiwanese think that is unlikely any time soon, if ever..."This is not a matter of if they will invade, it's a matter of when they will invade" ◆ NY Times, 2022-10-5:  the U.S. was intensifying efforts to build a giant stockpile of weapons in Taiwan, turning it into a “porcupine” bristling with armaments to discourage aggression from mainland China ◆ Forbes, 2022-10-3: Defense Secretary Austin: Chinese Invasion Of Taiwan Not 'Imminent'; “What we do see is China moving to establish what we would call a new normal". ◆ Chicago Tribune, 2022-9-23: if China needs to be confronted militarily (and that's unlikely), Taiwan is precisely the wrong place to try to do that ◆ CBS News,2022-9-18: Biden tells <60 Minutes> U.S. forces, U.S. men and women would defend Taiwan, but White House says this is not official U.S. policy ◆ Wall Street Journal,2022-9-19: China Is Capable of Blockading Taiwan, U.S. Navy Commander Says ◆ NY Times,2022-9-10: Drones -the latest front in China's mounting campaign of intimidation and psychological warfare  ◆ NY Times, 2022-9-4: Washington is increasingly wary that an emboldened China might invade Taiwan in the coming years. ◆ abc news, 2022-9-5: Taiwan's weaknesses on that front, chiefly in two areas: its reserves and civilian defense force.◆NY Times, 2022-8-29: Analysts debate how much protection China’s reliance on Taiwan gives it. Some argue that calculations over supply chains are insignificant in a decision over war ◆ NY Times, 2022-8-25: China could try to impose a blockade to force the island into concessions or as a precursor to wider military action  ◆ War on the Rocks, 2022-8-22: Some five to nine missiles  passed  over  Taiwan en route to targets east of the main island (in the early stages of the Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis) ◆ NY Times, 2022-8-21: critics argued the tensions over Taiwan showed that Washington needed stronger military and economic strategies.  

　

No guarantee that U.S. military will hold the same view as Biden to defend Taiwan
♣ Foreign Policy, Politico, 2022-10-2: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin declined to directly endorse President Joe Biden’s statement that the U.S. military would defend Taiwan   politico.com/news/2022/10/02/lloyd-austin-china-taiwan-biden-00059922
 ♣ The Hill, 2022-10-3: US defense chief sidesteps questions on Biden’s pledge to defend Taiwan news.yahoo.com/us-defense-chief-sidesteps-questions-200504858.html		 ♣ VICE, 2022-9-28:  no guarantee that the next U.S. president will hold the same view as Biden, given the lack of a formal commitment by the U.S. military to intervene in the event of an attack by the PLA  vice.com/en/article/m7gp7v/taiwan-defense-china-invasion-conscripts

　

Biden :  "U.S. forces, U.S. men and women would defend Taiwan"  (CBS,2022-9-18)
 CNN (US), 2022-9-20 looks like the US has moved from ambiguity to deterrence...  Biden's remarks don't necessarily equate to how he would behave in a real crisis. edition.cnn.com/2022/09/19/world/joe-biden-taiwan-answer-analysis/index.html  
Bloomberg, 2022-9-20 “Such comments will do more to feed Beijing's sense of urgency than they will bolster deterrence” Taiwan's leaders could move closer to independence     msn.com/en-us/news/world/biden-s-vow-to-defend-taiwan-makes-us-policy-shift-explicit/ar-AA123qxX
Japan Times (Japan), 2022-9-20 Cornell prof. called Biden's remarks “dangerous",  this new combo (a pledge to send troops + decisions about independence are Taiwan’s) suggests an unconditional commitment, U.S. is issuing Taiwan a blank check japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/09/20/asia-pacific/politics-diplomacy-asia-pacific/biden-taiwan-remarks-uncertainty/
Washington Examiner (US),
2022-9-20		 wrong to commit to Taiwan's defense unambiguously,  two key concerns here. (1) Taiwan's defense spending remains ludicrously low in face of the existential threat it faces. (2) It's one thing to tell a pollster that you're willing to fight and die for your country. It's a different thing to take painstaking steps to prepare for that eventuality. And the hard truth is that far too few Taiwanese are currently taking those steps msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-two-problems-with-bidens-taiwan-defense-pledge/ar-AA120KGw
Chicago Tribune, 2022-9-23 At what cost to US national interests? if China needs to be confronted militarily (and that's unlikely), Taiwan is precisely the wrong place to try to do that  chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-opinion-taiwan-china-biden-tensions-20220922-tjd6rxcmozgunew3djsycoodsa-story.html
The Guardian, 2022-9-21 the president's remarks are provocative to Beijing without providing security to Taiwan or the US,  Biden is conveying anxiety rather than confidence  ... theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/sep/21/biden-taiwan-comments-china-war-independence
 Politico, 2022-9-19 The big question is, what are the costs we're really willing to pay?” Stanford's Skylar Mastro said. politico.com/news/2022/09/19/biden-leaves-no-doubt-strategic-ambiguity-toward-taiwan-is-dead-00057658
Washington Post, 2022-9-19 Yet presidential pronouncements alone can only deter China so much... Congress should provide Mr. Biden and his successors with a stronger set of legislative instructions washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/09/19/biden-china-taiwan-60-minutes/

DW (Germany), 2022-9-19 scholars: "it can lead to very different results than what Biden might be thinking he has the capacity to do,"," US "strategic ambiguity is becoming more strategic and less ambiguous." dw.com/en/biden-us-forces-would-defend-taiwan-if-china-invades/a-63166248
Le Monde (France), 2022-9-19 Alors que l’occupant de la Maison Blanche a tenu des propos forts sur le dossier taïwanais dimanche soir, la Chine a dénoncé « une grave violation de [son] engagement important à ne pas soutenir l’indépendance de Taïwan .   lemonde.fr/international/article/2022/09/19/joe-biden-affirme-que-les-etats-unis-defendraient-taiwan-en-cas-d-invasion-chinoise_6142183_3210.html
 France 24 (France), 2022-9-19  most explicit statement so far on the issue, something sure to anger Beijing.。Biden's Asia policy czar, Kurt Campbell, has in the past rejected any move to "strategic clarity" over Taiwan, saying there were "significant downsides" to such an approach”msn.com/en-gb/news/world/biden-says-us-forces-would-defend-taiwan-if-china-invades/ar-AA11YIsO
Daily Express (UK), 2022-9-19 Bonnie Glaser: " if Mr Biden makes such pledges he needs the "capability" to back them up, If President Biden plans to defend Taiwan, then he should make sure the U.S. military has the capability to do so", “"Rhetorical support that isn't backed up by real capabilities is unlikely to strengthen deterrence"  express.co.uk/news/world/1671100/Joe-Biden-Taiwan-China-Xi-Jinping-CBS-Nancy-Pelosi-White-House-ont
Bloomberg (US), 2022-9-19 Expert Bonnie Glaser: “China has long assumed that the US would intervene to defend Taiwan, so these statements don’t change PLA plans”, Prof. Lev Nachman: “The worry is that this will exacerbate Taiwan's current high-tension moment rather than reduce it.。” Bloomberg     msn.com/en-us/news/world/biden-says-us-would-defend-taiwan-from-unprecedented-attack/ar-AA11Yf55
Washington Post (US), 2022-9-19 Biden’s most hawkish comments on Taiwan yet  /  The implications for that are huge. This is still in the realm of the hypothetical   washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/19/biden-taiwan-china-defense/
Global Times (CHN) , 2022-9-19 his most explicit answer so far on the question, which analysts believe suggested a shifting process in Washington's decades-long "strategic ambiguity" policy  ...not only his personal views, but also those in his White House team and various political forces on Capitol Hill.  China clearly knows that the US is trying to erode its "one-China policy." If the US moves further toward such "strategic clarity" that is entirely targeted against the Chinese mainland and supports Taiwan's pro-independence behaviors, we will certainly have diplomatic, military and economic countermeasures for them, Xin said.   globaltimes.cn/page/202209/1275600.shtml 
The Conversation  (Australia),
2022-9-20		 so does this support mean economic aid, supply of weapons or U.S. boots on the ground? China and Taiwan are left guessing if – and to what extent – the U.S. will be involved in any China-Taiwan conflict.    news.yahoo.com/biden-again-indicates-us-defend-181440760.html

　

◆ SCMP, 2022-8-21: PLA adopts nuclear deterrence to stop foreign intervention on Taiwan: analysts  ◆ SCMP, 2022-8-23: Beijing's sorties across the median line responded to Taiwan's "diplomatic salami" ; Taiwan was also inching away from the status quo with its history textbooks for schoolchildren downplaying a China-centric view of history on the island ◆  NY Times, 2022-8-11: Taiwan, which has struggled with accidents and morale in the face of such a would-be foe as China. By many accounts, Taiwan's forces are poorly equipped and understaffed ◆ Economist, 2022-8-10: Ms Pelosi's visit has allowed Beijing to move to a new level of military activity unchallenged, which will make it harder for America to defend Taiwan. ◆ Economist, 2022-8-11: America has changed,...it began to doubt that it was worth defending...there is little doubt that America would join a fight over Taiwan today...  Japan ...has indicated that it could intervene in a war...Taiwan must also show more willingness to defend itself ◆ Washington Post, 2022-8-11: Beijing is now focusing on taking the island by force, not through peaceful reunification ◆ Economist, 2022-8-11: US expert ...assessment is that China could keep Taiwan sealed off for many months, perhaps years, with devastating effect.  ◆ BBC, 2022-8-9: Beijing firing missiles over Taiwan - have become "acceptable" - because they have happened, and Beijing has got away with it. this becomes the new standard  ◆ NY Times, 2022-8-8: China's drills near Taiwan is a sign that Beijing will keep up its military pressure on Taiwan, and could be normalizing its presence around the island before gradually cutting off access to its airspace and waters ◆ New York Times, 2022-8-7: After China's Military Spectacle, Options Narrow for Winning Over Taiwan◆ Reuters, 2022-8-7: The ability to enforce a blockade would give Beijing leverage to bring Taiwan to the negotiating table ;A former Chinese defence official :"Seeing how the U.S. and its allies responded to the drills, how confident can Taiwan leaders be in counting on them to come to the rescue should the PLA attack?"  ◆New York Times, 2022-8-2: China is preparing a hostile response of some sort...This is an exceptionally dangerous situation, perhaps more so than Ukraine  ◆ NY Times, 2022-7-28: The United States and China are on a collision course in the Taiwan Strait. China may soon be capable of seizing democratically ruled Taiwan — even in a fight with the United States. ◆ NY Times, 2022-7-25: Chinese leaders might try to move against the self-governing island over the next year and a half — perhaps by trying to cut off access to all or part of the Taiwan Strait  ◆ CNN,2022-7-25: Under Xi, a rising wave of nationalism has swept China, and support for "reuniting" with Taiwan — possibly by force — is running high ◆ Washington Post, 2022-7-23: Many Asian leaders have voiced fears that Russia’s effort to take over Ukraine could embolden China to move aggressively into Taiwan ◆ le Monde (France), 2022-7-21: China appears determined on using force in Taiwan ◆ DW (Germany),2022-7-22: Japan defense report warns Russia's invasion of Ukraine could encourage China to act against Taiwan ◆  Business Insider, 2022-7-21: CIA chief: the Ukraine war likely won't shake China's resolve to invade Taiwan   

　

　

Defending Taiwan by Taiwanese ??
some human factors ~
President Tsai I. W. youngsters the public
♣ VICE, 2022-9-28: president's prescriptions have been piecemeal, and there is no national plan to overhaul the military. (developing asymmetric warfare capabilities as US experts advise)

♣ Roll Call, 2022-9-28: ...overhaul its military reservist program — our general public, especially young parents, those people from 40 to 50 and their children, will fight against that policy... “It's hard for the ruling party to do it !" Younger voters are a critical base of support for president Tsai's Democratic Progressive Party.
　

♣ New York Times, 2022-6-19: politicians have electoral considerations ( military conscription reform)

 ♣ United Daily (Taiwan), 2022-10-6:  The policy of lengthening mandatory military service won't be decided until end of 2022 , obviously the admin. is with an eye to presidential election. udn.com/news/story/11091/6665523?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub11091_pulldownmenu_v2

 ♣ Roll Call, 2022-9-28: Most people do not want to join the military... The March opinion poll : lower levels of support among the 20-24 age group for lengthening Taiwan's mandatory military service to one year.
　

♣ China Times (Taiwan), 2022-9-28: 81.5% of Taiwanese youth oppose lengthening Taiwan's mandatory military service to one year.   World media wrongly report Taiwanese people are willing to be on the battlefield.   chinatimes.com/opinion/20220927005188-262101?chdtv

　


PS: By law, all able-bodied men in South Korea must serve 18-21 months in the military under a conscription system; In Israel - men 32 months and women 24 months, minimum.

 ♣ axios, 2022-9-27:  ...the common belief in Taiwan that if China were to invade, Taiwan would have no choice but to surrender immediately.

♣ Economist, 2022-3-5:  Taiwanese seem too uninterested to fight to defend their land.  Taiwan's sloth in reforming its defence capabilities and strengthening its deterrence.
　

♣ Global Times, 2022-10-10: a poll shows that only 41.4 percent gave a definite "yes" to the determination to sacrifice themselves to defend the island, according to Taiwan-based media globaltimes.cn/page/202210/1276853.shtml

♣ Washington Examiner, 2022-9-20: It's one thing to tell a pollster that you're willing to fight and die for your country. It's a different thing to take painstaking steps to prepare for that eventuality. And the hard truth is that far too few Taiwanese are currently taking those steps
　

♣ Brookings, 2021-1-22: Only 23% thought that democracy was more important than economic development.  16% believed that protecting political freedom was more important than reducing economic inequality.
  ☉ S. Korean presidential candidates have never tried to win the election by shortening mandatory military service (their service days is about 5 times of Taiwan's), but Taiwan's politicians do !   for instance, a ruling party's law-maker Tsai argues what's the reason to lengthen military service !? (see udn.com/news/story/11091/6665523?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub11091_pulldownmenu_v2   2022-10-6 )
 ☉ United Daily,2022-10-10: The Defense chief told the US that the mandatory military service can be lengthen up to 2~3 years, but President Tsai decide it'll be just 1 year at present for electoral considerations.(and not to declare until end of election)    brief udn.com/news/story/121823/6674688?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub121823_pulldownmenu_v2  陳一新
榮譽教授

　

◆ FoxNews, 2022-7-20: CIA director 'wouldn't rule out' near-term Taiwan invasion ◆  Asia Nikkei (Japan), 2022-7-20:  Taiwan's ex-defense chief calls for sweeping military reforms ◆ FoxNews, 2022-7-7: Chinese diplomat says 'reunification' with Taiwan near ◆ Washington Post, 2022-7-3:  these steps (asymmetric warfare) may not be enough to repel a far more powerful opponent like China. Taiwan's mandatory military service ... spend more time doing menial labor than learning combat skills. Tactics taught are comparable to those (Gulf War or the Vietnam War) ◆ N.Y. Times, 2022-6-19: A Looming Threat /  ...Taiwan politicians have electoral considerations. Extending military conscription, for example, would probably not be very popular ◆ New York Times, 2022-6-13: Taiwan's defenses are, by many accounts, ill-equipped and understaffed...Should China invade, Taiwan's defenses will almost certainly crumble unless the United States and its allies help.  ◆ AFP, France24, 2022-6-10: China will 'not hesitate to start war' if Taiwan declares independence, Beijing says ◆ NY Times, 2022-6-10: American officials ... worry that China's leader, Xi Jinping, may be willing to go to war over Taiwan in the coming years. ◆ CNN, 2022-6-1: China has the power to take Taiwan, but it would cost an extremely bloody price ...China is more likely to emulate the "shock and awe" bombardments that preceded the US' invasions of Iraq.  

　

Taiwan proposes large rise in defense spending specifically to acquire new fighter jets and other projects to boost naval and air capabilities
Taiwan  vs.  US

Taiwan VS. US's "porcupine"  weapons

The US disagrees Taiwan's requests for big-ticket weapons


◆ Financial Times, 2022-8-19: Intensified military pressure from China has reinforced Taiwan's desire to acquire large weapons platforms such as warships and fighters...widens gulf on procurement policy between Taipei and its main arms supplier

ft.com/content/0d492ad7-9346-4c9e-b186-834c6fc75e85


◆ Economist, 2022-5-10:These flashier purchases are politically popular... Some of Taiwan’s political and military leaders believe it is more important to counter such “grey zone” attacks than to prepare for an invasion. A full-scale assault has long been hypothetical, after all, while incursions have increased every year
◆WEEK (UK), 2022-5-12: Taiwan plans to “throw a thousand tanks at the beachhead” in the event of a Chinese invasion that could result in “brutal tank battles”

◆ United Daily (Taiwan), 2022-10-6 : Taiwan military was forced to accept the concept of "asymmetric war", in last year $80 billions Harpoon Coastal Defense Missile systems were forcibly sent to Taiwan ... but missiles are not good for China's gray-zone war at present.  udn.com/news/story/11091/6665520?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub11091_pulldownmenu_v2
◆ United Daily (Taiwan), 2022-5-19 : Can the guerrillas of Stinger missiles and Javelin missiles really block the Russian main force in Ukraine?

◆ The China Times (Taiwan), 2021-10-26 : Urban guerrilla warfare will turn cities into ruins and cause a large number of civilian casualties。
◆ Foreign Policy, 2020-8-20 : “Their underlying thinking is that PLA has grown to be too strong for us to fight militarily anyway... Taiwan should just focus on putting up a good show of being tough, buy enough U.S. weapons for display, and pray that Americans come to our rescue

◆ Financial Times, 2022-5-17: Washington was right to push Taipei to focus procurement more on the threat of invasion, but that forcing its hand was counterproductive.

　

　

◆ War on the Rocks, 2022-8-22: flashy F-16 sales do little to defend Taiwan from China's missile force. warontherocks.com/2022/08/the-fourth-taiwan-strait-crisis-is-just-starting/

◆ Financial Times, 2022-8-19:Washington is trying to force Taipei to prioritise “asymmetric” weapons — systems that exploit an adversary’s weakness instead of trying to match its strengths.

　

◆ Business Insider, 2022-8-21: expensive equipment such as fighter jets, helicopters, and tanks to prepare against a possible Chinese invasion, defense experts say these would easily be destroyed by an attacker, according to the Journal's report. businessinsider.com/taiwan-learns-ukraine-porcupine-strategy-defend-against-china-2022-8

　

◆ New York Times, 2022-5-7: US presses Taiwan to buy missiles and smaller arms for asymmetric warfare (Suited to Win Against China);  But some Taiwanese defense officials are resistant.
◆ FoxNews, 2022-5-12: Taiwan may not have military equipment to defend itself against Chinese invasion warns Rep. McCaul
◆ Politico, 2022-5-11: The Biden administration is rebuffing some of Taiwan’s requests for big-ticket weapons,...these expensive items, while fine for peacetime operations, would not survive an all-out assault from the mainland.
 ◆ Economist, 2022-5-10: expensive conventional equipment such as tanks, battleships and submarines — are hard to hide and easy to strike with a missile — a "porcupine" strategist would focus on agile and concealable weapons
◆ Politico, 2022-5-19: the U.S. effort to reshape Taiwan’s military has taken on new urgency since the Russian invasion...the administration would no longer support arms sales for Taiwan “outside their definition of ‘asymmetric’ defense,”
◆ WSJ , 2022-5-8: F-16s Are the Wrong Way for Taiwan to Defend Itself
◆ National Interest, 2022-5-15: One important task has been to tailor the provision of defensive weapons to the needs of Taiwan’s military—procuring Stingers and Javelins rather than Abrams tanks and Seahawk helicopters.
 ◆ Foreign Policy , 2020-10-19 : Taiwan's leaders have gravitated toward military showpieces
◆ Diplomat, 10-5-2020: Taiwan needs mobile systems,long-range surveillance armed drones...

　

　

Washington Post, 2022-8-17: if there's a crisis on Taiwan, Americans say~
(msn.com/en-us/news/world/what-americans-think-about-china-and-taiwan/ar-AA10L80C)
65 percent support sending additional arms and military equipment to Taiwan
 62 percent support having the U.S. Navy prevent China from imposing a blockade around Taiwan
only 40 percent favor sending U.S. troops to help the Taiwanese government defend itself.
2021 Chicago Council Survey 46 percent of Americans were willing to explicitly commit to defend Taiwan from attack.

　

◆ Daily Express (UK), 2022-5-30: Putin is winning his war, China Taiwan is next and that will be so much deadlier  ◆  New York Times, 2022-5-27: A 2018 congressionally-mandated assessment warned that America could face a “decisive military defeat” in a war over Taiwan ◆ NY Times, 2022-5-24: the US is trying to walk a fine line between deterrence and provocation... risk pushing President Xi Jinping of China to order an attack on Taiwan ◆ NY Times, 2022-5-24: Former presidents have hinted that the United States would fight for Taiwan but have otherwise remained studiedly vague...Taiwan's defense budget... remains scandalously low  ◆ New York Times, 2022-5-23: Biden Says U.S. Military Would Defend Taiwan if China Invaded, dispensing with the “strategic ambiguity” traditionally favored by American presidents ◆ New York Times, 2022-5-7: US presses Taiwan to buy missiles and smaller arms for asymmetric warfare (Suited to Win Against China);  But some Taiwanese defense officials are resistant. ◆Wall Street Journal, 2022-5-4: Since the Chinese economy is 10 times as large as the Russian economy, effective sanctions would be virtually impossible to enforce. Taiwan's lack of preparedness is increasingly dangerous. ◆ Washington Post, 2022-5-4:  China won't repeat Putin's Ukraine mistakes in Taiwan. ◆ Economist, 2022-4-20: the main lesson that China will draw from Ukraine is the need for speed—ideally achieving victory within days; Taiwan can learn ...Fighting spirit and the right Western arms may stymie a powerful foe ◆  Japan Times, 2022-4-19: U.S. 'strategic ambiguity' over Taiwan must end! US policy of ambiguity toward Taiwan is now fostering instability in the Indo-Pacific region, by encouraging China to underestimate U.S. resolve...  ◆ Wall street Journal, 2022-4-18: Kyiv's successful use of internet to counter Moscow highlights Taiwan's reliance on undersea internet cables that China could cut ◆ Fox News, 2022-4-15: Senator Sasse wrote: Congress plays a foundational role in the interpretation of the Taiwan Relations Act...Chinese spokesman: some in the U.S. attempt to use Taiwan to contain China. ◆ Daily Mail (UK), 2022-4-10: China accelerates work on more than one HUNDRED missile silos that could house nuclear weapons capable of reaching U.S. soil -  to deter America from intervening in conflict over Taiwan ◆  FoxNews, 2022-4-4: "It's not if China moves into Taiwan, it's when" ◆ Wall street Journal, 2022-3-29: Moves under discussion in Taiwan are still far from the kind of major revamp that some experts in the U.S. and elsewhere say is needed to upgrade Taiwan's military ◆  New York Times, 2022-3-20: If Russia succeeds in overtaking Ukraine, it increases the danger for Taiwan.◆ TIME, 2022-3-18: most analysts say that the island would not be able to stop a full-scale invasion on its own—and Ukraine's situation has sparked debate over whether anyone would come to Taiwan's aid   

　

Contrast    Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1996 and 2022

◆ New York Times, 2022-8-5 the U.S. military had ordered the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan to “remain on station” in the region but some distance from the entrance to the Taiwan Strait.，... during a crisis in 1996, when President Bill Clinton moved aircraft carriers closer to the strait.  (PS: and conducted large scale drills  zh.m.wikipedia.org/zh-hant/台灣海峽飛彈危機 ) nytimes.com/2022/08/04/world/asia/taiwan-china-military-drills.html
◆ New York Times, 2022-8-4 ... failing to move more naval forces into the region, the United States would be perceived by Mr. Xi as less committed to the region than Mr. Clinton was a quarter century ago.
◆  USA Today, 2022-8-6 National Security Council:U.S. would postpone intercontinental ballistic missile test scheduled... reducing the risks of miscalculation and misperception news.yahoo.com/china-halts-climate-military-ties-152347684.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
◆   Global Times (China), 2022-8-5 the US Navy's Ronald Reagan carrier strike group retreated hundreds of kilometers eastward overnight, after the PLA announced live-fire exercise zones east of the island。

　

China's Missiles over Taiwan  in 2022-8-5
◆  CNN, 2022-8-4 missiles flying over the island marked a significant escalation
◆ New York Times, 2022-8-3 China's CCTV stated that one of the missiles flew over Taiwan, marking another escalation of Chinese pressure on the island and risking serious miscalculation.

　

◆ Politico, 2022-3-14: Taiwan's military may be rightly criticized for its poorly coordinated forces, and its government has been hesitant to invest in its own defense...PLA would be more motivated than the Russian forces...China’s deep integration into the global economy and the leverage of Beijing's $1,068 billion in treasury bonds would make Western sanctions more painful to implement ◆ Economist, 2022-3-5:  Taiwanese seem too uninterested to fight to defend their land.  Taiwan's sloth in reforming its defence capabilities and strengthening its deterrence  ◆  Washington Post, 2022-3-4: Taiwan's leaders try to calm fears over Ukraine invasion, but citizens worry their island will be next ◆ Economist, 2022-2-26:  Parallels with Taiwan colour Asian views of the war in Ukraine - Some fear a Chinese invasion has become more likely  ◆ New York Times, 2022-2-23: With some seeing parallels to Ukraine, Taiwan steps up its defenses ◆  CNN, 2022-2-3: China's leaders may be watching Ukraine with an eye on Taiwan ◆ USA Today, Yahoo, 2022-2-10, "Chinese Taipei" , the label implies a link to China... younger people have said they feel increasingly distant culturally from the other side. ◆ Brookings, 2022-2-7: why is unification so unpopular in Taiwan? It's the PRC political system; A majority of our respondents — 56% — said Taiwanese culture was similar to Chinese culture.  72% rated China's government as at least somewhat unfriendly. ◆ SCMP, 2022-2-12: “China's theory of victory is that... punishment and intimidation would eventually inflict enough pain and psychological stress that Taiwan would capitulate to Beijing's rule,” ◆  Guardian, NPR, Foxnews, CNN, 2022-1-28: China's ambassador to US warns of possible military conflict over Taiwan ◆ Foreign Affairs, 2022-2-1: the United States is on track to lose a war over Taiwan. The US needs Battle Force 2025. ◆ New York Times, 2022-1-25: China could use economic coercion, cyberoperations and hybrid tactics to try to seize or harm Taiwan's semiconductor industry — Biden promised he would work to bring production of semiconductor chips back to the United States. ◆Washington Post, 2022-1-24: Defending Taiwan is a worthy goal. But are we ready for heavy casualties? it would be a grave mistake for the United States to promise to defend Taiwan without preparing its public — and its soldiers — for the tough fight they could face ◆ New York post, 2022-1-21: Rep. Michael McCaul predicts Chinese invasion of Taiwan after Winter Olympics ◆  New York times, 2022-1-19: China's Growing Menace Hardens Island's Identity...60+% identify as solely Taiwanese ◆ France24, NY Post, Daily Mail(UK), 2021-12-30: China warns US will pay 'unbearable price' for backing Taiwan     

　

 China published a white paper titled
"The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era"
GT, 2022-8-10 the wellbeing of the people in Taiwan hinges on the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation... it will create huge opportunities for social and economic development in Taiwan and bring tangible benefits to the people of Taiwan。globaltimes.cn/page/202208/1272637.shtml
Global Times, 2022-8-24 The latest white paper actually signals an invitation to the Taiwan compatriots to participate in the future institutional arrangements,...Ironically, the DPP does not allow Taiwan people to participate in the institutional arrangements after reunification   globaltimes.cn/page/202208/1273805.shtml
NY Times, 2022-8-15  The 2000 paper said nine times that negotiations between Taiwan and China to determine that framework would be conducted on “equal footing,” or other similar language. But that pledge appeared only once in the new paper    nytimes.com/2022/08/15/world/asia/china-taiwan-us.html
 Reuters, 2022-8-10 A line in the 2000 white paper that said "anything can be negotiated" as long as Taiwan accepts that there is only one China and does not seek independence, is missing from the latest white paper.  reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-withdraws-promise-not-send-troops-taiwan-after-unification-2022-08-10/
Forbes, Reuters, 2022-8-10 ...in two previous white papers on Taiwan, in 1993 and 2000, that it "will not send troops or administrative personnel to be based in Taiwan" after achieving unification ... is missing from the latest white paper.
ABC news , Australia,
2022-8-11		 China says there are "profound historical and cultural ties" with Taiwan..."Its economy is highly complementary with that of the mainland."...Taiwanese citizens who would "enjoy a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region".   msn.com/en-au/news/australia/why-does-china-want-taiwan-when-its-already-so-big-and-rich-the-answer-is-about-more-than-land-and-money/ar-AA10z5KJ
 NBC, 2022-8-10 ... reiterated its desire for “peaceful reunification.” But it did not rule out the use of force as a “last resort taken under compelling circumstances,” without specifying what those circumstances might be   nbcnews.com/news/world/is-taiwan-worried-china-threat-invasion-pelosi-visit-rcna41964
United Daily (聯合報), 2022-8-11 這是更為強硬的表態，除了對內部十四億人有所交代，也對國際社會明確堅定表達北京看法，同時也想加大對台軟、硬兩手力度 udn.com/news/story/10930/6528208?from=udn_ch2cate6638sub10930_pulldownmenu_v2
China Daily,
2022-8-12		 The white paper received a warm response and wide support from Chinese people at home and abroad, and the DPP authorities' misinterpretation cannot deny that "one country, two systems" is a peaceful, democratic, good-faith and win-win solution   chinadaily.com.cn/a/202208/12/WS62f58be5a310fd2b29e71b7a.html
full text:  https://www.scio.gov.cn/zfbps/32832/Document/1728489/1728489.htm

　

　

China's "the largest and most sophisticated military exercises it has ever conducted" (Economist, 2022-8-10)    
WHY ?? 

NY Times, 2022-8-25 They were meant to intimidate Taiwan and the United States   nytimes.com/interactive/2022/08/25/world/asia/china-taiwan-conflict-blockade.html
 NY Times, 2022-8-4 Stanford scholar: “Under the guise of signaling, they’re trying to basically test their ability to conduct complex maneuvers that are necessary for an amphibious assault on Taiwan.” nytimes.com/2022/08/03/world/asia/taiwan-china-military-exercises.html    
 Business Insider, 2022-8-5  "a show of force to respond to Pelosi's visit" and "to exhibit [China's] displeasure" and "presumably to deter the US or other countries from undertaking visits like this ..."  "readiness to respond to Taiwan provocations"    news.yahoo.com/chinas-missile-launches-military-drills-211102958.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
 AFP (France), 2022-8-6 a former CIA Asia analyst:  main purpose with its military exercises was to change that status quo.，"The Chinese want to show... that a line has been crossed by the speaker's visit."
American University Professor: Beijing's message was meant to signal that China can alter the power balance in the region if it chooses. "The Chinese seriously believe that the United States has not been respecting their interests on the Taiwan issue"   news.yahoo.com/us-china-relations-risk-long-215317757.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

 The Times (UK), 2022-8-6

 Chinese jets menace Taiwan in an end to diplomacy

Global Times (Chn), 2022-8-5

 Some Taiwan-based media hyped that the mainland's economic punishment could antagonize the public...    "If the mainland opts for economic sanctions, it may terminate the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA)"...  Taiwan had a trade surplus of more than $170 billion with the Chinese mainland in 2021.  globaltimes.cn/page/202208/1272245.shtml
NY Times, 2022-8-8 not only to intimidate Taiwan and the United States, but also to appease a domestic audience that had seemed disappointed by what it perceived as an insufficiently bellicose posture.  cn.nytimes.com/asia-pacific/20220808/china-exercises-taiwan/zh-hant/dual/
BBC, 2022-8-9 this may possibly intimidate South East Asian neighbours which have rival claims to the South China Sea   bbc.com/news/62460809
PS:New York Times, 2022-8-7: After China's Military Spectacle, Options Narrow for Winning Over Taiwan  ; Reuters, 2022-8-7: The ability to enforce a blockade would give Beijing leverage to bring Taiwan to the negotiating table ;A former Chinese defence official :"Seeing how the U.S. and its allies responded to the drills, how confident can Taiwan leaders be in counting on them to come to the rescue should the PLA attack?"


◆ Reuters, 2021-12-20: Chinese spies have penetrated Taiwan's military, Even the security detail of President Tsai Ing-wen has been compromised ◆ Hill, 2021-12-20: China could obliterate Taiwan. It could seize Taiwan's tiny islands ... impose an embargo... And it could attempt regime change...◆ NY Times, 2021-12-10: As China has built up its military presence, the U.S. has sought to widen its alliances in the region. A major potential flash point is Taiwan ◆ Bloomberg, 2021-12-7: War With Taiwan Would Be a Huge Gamble for China's Xi.  Deaths, economic sanctions and possible defeat are all deterrents ◆ Financial Times (UK), 2021-12-5: US defence chief warns of China ‘rehearsals’ for attack on Taiwan; Lloyd Austin cites concern over scale and frequency of Beijing’s military sorties ◆ Reuters, 2021-12-3: Blinken says any move by China to invade Taiwan would have 'terrible consequences ◆ NY Times, 2021-11-29:  China is developing advanced weapons, leading U.S. officials to push for the first nuclear talks  ◆ The Hill, 2021-11-22:  as things currently stand, the U.S. can't deter Beijing ◆ WSJ, 2021-11-17: Beijing’s arms buildup and menacing of Taiwan make U.S. directionlessness dangerous for the world.  Rather than risk a less feckless president after Mr. Biden, Mr. Xi may feel he has three years to act. ◆ NY Times, 2021-11-15: Biden and Xi meet amid tensions in an effort to keep “communication lines open” and avoid military action — American officials remain concerned that the chances of avoiding conflict may be diminishing. ◆  CBS, 2021-11-16:  Biden's virtual summit with China's Xi focuses on "managing strategic risks" like Taiwan...while there had been no major breakthroughs ◆ The Guardian, 2021-11-16: Biden-Xi virtual summit: leaders warn each other over future of Taiwan ...the US is increasingly nervous about the rapid development of Chinese conventional and nuclear military forces. ◆  Reuters, 2021-11-11: U.S. and allies would 'take unspecified action' if Taiwan attacked - Blinken ◆ New York Times, 2021-11-10: Europe’s economic interests in China are huge, and the focus on Taiwan is still a minority effort. Europe is both reluctant and badly equipped to get involved militarily in the Indo-Pacific in the face of Washington’s intense focus on deterring China from attacking Taiwan.   

　

WHY?   Taiwanese people "don't worry" China's "the largest and most sophisticated military exercises" around Taiwan island ??

 nDaily Express, 2022-8-16: Taiwan's representative to Germany has warned of the risk of an impending attack by China on Taiwan... "They're going to attack us."
nLibre (Japan), UDN, 2022-8-16: Taiwanese president Tsai I W: The situation in Taiwan Strait is very tense. and Taiwan is facing huge challenges.
nCNN, 2022-8-8: Taiwan's foreign minister says : "I worry that China may really launch a war against Taiwan,";   But the mood in Taiwan remained calm, with life carrying on as usual with packed restaurants and crowded public transport.   Independent (2022-8-16) reports Taiwan's poll: 45 % said that they were not afraid at all and 33 % said they were not very afraid
♣ NBC, 2022-8-10:   nbcnews.com/news/world/is-taiwan-worried-china-threat-invasion-pelosi-visit-rcna41964  
A: many residents say they are used to intimidation by Beijing ..." I don't think China will attack because our rockets can also reach Beijing and Shanghai" ;
Experts:  many residents in Ukraine reacted with disbelief to Russia's long-signaled invasion...whether Taiwan is being too complacent.?   people in Taiwan need to take this more seriously, they don't fully appreciate the circumstance they're in,”...
 ♣ New York Times, 2022-8-9:  many watching from outside Taiwan seemed to expect Taiwanese to be “hysterically” stockpiling food and crafting evacuation plans ... a Taiwanese girl says: "Taiwanese people appearing calm in the face of rising tension is not due to ignorance or naïveté, but because this is accepted — even internalized — as a part of being Taiwanese”.

♣ United Daily (Taiwan ) , 2022-8-11:  A poll showed that about 60% of the respondents were not worried about further military conflict between mainland  China and  Taiwan, which surprised foreign media,  Some posts on the net reflect what Taiwanese people's thought, "because China PLA won't attack us", " we are used to it" ," we have been intimidated two or three times per year" ... It appears too many intimidations made our people NUMB !

　

　

　

◆ TIME, 2021-11-3: The U.S. Risks Catastrophe if It Doesn't Clarify Its Taiwan Strategy  ◆ Brookings, 2021-11-1: the asymmetric approach has been stretched beyond recognition in recent years by a recalcitrant MND ◆ Hill, 2021-11-1: Now there is real danger that, encouraged by Biden’s recent shift toward a more conciliatory approach  toward China, Xi will move against Taiwan ◆WSJ, FoxNews, 2021-10-25: the island's military is riven with internal problems...Among the most pressing concerns are poor preparation and low morale among the roughly 80,000 Taiwanese who are conscripted each year and the nearly 2.2 million reservists.  ◆ NY Times, 2021-10-22: American presidents have spent decades trying to sidestep the question of how forcefully the United States would come to the aid of Taiwan if China invaded it or, more likely, tried to slowly strangle the island in an effort to force it back under the control of the mainland ◆ New York Times, 2021-10-15: Taiwan has a spotty record when it comes to fire safety... raise questions about whether the self-governing island,... had overlooked basic safety concerns in the rush to develop ◆  NY Times, 2021-10-9 : "starting a fire" : US and China enter dangerous territory over Taiwan... with potential to ignite military conflagration and reshape the regional order    

　

 Pelosi visiting Taiwan       CNN,2022-7-29: potentially triggering the worst cross-strait crisis in decades

 　
NY Times, 2022-7-28 Nancy Pelosi's Trip to Taiwan Is Too Dangerous! The United States and China are on a collision course in the Taiwan Strait  nytimes.com/2022/07/28/opinion/china-us-taiwan-pelosi.html 
 Global Times (China), 2022-7-28  China's defense ministry issues fresh, rare warning: The US should not underestimate the crisis and possible disastrous results it will bring to the Taiwan Straits if Pelosi ultimately makes the trip... if the US does not pull back but keeps challenging the guardrail, the price will be beyond US capabilities to pay"...  The rare expressions "yanzhen yidai" (嚴陣以待),  PLA "will not sit idly by" (不會坐視) were used (in Korea war and Vietnam war).“  -  China will not sit idly by if US troops crossed the 38th parallel. globaltimes.cn/page/202207/1271693.shtml
中囯 Global Times, 2022-7-28 Those who play with fire will perish by it. It is hoped that the US will be clear-eyed about this," Xi said  via telephone,...  it is certain that if Pelosi insists on her provocative plan of visiting Taiwan, she will face serious and unbearable consequences.    globaltimes.cn/page/202207/1271696.shtml
NBC News, 2022-7-29 GT former editor :  "If the US can't restrain her (Pelosi), let China restrain her & punish her","PLA Air Force will surely make her visit a disgrace to herself and to the US." nbcnews.com/politics/congress/pelosi-leading-delegation-asia-friday-taiwan-visit-still-undecided-rcna40535
 TIME, 2022-7-28  there's a good chance that Beijing could sanction Pelosi personally...time.com/6201447/joe-biden-xi-jinping-taiwan-china/
 NPR, 2022-7-28 President Biden looks to ease tensions with Xi over Taiwan
npr.org/2022/07/28/1114314905/biden-and-chinas-xi-discuss-tensions-over-taiwan
 Reuters (UK),  2022-7-29 "So far, there are few indications in Chinese official statements, nor online or domestic media, which would suggest that China is considering more serious military action at this time, although that could change"  news.yahoo.com/analysis-despite-xis-fire-call-003612894.html

　

◆ BBC, 2021-10-6 :China-Taiwan military tensions 'worst in 40 years'  ◆ WSJ, 2021-10-7 :U.S. Troops Have Been Deployed in Taiwan for at Least a Year ◆ Financial Times (UK), 2021-10-7 : US special forces secretly training Taiwan’s military; rotations had been occurring for at least a decade... the disclosure could further raise tensions.  ◆ Guardian, 2021-10-5 :The prevailing mood among Washington insiders is to fight if China attempts to conquer Taiwan. hard reality that fighting China over Taiwan risks an almost-certain military defeat – and gambles we won’t stumble into a nuclear war. ◆ Reuters, 2021-10-5 : experts say the island could likely only hold out for a few days in the event of a Chinese attack unless the United States quickly came to its aid ◆Politico, 2021-10-5 : while a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is not imminent...We should think of China’s approach to Taiwan not as a bifurcated decision between war and peace but instead a continuous pressure campaign that can take various lethal and non-lethal forms ◆ New York Times, 2021-10-3 : Beijing sent a record number of planes near the island, ...a display of strength that underscored Chinese demands for unification  ◆ Guardian, 2021-10-5 :The prevailing mood among Washington insiders is to fight if China attempts to conquer Taiwan. hard reality that fighting China over Taiwan risks an almost-certain military defeat – and gambles we won’t stumble into a nuclear war. ◆ Reuters, 2021-10-5 : experts say the island could likely only hold out for a few days in the event of a Chinese attack unless the United States quickly came to its aid  ◆ CNN, 2021-10-5 : latest PLA flights represent the largest concentration of Chinese military aircraft ever operating that far from their home bases ◆ Forbes, 2021-10-4 :Easton:“Deterrence could be failing already"  “That indicates something big is going on.”. Beijing might initiate an aerial battle in a deliberate way. ◆ The Hill, 2021-10-4 :Taiwan preparing for possible war with China  ◆ CNN, 2021-10-4 :professor in Switzerland: "As long as Taiwan doesn't take irreversible steps toward independence/greater autonomous presence on the international scene," combat is unlikely ◆ Financial Times (UK), 2021-9-16 :Taiwan is failing to reorient its military towards an asymmetric strategy, US defence experts are growing exasperated over the Taiwan military’s reluctance to decisively act on their instructions. ◆  New York Times, 2021-9-13 : if China has any hope of winning a war across the Strait, its military would have to move fast, before the United States has time to respond... the Chinese economy would suffer more    

　

World's Best Hospitals 2023
by Newsweek
comparison among Asia's selected 12 countries
newsweek.com/rankings/worlds-best-hospitals-2023

Asia's rank

country

total number of top 250  hospitals
1 Japan 18
2 S. Korea 18
3 Australia 7
4 Singapore 5
5 Israel 3
6 India 3
7 Thailand 1
8 UAE 1
9 Taiwan 1
10 Saudi Arabia, Maylasia, Indonesia 0
Taiwan's NTU Hospital ranks world's No. 249
Asia's China, etc are not included in survey list - 28 countries in total
Opinion - Why is Taiwan behind ?

(1) Taiwan got highest CovID death rate in Asia and entire world again and again. /  "Medicine should be prescribed but not prescribed, medicine should be taken but not taken",  bad record of "failure to administer CovID remedy/medicine in time".  Bloomberg, 2021-7-25: Taiwan's medical care system is also run on a tight budget to keep costs affordable.  Newsweek: These are challenging times for hospitals. COVID-19 put unprecedented stress on health systems.

(2) Not patient-centered /  not easy to register clinic, 2-5 minutes for clinic diagnosis, 7-10 waiting days in emergency room to be hospitalized, shortage of some excellent medicines and newest equipments, the number of MDs per 10000 is very low, turnover rate of the nurses is high, some chronic disease items' score very low, poor internationalization, national health insurance ceiling issue, not to value privacy, medical disputes,  not enough resource for rural patients and the disadvantaged... for details pls. read the web-pages below

　

Newsweek: Among the hallmarks of great hospitals, however, are not just first-class care, first-class research and first-class innovation. The very best institutions also share another quality: consistency. The world's best hospitals consistently attract the best people and provide the best outcomes for patients as well as the most important new therapies and research.　

　

　

New York Times,  2023-2-16,  News briefing
CovID death per 100,000 people since 2020
comparison among Asia's countries
Australia Taiwan S. Korea Indonesia Japan New Zealand Singapore China (official count)
74 70 65 59 55 50 30 6
China's official toll includes only infected people who died in hospitals

　

2022  Michelin stars comparisons among Asian countries

 Michelin cities

number of 3 stars

num. of 2 stars

number of 1 star

total num.
Tokyo (Japan) 12 41 150 203
Hong Kong 7 12 52 71
Kyoto (Japan) 6 19 83 108
Osaka (Japan) 3 11 82 96
Singapore 3 7 41 51
Macau 3 5 7 15
Seoul (Korea) 2 7 24 33
Shanghai (China) 2 8 37 47
Taipei (Taiwan) 1 6 24 31
TaiChung City (Taiwan) 0 1 4 5
Kaohsiung (Taiwan) 0 0 2 2
TaiNan City(Taiwan) 0 0 0 0
Users/88695/Downloads/20220830_PR-MG_TTTK-2022.pdf
guide.michelin.com/th/en/article/news-and-views/michelin-guide-singapore-2022-new-starred-restaurants   2022-7-12
guide.michelin.com/en/article/news-and-views/michelin-guide-seoul-2022-eng
guide.michelin.com/hk/en/article/news-and-views/michelin-guide-hong-kong-macau-2022-unveiled-today-with-11-newly-starred-restaurants
guide.michelin.com/en/article/news-and-views/the-michelin-guide-kyoto-osaka-2022-is-unveiled-en
 michelin.com/en/press-releases/michelin-guide-2022-shanghai/
 guide.michelin.com/en/article/news-and-views/michelin-guide-tokyo-2022-eng     2021-11-29

 

　

　

Taiwan's travel & tourism - 13th in Asia
　
STATISTA: Leading countries in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI)

   Published by Statista Research Department, Feb 4, 2021

statista.com/statistics/186639/best-ranked-countries-in-the-travel-and-tourism-competetiveness-index/

Asia Rank

country

score

world Rank
1 Japan 5.4 4
2 Australia 5.1 7
3 China 4.9 13
4 Korea Rep. 4.8 15
5 Hong Kong 4.8 16
6 Singapore 4.8 17
7 New Zealand 4.7 18
8 Malaysia 4.5 25
9 Thailand 4.5 29
10 UAE 4.4 33
11 India 4.4 34
12 Indonesia 4.3 36
13 Taiwan 4.3 37

　

　

WEF (World Economic Forum) , May 2022
world Travel and Tourism Development Index
weforum.org/reports/travel-and-tourism-development-index-2021/digest
world rank Asia's rank economies/countries score (global average : 4.0)
1 1 Japan 5.2
2 2 USA 5.2
7 3 Australia 5.0
9 4 Singapore 5.0
12 5 China 4.9
15 6 S. Korea 4.8
19 7 Hong Kong 4.6
25 8 UAE 4.5
27 9 New Zealand 4.5
32 10 Indonesia 4.4
33 11 Saudi Arabia 4.3
36 12 Thailand 4.3
38 13 Malaysia 4.3
43 14 Qatar 4.3
52 15 Vietnam 4.1
54 16 India 4.1
74 17 Sri Lanka 3.7
75 18 Philippines 3.7
84 19 Mongolia 3.6
n/a n/a Taiwan n/a
statista.com/statistics/186639/best-ranked-countries-in-the-travel-and-tourism-competetiveness-index/#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20Japan%2C%20the%20United,a%20TTDI%20score%20of%205.1.


　

♣ Taiwan's attractions:

 L.A. Times, 2018-2-18: (1)  National Palace Museum - you can browse among some of the 600,000-plus artworks and artifacts — centuries of cultural wealth — that Chiang's people had spirited away from  China's Forbidden City 70 years ago, (2) Taipei 101,  (3) Din Tai Fung (ps: already degraded by Michelin Guide for a few years, no longer a star-restaurant) , (4) Longshan Temple, (5) Shilin night market (ps: Taiwan's night markets don't have same Michelin honors as those street foods in Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau have )  , (6) Chiang Kai-shek Memorial (Taiwan's parliament passed a law that calls for erasing Chiang's name and likeness from landmarks across the island) , (7) Pingxi sky lantern ( ps: biodegradable lanterns can be incredibly harmful to both the environment and wildlife. Sky lantern litter takes quite some time to decompose, and the wire frames have been known to strangle and maim wild animals and livestock. They may pose a  fire hazard), (8) You might feel the ground shake (ps: Not too often, you may not feel it)   dailypress.com/life/la-tr-taipei-20180218-story.html

 ♣  Taiwan's sluggish tourism -  WHY ?
 n(1) transportation problem (particularly for those newly found hidden scenic spots) n (2) a small country has no many natural attractions  n(3) catering and accommodation problems - few local government can properly guide tourists by such as star-rating, therefore lots of traps are out there   n(4). Accommodation, catering, and transportation are generally expensive but of poor quality.  n(5) The tour often lacks humanistic and cultural connotations, as well as ethnic traditions and lifestyles.   there is a lack of in-depth tourism to explore geographical, cultural and ethnic characteristics.  n (6) Lacking market segmentation -  among night markets, or old streets vs. night markets.  n (7) the government does not pay attention to the tourism industry, "inadequate resource integration capabilities, insufficient investment, and insufficient marketing"
　

　

◆ Nikkei Asia (Japan), 2021-9-10: Will Xi move on Taiwan? History warns he might ◆  Reuters, 2021-9-1 :Taiwan says China can 'paralyse' its defences, threat worsening ◆ VOA, 2021-8-28 : Survey: Most Americans Support Defending Taiwan if China Invades◆  Financial Times, 2021-8-23: Anti-Beijing sentiment is growing but the government has done little to prepare the public for war...The majority of Taiwanese do not believe there will be conflict with China...Taiwan is avoiding ‘the underlying reality...the Taiwanese public has no appetite for militarising society or even discussing defence. ◆ WSJ, 2021-8-23: Will America Fight to Save Taiwan? Will the Taiwanese?  ◆Politico, 2021-8-19:The fundamental challenge to the U.S. commitment to Taiwan is the growing tension between maintaining bilateral strategic stability with China and fighting China over Taiwan in a violent military conflict that has every potential to escalate into an all-out major power war  

　

　

Economist, 2022-3-12: Taiwan ranks top 10~11 on the crony-capitalism index
Rich folk in autocratic countries remain vulnerable to the whims of dictators / 
Rent-seeking entrepreneurs tend to use their relationships with the state to maximise profits.  some are characterised by the modern equivalent of the robber barons in late-19th-century America.

　

Economist, The crony-capitalism index
Billionaire wealth as % of GDP, 2021   Ranked by crony-sector wealth
ranks Asian countries 8(7) Indonesia
2(2) Malaysia 9(12) Thailand
3(4) Singapore 10(11) China
4(3) Philippines 11(10) Taiwan
7(9) India 20(19) Japan

The crony-capitalism index
Billionaire wealth as % of GDP, 2016 Rankedby crony-sector wealth
ranks Asian countries 9 India
2 Malaysia 10 Taiwan
3 Philippines 11 China
4 Singapore 12 Thailand
7 Indonesia 19 Japan

　

　

 ◆ Taiwan abused power in  CovID-19  CovID-Omicron
　

　

　

pic. : This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword "review Taiwan" on US Yahoo, 2022-8-1, 2022-7-28, 2022-7-20, 2022-6-30, 2022-6-13, 2022-5-26, 2022-4-30, 2022-4-9, 2022-3-29, 2022-3-21, 2022-3-14, 2022-2-22, 2022-2-10, 2022-2-3, 2022-1-22, 2022-1-11, 2022-1-3, 2021-12-27, 2021-12-10, 2021-12-4, 2021-11-21, 2021-11-12, 2021-10-29;
No.2 "Taiwan reviews" on US Yahoo, 2022-3-29, 2022-2-10,2022-2-3, 2022-1-13

　

　



pic. : This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword "review Taiwan" on Dogpile, 2022-9-15, 2022-8-24

　

　

pic.  : top 2 "review Taiwan"  on US Google, 2022-8-12, 2022-7-20, 2022-5-25, 2022-5-14, 2022-4-9, 2022-3-13,  2022-2-22, 2022-1-1, 2021-12-25, 2021-12-10, 2021-12-3, 2021-10-20, 2021-10-14; No.1 "review Taiwan"  on US Google, 2022-3-28

　

　

　

pic. : This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword "review Taiwan" on US Yahoo, 2022-5-25, 2022-3-28, 2022-2-21, 2022-2-9, 2022-2-2, 2022-1-21, 2022-1-1, 2021-12-25, 2021-12-9, 2021-12-3, 2021-10-29, 2021-10-25, 2021-10-14, 2021-10-12, 2021-10-8, 2021-9-29, 2021-9-19, 2021-8-22, 2021-8-5, 2021-7-24, 2021-5-9, 2021-4-13, 3-20-2021, 3-8-2021, 2-21-2021, 2-13-2021, 1-1-2021,  12-6-2020  

　

　
　


migrant workers in Taiwan     https://intlhumanrights.com/TaiwanForeignWorkers.htm

　

 The yellow card from the E.U. in 2015 eventually prompted Taiwan to make some changes to its fisheries regulation.
But it's far from good enough, Taiwan never wants a real change since then.
　

world media

foreign laborers abuses
The Green Peace Org., 2022-9-29 Taiwan-caught fish once again on Department of Labor's (DOL) List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor
Green Peace, 2022-4-25 The high seas fishing industry uses cost-cutting and illegal fishing tactics, forced labor, and other human rights abuses to stay profitable. greenpeace.org/international/press-release/53401/nine-indicted-abusing-crew-taiwan-fishing-vessel-dawang/
The Guardian, 2022-5-9, (theguardian.com/world/2022/may/09/once-a-zero-covid-poster-child-taiwan-learns-to-live-with-the-virus) Taiwan is now dealing with an “Omicron tsunami”. In factories, migrant workers have once again been discriminated against with unequal rule enforcement and eased restrictions  
Financial Times (UK), 2021-6-22
 ft.com/content/4269650e-7660-4b80-b294-f81b4368784c		 "It has now become extremely common for employers to lock their migrant workers up... ”
The New York Times, 2021-6-18
 nytimes.com/2021/06/18/world/asia/taiwan-migrant-labor-covid.html		 In Taiwan, some foreign tech workers are confined indoors to tackle an outbreak; Activists say that the measures discriminate against migrant laborers.
Heritage Org., 2021 Index of Economic Freedom In "Labor Freedom" index, Taiwan ranks No. 91 worldwide
 The Guardian (UK), 2021-5-16

theguardian.com/world/2021/may/16/lockdowns-and-panic-buying-in-taiwan-as-covid-cases-rise

 Many foreign laborers from Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, entered Taiwan by the name of care-taker but actually illegally worked in these porn parlors in Taipei's Wanhua district,
Brookings, 2021-6-25, brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/06/25/taiwans-vitality/  the harsh lockdowns in crowded dormitories of mostly Southeast Asian workers at some technology manufacturing companies have underscored the discrimination that has long been present in Taiwan against peoples of certain nationalities
Business Insider, 2021-5-20 businessinsider.com/taiwan-covid-19-paradise-health-politics-policy-cdc-2021-5 Taiwan ... double standards and stigma still found their way.
Equal Times org., 2021-7-30 (equaltimes.org/taiwan-s-foreign-factory-workers?lang=en#.YQSC6i7iu70) Taiwan’s foreign factory workers face rights violations amid latest Covid outbreak.  “We feel like prisoners. It’s like the company controls every aspect of our lives !"  
US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2021-3-30 Foreign workers were often reluctant to report employer abuses for fear the employer would terminate their contract
RT TV news (Russia), UDN, 2022-1-24 Two Indonesian migrant laborers got penalty fine in the amount of NY$100,000 (about USD 3,300) for stepping out of their CovID-19 quarantine hotel room for about one minute.

　

　

　


World Economic Forum, The Global Risks Report 2022
National Risk Perceptions
　
Economy Risk 1 Risk 2 Risk 3 Risk 4 Risk 5
Taiwan, Chn. Infectious diseases Extreme weather events Geopolitization of strategic resources Failure of cybersecurity measures Asset bubble bursts in large economies
China Extreme weather event Asset bubble bursts in large economies Infectious diseases Collapse or lack of social security systems Geopolitization of strategic resources
Hong Kong Asset bubble bursts in large economies Prolonged economic stagnation Infectious diseases Interstate conflict Erosion of social cohesion
Japan Prolonged economic stagnation Extreme weather events Interstate conflict Failure of cybersecurity measures Asset bubble bursts in large economies Infectious diseases
Korea Asset bubble bursts in large economies Employment and livelihood crises … Debt crises in large economies Human-made environmental Infectious damage diseases n/a Debt crises in large economies Human-made environmental Infectious damage
Singapore Prolonged economic stagnation Infectious diseases Asset bubble bursts in large economies Failure of cybersecurity measures Climate action failure

www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Global_Risks_Report_2022.pdf

　

　

　

◆  Lancet / Measuring universal health coverage based on an index of effective coverage of health services
Taiwan and some other countries of Asia & Pacific

　

Lancet, universal health coverage

Singapore 92 77 100 98 95 93 99 99 75 100 94 99 93 89 99 77 100 100 76 95 79 94 100 100
Japan 96 60 100 92 97 98 95 99 78 92 98 100 99 97 100 99 98 100 83 96 92 89 100 98
Korea 89 78 100 78 97 97 99 100 43 96 96 99 99 92 99 100 88 66 70 95 99 76 99 96
Australia 89 88 85 92 91 96 100 99 85 99 87 98 100 86 100 100 88 78 70 92 67 67 100 98
NZ 83 83 80 76 90 95 100 100 79 100 92 99 85 89 98 83 76 72 62 83 57 64 99 99
Kuwait 82 85 66 89 95 98 100 97 83 99 73 87 74 91 81 73 85 92 66 80 69 77 100 99
Qatar 80 71 69 59 99 93 100 99 67 97 72 85 69 91 78 75 97 49 58 97 60 95 100 97
Taiwan 79 96 84 75 100 98 100 99 46 99 88 93 89 97 91 90 82 44 55 55 89 73 99 97
Chn 70 96 70 75 98 99 99 90 32 97 72 91 60 88 86 66 43 80 61 41 86 65 98 98
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30750-9/fulltext

Measuring universal health coverage based on an index of effective coverage of health services, 2020-10-17

　

　

Lancet / Health Access and Quality Index
Taiwan and some other countries of Asia & Pacific
ranks country score
6 Australia 90
11 Japan 89
21 Singapore 86
21 New Zealand 86
21 South Korea 86
27 Qatar 85
32 Kuwait 82
37 Lebanon 80
40 Saudi Arabia 79
45 Taiwan 78

thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)30818-8/fulltext   2017-7-15

　

　

                                                             Num. of physicians in Taiwan from '12 to '21               https://www.statista.com/statistics/860217/taiwan-physician-number/

yr

 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

number

 40,938 41,965 42,961 44,006 44,849 46,356 47,471 49,542 51045 52175

increase

 　 1,027 996 1,045 843 1,507 1,115 2,071 1503 1130

　

　

　

avg. number of physicians ranks low
★  CommonWealth, 2022-4-12: Taiwan has an average 21.7 physicians per 10,000 population, which lags far behind the median of 33.6 physicians for the OECD countries (only Turkey is behind Taiwan).  In terms of healthcare's share of the national budget, which stands at 11 percent, behind the OECD average of 15 percent;10- physicians per 10,000 inhabitants does not even meet the lowest standard of the World Health Organization.  english.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=3198#:~:text=Taiwan%20has%20an%20average%2021.7,physicians%20for%20the%20OECD%20countries.

　

★ According to WEF<Travel and tourism competitiveness report> (released at 9-4-2019), Taiwan's Health & Hygiene (including "physicians density" ) score 6.0 is worse than that of No.16 Japan, No. 17 Korea, and Australia, Mongolia.   According to  WEF<Travel and tourism competitiveness report> (released at 4-6-2017), Taiwan's "Physician density" ranks pretty bad   ―   world No. 65 (No. 57 in 2015's report)
 According to Wikipedia (2021-5-5) and Liberty Times (2020-1-6),  Taiwan's doctor-to-population ratio almost hit lowest in Asia, behind Japan, Korea, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam...even Myanmar...

　

Taipei Medical University professor 楊哲銘 comments Taiwan's medical quality is no longer good.  Taiwan's former medical chief 楊志良 (chinatimes.com/opinion/20210804005734-262104?chdtv) criticizes that the health & medical system has been damaged. 
　

　

　

　

Wikipedia : physicians density in Asia 

Asia's rankings country  physicians
per 10,000 people
1 Qatar 77.4
2 N Korea 33
3 Australia 32.7
4 Lebanon 32
5 Mongolia 28.4
6 New Zealand 27.4
7 Jordan 25.6
8 UAE 25.3
9 Saudi Arabia 24.9
10 Japan 23
11 Korea 21.4
12 Singapore 19.5
13 China 14.9
14 Malaysia 12
15 Philippines 12 
16 Vietnam 11.9 
17 Iran 9
18 Pakistan 8.3
19 Indonesia 8 
20 India 7
21 Myanmar 6.1
22 Iraq 6.1
23 Thai. 3.9
24 Laos 1.8
25 Cambodia 1.7

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

Doctors per 10,000 people in Taiwan

　 Taipei Southern and Eastern Taiwan (Kaohsiung, PinTung, TaiTung, PonHo), remote places
physicians (內科醫師) 5.01 2.12
surgeon (外科醫師) 1.77 0.82
Pediatrics (小兒科) 1.11 0.46
Obstetrics & Gynecology (婦產) 0.86 0.42
Accident & Emergency (急診) 0.82 0.47
Liberty Times, 2020-1-6;talk.ltn.com.tw/article/paper/1343896

　

　

　

Taiwan's COVID-19 performance

World Index

Taiwan's ranks

link
　 　 　
Statista, 2022-7-27: Coronavirus (COVID-19)  death rate, in countries with confirmed deaths and over 1,000 reported cases
as of April 26, 2022, by country		 Taiwan ranks No.143, behind NZ, Singapore, Australia, S Korea, Qatar, Mongolia, Israel, Laos, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, China, Malaysia, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, India, Nepal, etc statista.com/statistics/1105914/coronavirus-death-rates-worldwide/
Nikkei CovID-19 Recovery Index, as of Jul. 31 Taiwan ranks No. 79 , behind Cambodia, Vietnam, UAE, S. Korea,  China, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Mongolia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia,  etc asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/COVID-19-Recovery-Index/Japan-tumbles-in-COVID-recovery-ranking-as-infections-surge
Bloomberg's CovID Resilience Ranking, 2022-6-29 Taiwan ranks next to the last bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-resilience-ranking/
Bloomberg CovID Resilience Ranking   2022-5-27 Taiwan ranks the 3rd from the end    bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-resilience-ranking/spanish.html
Bloomberg CovID Resilience Ranking   2021-10-28 Taiwan's "3-month case fatality rate ", 7.7 %, ranks world worst bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-resilience-ranking/
Bloomberg CovID Resilience Ranking  2021-9-28 Taiwan's "3-month case fatality rate ", 13.4 %, ranks world worst bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-resilience-ranking/
Nikkei CovID-19 Recovery Index, as of Aug. 31 (released at 2022-9-9) Taiwan ranks No. 57 , behind Vietnam, Cambodia, UAE, S. Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, Mongolia, China, Australia, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, etc asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/COVID-19-Recovery-Index/China-slips-in-COVID-recovery-ranking-with-fresh-lockdowns

full details
　

　

According to New York Times (2023-2-6, 2023-2-23), Taiwan's CovID-19 deaths per 100,000 is world's worst . New York Times (2022-10-25), Taiwan's CovID-19 cases per 100,000 and deaths per 100,000 both are the worst among main Asian countries.

The China Times (2022-10-26): Taiwan's confirmed cases per 1000,000 in last 7 days ranks world last.  (chinatimes.com/opinion/20221025005192-262101?chdtv)

　

　

　

　

★globalpropertyguide.com  

House Prices/GDP per Capita in Taiwan compared to Asia    2022-10-2
The formula is: (Price per square metre / GDP per capita)*100
rank country ratio
1  India 627.55x
2 Cambodia 227.93x
3 China 145.62x
4 Philippines 135.02x
5 Vietnam 104.97x
6 Thailand 89.22x
7 Indonesia 72.00x
8 Hong Kong 65.59x
9 Taiwan 46.11x
10 Japan 41.98x
11 Malaysia 36.71x
12 Singapore 27.14x
globalpropertyguide.com/Asia/Taiwan/price-gdp-per-cap
　

global property guide,2021-8-2:  Taiwan’s house prices are surging again, buoyed by a strong economy and ultra-low interest rate environment.

　

　

　 ★  《 New York Times》 ,  2021-10-16: The Kaohsiung building (46 killed in a fire) is one of many aging structures across the island that have fallen into severe disrepair as a result of weak management and government neglect...  the lack of support for Taiwan's rapidly aging population... older buildings that had been constructed under outdated safety guidelines were often overlooked   nytimes.com/2021/10/15/world/asia/taiwan-building-fire.html
 ★  《 Bloomberg》 ,  2021-7-1 (bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-01/taiwan-s-red-hot-housing-defies-challenges-from-covid-to-china?srnd=prognosis) :  Taiwan home prices may reach new highs by the end of the year, residential and office deals in Taiwan's six largest cities surged 27.9% in April from a year earlier....The government is not bringing its ultimate game to fight the overly-hot market. 
　

　

　

　

Credit Suisse Global Wealth Databook 2022

Median wealth per adult (USD)

world rank

 country 2021 change 2021
1 Australia 273,900 28,450
2 Belgium 267,890 -3,730
3 NZ 231,260 57,920
4 Hong Kong 202,380 8,250
5 Denmark 171,170 10,790
6 Swiss 168,080 14,170
7 Canada 151,250 16,240
8 Nederland 142,990 -600
9 UK 141,550 9,610
10 France 139,170 -3,670
11 Norway 132,480 -1,620
12 Japan 120,000 -8,740
13 Taiwan 113,940 18,050
14 Italy 112,140 -10,100
15 Spain 104,160 -640
16 Qatar 100,010 20,160
17 Sweden 95,050 -100
18 US 93,270 13,840
19 S. Korea 93,140 1,910
20 Singapore 93,130 2,980

　

　

  Credit Suisse, Research Institute

Global Wealth Databook 2021, June 2021  -   countries of Asia & pacific
　 GDP per adult 2020 Median wealth
per adult 2020		 Wealth
per adult 2000		 Wealth per adult 2020 Financial wealth per adult 2020 Non-Financial wealth per adult 2020 Total wealth (USD bn) share of world wealth
Australia 69318 238072 108656 483755 246617 330565 9268 2.22
China 13394 24067 4247 67771 33102 41874 74884 17.9
Hong Kong 54245 173768 167949 503335 365478 195518 3167 0.76
Japan 46812 122980 191446 256596 179081 109795 26931 6.44
Korea 37340 89671 50503 211369 96543 158446 8981 2.15
Macau 96840 - 88546 271679 - - 146 0.03
Singapore 69049 86717 107007 332995 223443 158825 1627 0.39
Taiwan 32371 93044 92298 238862 184061 83761 4690 1.12
US 83265 79274 215146 505421 417248 152945 126340 30.20

credit-suisse.com/about-us/en/reports-research/global-wealth-report.html

　

　

●  NDTV, 2022-8-4:  In the first half of 2022, Taiwan's exports amounted to $246.7 billion, while imports totalled $219.0 billion. The trade surplus stood at $27.7 billion. China is the biggest trading partner of Taiwan. Exports to Mainland China are 40 per cent of total exports. Electronic products comprise well over half of Taiwan's trade. Taiwan's economy is dominated by the services sector ndtv.com/business/6-facts-about-economy-of-taiwan-latest-us-china-flashpoint-3223565

　

●  Bloomberg, 2022-8-6: China is Taiwan’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade rising 26% on year to $328.3 billion in 2021.   finance.yahoo.com/news/taiwan-says-china-simulating-attack-035002189.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

　

　

　

　

★  numbeo.com/property-investment/country_result.jsp?country=Taiwan

city Price to Income ratio Price to Rent ratio, city center Affordability Index
Taipei 32.09 72.56 0.53
New Taipei City 21.48 63.59 0.77
Taichung 21.07 64.02 0.79
Kaohsiung 13.61 39.95 1.20

　

　

★  <United Daily > editorial, 2022-4-15 (udn.com/news/story/7338/6240482?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub7338_pulldownmenu_v2):

misery index, Taiwan
yr. 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
misery index 4.38 5.06 4.29 3.62 5.94 6.92(Feb. )
★  Gallup's accompanying article, “Global Study Reveals Most Workers Enjoy What They Do”, Taiwan ranks No. 114 out of 122countries.  moderndiplomacy.eu/2022/11/10/122-countries-ranked-on-workplace-happiness/  2022-11-10

　

　

　

Pew Research Center , 2021-11-18
   Where People find Meaning in Life
country Family Material well-being occupation
Australia 56% 22% 29%
NZ 55 19 29
Greece 54 13 25
US 49 18 17
UK 46 12 20
Sweden 45 22 37
Canada 42 22 26
Singapore 29 22 25
Japan 26 16 15
S. Korea 16 19 6
Taiwan 15% 19% 9%

　

　

　

Taiwan's press freedom
RSF 2022-5-3  rsf.org/en/index
Sociocultural context Reuters Institute survey in 2021: The Taiwanese have one of the lowest levels of trust in media amongst democracies
Political context The media landscape, although free, is impaired by a strong political polarisation, undeclared advertising, sensationalism, and the pursuit of profit which hinders the work of journalists and can prevent citizens from accessing objective information.
Legal framework Over the past decades, few concrete measures have been taken by consecutive Taiwanese governments to improve journalists’ editorial independence and encourage media to raise the quality of public debate.
Economic Indicator  No .49,  Social  Indicator No 57,  Legislative  Indicator  No 40,   Political  Indicator No33, No. 38 Press Freedom Index

　

　

Reuters Report 2022
　 proportion that trusts
 most news
most of the time		 proportion who
mostly read news
 in text		 proportion who
think news org.s
in their market
are politically
 far apart		 proportion who
accessed news
via email in
the last week
Thailand 53 56 48 16
Japan 44 67 26 13
Singapore 43 65 16 16
Australia 41 61 29 17
Hong Kong 41 60 36 14
India 41 58 33 　
Indonesia 39 69 18 13
Philippines 37 47 32 18
Malaysia 36 63 23 15
S. Korea 30 58 15 10
Taiwan 27 54 38 12
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2022-06/Digital_News-Report_2022.pdf

　

　

Trust in news ?   Reuters Institute, 2021
Trust in news overall    31% Trust in news I used   38%
Trust in news  in search 29% Trust in social media   21%
Public service television remains the most trusted in our survey, followed by the economic news media (CommonWealth and Business Weekly). The rest of the news brands in the polarised media landscape are trusted by one group, but distrusted by another.

　

　

Taiwan's press freedom
RSF 2022-5-3  rsf.org/en/index
Sociocultural context Reuters Institute survey in 2021: The Taiwanese have one of the lowest levels of trust in media amongst democracies
Political context The media landscape, although free, is impaired by a strong political polarisation, undeclared advertising, sensationalism, and the pursuit of profit which hinders the work of journalists and can prevent citizens from accessing objective information.
Legal framework Over the past decades, few concrete measures have been taken by consecutive Taiwanese governments to improve journalists’ editorial independence and encourage media to raise the quality of public debate.
Economic Indicator  No .49,  Social  Indicator No 57,  Legislative  Indicator  No 40,   Political  Indicator No33, No. 38 Press Freedom Index

　

　

n US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2022-4-12 : In 2020 presidential and legislative elections, President Tsai Ing-wen won re-election,...there were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties.
　

New York Times, 12-1-2019: the soft underbelly of Taiwanese politics: patronage networks. 
They continue to allow
community leaders, farmers’ associations and even
 organized-crime figures to buy votes
 ( NY Times, opinion : https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/01/opinion/china-taiwan-election.html ).
　

★ TaiwanPlus, 2023-3-6: A poll

★ Voice of America, 2022-11-23:  "black gold"-"heijin." Corruption in Local Politics (elections)


　

Transparency International, Germany /  Global Corruption Barometer - released 2021/2022
comparisons among main Asian countries
paid a bribe to ...??

country

 people who think
 government
 corruption
 is a big problem		 public service
users
 paid a bribe
in the previous
 12 months		 public
clinic,
health
centres		 utilities police gov.
officials		 local
gov.
officials		 judges,
magis-
trates		 corruption
level
increased
in previous
12months
Taiwan 90% 17% 9% 28% 67% 19% 20% 15% 38%
Japan 84 2 2 4 10 7 26 6 36
Malaysia 71 13 5 11 30 28 16 12 20
China 62 28 26 17 16 18 18 13 39
S Korea 55 10 6 14 8 26 42 24 17
transparency.org/en/countries/taiwan

　

　

★ Transparency International, Taiwan's corruption index ranks No. 7 in Asia & Pacific in 2021

Transparency Int'l   ,  CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX, 2021
country of Asia & Pacific score
New Zealand score 88  No.1
Singapore   No.4
Hong Kong No. 12
Australia No. 18
Japan No. 18
UAE No. 24
Bhutan No. 25
Taiwan score 68 No. 25
transparency.org/en/cpi/2021

US  Country Reports on Human Rights Practices , 2021-3-30

        state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/taiwan/   Significant human rights issues included: the existence of criminal libel laws and serious acts of corruption.  Authorities prosecuted officials including incumbent and former legislators involved in a high-profile bribery case.
　

　

　

　

2022  Michelin stars comparisons among Asian countries

 Michelin cities

number of 3 stars

num. of 2 stars

number of 1 star

total num.
Tokyo (Japan) 12 41 150 203
Hong Kong 7 12 52 71
Kyoto (Japan) 6 19 83 108
Osaka (Japan) 3 11 82 96
Singapore 3 7 41 51
Macau 3 5 7 15
Seoul (Korea) 2 7 24 33
Shanghai (China) 2 8 37 47
Taipei (Taiwan) 1 6 24 31
　

2021  Michelin stars comparisons among Asian countries

 Michelin cities

number of 3 stars

num. of 2 stars

number of 1 star

total num.
Tokyo (Japan) 12 42 158 212
Hong Kong 10 18 59 87
Kyoto (Japan) 7 19 84 110
Osaka (Japan) 3 12 81 96
Singapore 3 5 41 49
Seoul (Korea) 2 7 34 43
Shanghai (China) 1 10 32 43
Taipei (Taiwan) 1 7 21 29

　

　

　

　

Adventure /  The best countries to fulfill your wanderlust

US News : usnews.com/news/best-countries/adventure-rankings
Asia Rank 2021

country of Asia-Pacific

world rank 2021

 world rank 2020
1 Thailand 5 5
2 New Zealand 7 7
3 Australia 8 10
4 Philippines 17 17
5 Singapore 18 25
6 Malaysia 25 29
7 Japan 28 34
8 Indonesia 32 35
9 Vietnam 40 38
10 India 41 40
a study by George Washington University placed adventure tourism into three categories: physical activity, cultural exchange and interaction with the environment.

　

　

　

Travel and Tourism Index by country in Asia

worldatlas.com/articles/51-best-travel-and-tourism-countries-in-the-world.html
Asia Rank

country

index score,world rank
1 Australia 4.98;  7th
2 Japan 4.94;  9th
3 Singapore 4.86  ; 11th
4 Hong Kong 4.68; 13
5 New Zealand 4.64; 16
6 China 4.54; 17
7 UAE 4.43;  24
8 S. Korea 4.37; 29
9 Taiwan 4.35; 32
10 Thailand 4.26; 35
factors: business environment, security, health and basic sanitation standards, labor and human resource,
cultural heritage, natural resources, air transport infrastructure  April '17

　

　

　

International tourism receipts /  Asia-Pacific countries

international tourism: data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.ARVL
Asia Rank

country of Asia-Pacific

receipts  US$ million '19
1 Thailand 60521
2 Japan 46054
3 Australia 45709
4 Macau 40060
5 China 35832
6 India 30720
7 Hong Kong 29043
8 S. Korea 21628
9 Singapore 20052
10 Malaysia 19823
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Tourism_rankings

further more info.: worlddata.info/tourism.php

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　Economist, E.I.U. Safe City Index 2021
 The CovID-19 pandemic and the understanding of health security
The need to focus better on what works
Asian cities' ranking
　 1. Tokyo (87.7)   2. Singapore (84.1)   3. Hong Kong (84.0)   4. Melbourne (81.9)    5. Osaka (81.8)    6. Seoul (81.1)   10. Sydney   12. Abu Dhabi   13. Dubai   19. Beijing  19  Shanghai    21. Taipei (73.5)    22. Bangkok

　

　

　

　Economist, E.I.U. Safe City Index 2021
 Asian cities' ranking

   https://www.eiu.com/n/campaigns/global-liveability-index-2021/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_name=liveability21&utm_term=liveability_definition&utm_content=general&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6aq_iY3V8gIVwtaWCh15cwBrEAAYASAAEgJaRPD_BwE
● Infrastructure security :  No.1 Hong Kong  2. Singapore 5. Tokyo   7. Osaka  9. Sydney 
 12. Wellington   15. Melbourne  20. Seoul   25. Taipei

● Digital security:

 No.1 Sydney     2 Singapore   8.  Melbourne   9. Wellington  20. Tokyo   
  21 HK  24. Dubai   27. Osaka   30. Taipei   31.  Seoul 

● Health security:

  No.1  Tokyo  2.  Singapore  3. Hong Kong  4.  Melbourne  5. Osaka  6. Seoul  10. Sydney 
13. Dubai   19. Beijing   19. Shanghai   21. Taipei  22. Bangkok

● personal security :

 No.7. Wellington   11. Sydney   13  Singapore  16. Tokyo   
 17. Osaka  19. Taipei 

　

　

　

worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/freedom-index-by-country

Personal Freedom Score, Freedom Index 2022 / World Population Review
No.1 score 9.62 No.4 No.15 No.23 No.30 No.38 No.46 No.55 No.59 No.123 No.140 No.147
Vietnam Qatar Philippines Australia Malaysia Thai. New Zealand Hong Kong China S. Korea Japan Taiwan
Economic Freedom Score, Freedom Index 2022 / World Population Review
- No.9 No.17 No.17 60 63 65 72 No.75, score 6.97 114
Singapore Vietnam India Philippines Indonesia Malaysia Australia Japan Taiwan China
Human Freedom Score, Freedom Index 2022 / World Population Review
No.1 score 7.13 No.2 No.8 No.15 No.16 No.19 score8.68
Swiss New Zealand Australia USA Japan Taiwan

heritage.org/index/

2021 Economic Freedom  / Heritage
 score 89.7 83.9 82.4 81.9 81.4 78.6
Singapore New Zealand Australia Swiss Ireland Taiwan

　

　

worldjusticeproject.org/sites/default/files/documents/WJP-INDEX-21.pdf

Rule of Law, Adherence to the rule of law 2021 / World Justice Project
No.7 No.13 No.15 No.17 19 20
New Zealand Australia Japan Singapore Hong Kong S. Korea
Liberty Times, 2021-1-27: Public trust on Taiwan's judges is 26.7%, about 10% lower than that in previous year
news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/3450901

　

　

　

 US News & World Report 2022,  Asian countries
world influence - top  rankings  
Cultural Influence No.4  Japan   No. 7  S Korea   10.  Australia  11. China  14. UAE   18. Singapore  20. NZ  24. Thailand    29. Qatar  34. India   36. Saudi Arabia   40. Malaysia Cutting-edge centers of art, entertainment and fashion
Quality of Life 9. Australia   10. NZ   14. Japan  23. Singapore  24. S Korea   25. China   26. UAE    30. Qatar   31. Malaysia   34. Saudi Arabia   35. Thailand   36.Indonesia   37.Philippines  38. India  40.  Vietnam Through all phases of life, these countries treat their citizens well
Heritage 8. India      9. Japan   10. Thailand    13. China   19. Australia  25. NZ     27. Indonesia   29. Singapore   30. S. Korea    A deep vein of history courses through these countries
Adventure 5. Thailand   6. NZ   8. Australia  20. Singapore  25. Philippines  28. Japan    30. Malaysia  popular travel destinations to fulfill your wanderlust
Agility 4. Japan    5. Australia   8. NZ    11. China    13. S Korea    15. Singapore    18. UAE    25. Qatar  adaptable, dynamic, modern, progressive, responsive
Social
Purpose		 7. NZ     9. Australia    23. Japan   26. Singapore   human rights, the environment and religious freedom, most progressive, inclusive and committed to social justice
usnews.com/news/best-countries/rankings    www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/influence-rankings


　

 US News & World Report 2021,  Asian countries' world influence top 30 rankings  
　
Cultural Influence No.5  Japan   No. 7  S Korea   11. China  12. UAE   15. Singapore 
16. Australia   19. NZ  22. Thailand    25. India		 Cutting-edge centers of art, entertainment and fashion 　
Quality of Life 6. Australia   10. NZ   13. Japan  16. Singapore  18. S Korea   23. China
  24. UAE    28. Malaysia   29. Thailand		 Through all phases of life, these countries treat their citizens well
Heritage 6. India   7. Thailand    10. Japan   12 China   23. Australia
25. Vietnam  26. Indonesia   28. NZ 		A deep vein of history courses through these countries
Adventure 5. Thailand   7. NZ   8. Australia  17. Philippines   18. Singapore  25. Malaysia  28. Japan popular travel destinations to fulfill your wanderlust
Agility 2. Australia   5. Singapore  6. S Korea   7. Japan   9. NZ 
13. China  21. UAE   27. Qatar  30. India		 adaptable, dynamic, modern, progressive, responsive
Open for business 6. NZ   11. Malaysia  12. Australia   14. Singapore   17. Thailand   20. Sri Lanka   21. Vietnam   22. Indonesia   25. Philippines  26. Japan market-oriented countries
Social Purpose 1. Canada  2. Denmark  3. NZ   4. Sweden  5 Nederland  6. Norway   7. Finland  8. Australia  9 Swisss   10. Austria   11. Germany  12. Belgium   13. Ireland  14. UK  15. France  16. Portugal  17. Italy  18. Spain   19. US   20. Japan Residents of certain countries can often come together to support certain causes they feel strongly about: human rights, the environment and  freedom
www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/influence-rankings

　

　


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pic. : This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword "review Taiwan" on US Yahoo, 2022-1-21, 2022-1-2, 2021-12-2, 2021-10-22, 2021-10-14, 2021-10-12, 2021-10-8, 2021-9-29, 2021-9-19, 2021-8-22, 2021-8-5, 2021-7-24

　

　

　

  

 pic. : No.1 "review Taiwan" on Baidu (largest engine in China) at 2021-10-14, 2021-10-8, 2021-9-29, 2021-9-23, 2021-9-19, 2021-8-22, 2021-8-5, 2021-5-26, 2021-5-9  ;  This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword "Taiwan reviews"  on Baidu of China, 2021-10-14, 2021-10-8, 2021-9-29, 2021-9-19, 2021-8-22, 2021-8-5, 2021-7-24, 2021-5-26, 2021-5-9

　


　

 pic.  : No.1  "review Taiwan"  on US Google, 2021-9-28, 2021-8-1, 2021-7-22, 2021-5-26, 2021-5-1 

　

　

             

     pic. left : No.1  "review Taiwan"  on US Google, 2021-7-23, 2021-5-25,  2021-5-9, 2021-5-1, 2021-4-30, 2021-4-16, 3-8-2021, 2-21-2021, 2-11-2021, 1-29-2021;  pic. right : No.1  "review Taiwan"  on US Google, 12-20-2020

　

　

        

    pic. left: No.1  "review Taiwan"  on US Google, 2-21-2021, 2-14-2021     pic. right: No.1  "review Taiwan"  on US Google, 01-01-2021 

　

　

　

      

pic. left : No.1  "review Taiwan"  on US Google, 12-14-2020,  11-29-2020, 11-17-2020, 11-1-2020; pic right: No.1 "review Taiwan" on US Google, 11-11-2020

　

　

　

     pic. : No.1  "review Taiwan"  on US Google, 1-19-2021, 01-16-2021 

　

　

   pic. : No.1  "review Taiwan"  on Swisscows of Switzerland, 2021-8-22, 2021-8-5, 2021-7-24, 2021-5-26, 2021-5-9, 2021-4-18,  3-27-2021, 3-20-2021, 3-3-2021, 2-21-2021, 2-12-2021 

　

　

　

pic: This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword "review Taiwan"  on US Google, 3-4-2020

　

　
　
　
　

　

　

pic.: This website was ranked No.1 on US Google by keyword "review Taiwan"

at 1-12-2018, 12-8-2017

　

　

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  1.  a brief intro. of Taiwan

  Taiwan soft power        full text :  Soft Power
　

　

 
Taiwan's soft power  vs.  Asia's soft power

 

　

world best surveys Taiwan's rankings
in top 25~30 list		 comparison with
other Asia & Pacific countries
Brand Finance -  Global soft power Index 2022 failed 1. US, 2. UK, 3. Germany, 4. China, 5. Japan, 6. France, 7. Canada, 8. Swiss, 9. Russia, 10. Italy
ISSF's World Soft Power 2022 failed 1. US 2. France, 3. Germany, 4. Japan, 5. UK, 6. Swiss, 7. Italy, 8. S. Korea, 9. Spain, 10. China,11.India,12. Sweden, 13. Canada, 14. Australia, 15. Denmark
Brand Finance -  Global soft power Index 2021 failed 1. Germany,  2. Japan, 3. UK, 4. Canada, 5. Swiss, 6. US, 7 France, 8. China, 9. Sweden, 10. Australia, 11. Korea, 12 Holland, 13.  Russia, 14. Norway, 15. Denmark, 16 NZ, 17. UAE, 18. Iceland,    19. Italia, 20. Singapore
US News: 2021 Best Countries Overall failed top 10 2. Japan,  5. Australia   7. New Zealand
2020 Brand Finance -  Global soft power Index ,
 top 60		 n/c https://brandirectory.com  No. 4 Japan, 5 China, 13 Aus,  14 Korea,  18 UAE,  20 Singapore,  22 NZ,  26 SA 27 India
2021 Monocle's
Soft Power survey		 included 1. Germany, 2. S Korea, 3. France, 4. Japan, 5. Taiwan, 6. Swiss, 7. New Zealand 8. Sweden, 9. Greece, 10. Canada
2020 Monocle's Soft Power survey listed No.1 Germany, No. 2. Korea, 3. France, 4. Japan, 5. TW, 6 Swiss, 7. NZ, 8 Sweden, 9 Greece, 10 Canada
 2019/2020 
Top 30 SOFT POWER by Portland		 failed No. 8 Japan, No.9  Australia, No. 17 New Zealand,  No. 19  S Korea, No. 21 Singapore, No. 27 China
2020 Best Countries Overall
 The Best Countries in the World		 n/c No.3 Japan, No.5  Australia, No. 11 New Zealand,
No. 15 China, No. 16 Singapore , No. 20  Korea,
No.22 UAE , No.25  India,  No. 26  Thailand,
No. 30  Qatar
2018/2019 Monocle's Soft Power survey failed No. 3 Japan, No.8  Australia, No. 11 New Zealand, No.15 Korea, No. 19 China,  No. 21  Singapore,  No. 25 India
2018/2019 Soft Power 30 Study by USC Center on Public Diplomacy failed No.5 Japan, No. 10 Australia, No. 18 NZ, No. 20 S. Korea, No. 21 Singapore, No. 27 China
2017/2018 Monocle's Soft Power survey failed No. 4 Japan, No.9 Australia, No. 13 New Zealand, No.17 Korea, No. 19 China,  No. 22 Singapore, No. 24 India
2017/2018 Soft Power 30 Study by USC Center on Public Diplomacy failed No.6. Japan,  No. 8. Australia,  18. NZ,  No. 20 Singapore, No. 21 S. Korea,  No. 25.  China
2016/2017 Monocle's
Soft Power survey		 failed No. 3 Japan, No.6 Australia, No. 13 New Zealand, No.17 Korea, No. 20 China,  No. 23 Singapore, No. 24 India
2015/2016 Monocle's
 Soft Power survey		 failed No. 4 Japan, No.6 Australia, No. 13 New Zealand, No.15 Korea, No. 21 China,  No. 23 Singapore
　

　

　

　

★  According to a survey of 2020, Singapore ranks No.1, Japan No.7, Korea No. 9 on "enterprise",  Japan ranks No. 5, China No.10 on "engagement", Korea ranks No. 5 on "digital", Japan ranks No.6, China No. 8 on "culture", No any Asian country ranks top 10 on "education" and "govt."
　

★ Best Countries overall in 2020:  1 Swiss 2 Canada 3 Japan  4 Germany  5  Australia  6  UK  7 USA  8 Sweden  9 Nederland  10  Norway  11 NZ  12 France  13 Denmark  14  Finland  15 China  16 Singapore  17  Italy  18  Austria  19 Spain  20  Korea  21  Luxembourg   22 UAE  23  Russia  24 Portugal  25  India  26  Thailand  27  Greece  28  Brazil  29  Israel  30  Qatar  31  Saudi Arabia   32 Malaysia   33 Mexico  34  Poland  35  Turkey


　
　 　

　

　



     Taiwan's travel & tourism        full text : tourism 

　

 Taiwan's travel & tourism  - 10th in Asia

　

World Economic Forum (WEF)  <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> released at 9-4-2019 shows Taiwan had the sub-region's largest decline in competitiveness from 30th down to 37th.   Taiwan ranks No.10 among Asian countries.   In the overall ranking list, Asian country Japan got No.4,  China No.13,  Hong Kong No.14,  Korea No.16, Singapore No.17,  Malaysia No.29,  Thailand No.31,  UAE  No.33,  India No. 34,...

　
category Taiwan's rankings and/or score comparison
prioritization of travel and tourism   No75  Singapore No.6 ,  Hong Kong No. 11
Natural & cultural resources No.58  score 2.6 China  No.1, score 6.0 , France No.2,  5.0,  Spain  No.3, 5.7,   Japan No.7, 5.3,   Indonesia No.18,  Thailand No.21,  Korea No.24,  Vietnam No.26,  Malaysia No.31,  HK No.40,  Philippines No.46,  Sri Lanka No.52,  Nepal No.56
Natural resources  No. 87 Hong Kong No. 42, Singapore No.120
　
cultural resources & business travel No. 36  score 2.6 China No1, score 7.0
price competitiveness No. 78 　
Health & Hygiene  No.43,  score 6 　
international openness No. 60 　
Safety & security No. 26 human resource & labor market: Taiwan No.18
 ps: Compared to the report of 2017,  Taiwan significantly tightened visa requirements (37th down to 119th), waning cultural resources and business travel (26th to 36th) and recalibrated figures showing a drastic reduction in protected areas (20th to 118th).

　

According to  World Economic Forum (WEF)  <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> (released at 4-6-2017), Taiwan's most important indexes for promoting tourism, like "Attractiveness of Natural Assets" (parks, beaches, mountains, wildlife, etc) ranks world No.87, "Natural Resources" ranks No.55,   "Environmental Sustainability" ranks No.75 (No.69 in 2015), "Price Competitiveness" ranks No. 46, "Hotel Price Index" ranks No. 89 (82 in 2015), Taiwan got "n/a" on China's world top 5 indexes such as "World heritage natural sites" as well as "World heritage cultural sites".

For full details :  http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TTCR_2019.pdf

　

　

Economist, EIU, THE GLOBAL LIVEABILITY INDEX 2022

Biggest movers down the ranking in the past 12 month

Taipei (Taiwan) ranks world No. 53 

　 City Location Rank Index Rank Move Index Move
1 Wellington New Zealand 50  85.7  -46  -8.0
2 Auckland New Zealand   34  89.2 -33  -6.8
3 Adelaide Australia 30  90.7 -27 -3.3
8 Taipei Taiwan  53 85.1 -20  1.2
　

　

　

  

 
 Taiwan's 'higher' education ...      full text: universities

　

Times Higher Education ,  World University Rank 2023

timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2023/world-ranking#!/page/7/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats
Rank Taiwan China Korea Hong Kong, Macau Singapore Japan
1~70 　
　

　

　

16   Tsinghua University Beijing

　

17  Peking University Beijing

　

51   Fudan University Shanghai

52   Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai

67   Zhejiang University Zhejiang
 56  Seoul National University Seoul


　

 
　

31  University of Hong Kong

　

45  Chinese University of Hong Kong

　

58  The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

　
19   National University of Singapore

　


　

36   Nanyang Technological University

　

39  University of Tokyo
　

　

　

68  Kyoto

University

　
70~100 　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

74   University of Science and Technology of China

　

95  Nanjing Univ.

　
78 Yonsei Univ. (Seoul campus)

　

91  Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Daejeon

　
79  Hong Kong Polytechnic Univ. 

　

99 City Univ. of Hong Kong
　

　

 　 　
PS:    National Taiwan University (台灣大學) only got No. 187  (No. 113 in previous year) , number of students per staff  11.4,  female/male  42: 58, int'l students 11%

　

　

　

Times Higher Education ,  World University Rank 2022
Rank Taiwan China Korea Hong Kong, Macau Singapore Japan
1~70 　
　

　

16  Peking University Beijing

　

　

　

16   Tsinghua University Beijing
　

　

　

60   Fudan University Shanghai

　

　
 54  Seoul National University Seoul


　

 
　

30  University of Hong Kong

　

49  Chinese University of Hong Kong

　

　

66  The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

　
21   National University of Singapore

　


　

46   Nanyang Technological University

　

35  University of Tokyo
　

　

　

61  Kyoto

University

　
70~100 　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

75   Zhejiang University Zhejiang


　
84   Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai

　

　

88  University of Science and Technology of China Anhui

　

　
　

99  Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Daejeon

　
91  Hong Kong Polytechnic Univ. 
　

　

 　 　
PS:    National Taiwan University (台灣大學) only got No. 113
Times Higher Education ,  World University Rank 2022 

timeshighereducation.com

　

　

　

Taiwan reviews  /  The ROC on Taiwan, has its own constitution, independently elected president and military forces, However, Taiwan's image was tarnished or damaged for having benefits by any means, and having principal human rights problems, including:

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● Ethics of Taiwan politicians : ♣ New Yorker (2022-11-21):  When the Chinese test-fired the ballistic missiles, Tsai Ing-wen didn’t tell the public that they flew over the island; that became known only after it was announced by Japanese leaders. When a Chinese drone flew into Taiwan's airspace, Tsai Ing-wen's government reacted with similar reserve... the government looks like it doesn't know what it's doing,”♣ al jazeera, 2022-5-30:  Taiwan legislature erupts in violence over "secret expenses" bill /  KMT lawmakers try to block bill they say could be used to overturn ex-President Chen Shui-bian’s corruption conviction.   ♣ Guardian, 2021-7-12: China accused Taiwan has rejected China's offers as fake altruism. ... putting politics above its people ♣ United Daily, 3-11-2021, editorial: smear, fragmentation, low dirty means ... Pan Green's propaganda campaign already beyond the critical point of morality. udn.com/news/story/7338/5309442 ♣ China Times, 3-12-2021: Ruling party ignoring bottom line of morality is grief of the country. ♣ The Liberty Times, editorial (7-21-2020) reports only 2.3% Taiwanese politicians are trustworthy and have professional ethics, according to a survey half year ago,  56% Taiwanese note elected representatives (lawmakers, councilman, etc) care their own interest, only 9.3% think they care "national interest".  ♣ Washington Post (7-22-2020) reports:  In a major speech in January 2019, Xi (Chinese president) offered an ultimatum to Taiwan to come to the table for unification talks or face annexation by force.   However, Taiwan's government was tight-lipped about this ultimatum, so that even famous commentator and analyst  know nothing about it, otherwise pro-Independence Tsai I. W. may not easily continue in presidential office in Jan. 2020, because, according to National Interest (6-16-2020): more than 60.3 percent of the respondents opposed Taiwan's independence if it is followed by China’s military invasion...   Taiwanese personality

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●  democracy :   ● Economist, 2022-11-29: many Taiwanese are tired of squabbles over national identity, especially after Ms Tsai’s refusal last year to accept an offer of much-needed vaccines from China ... ● Wall Street Journal, 2022-11-28: Taiwan Ruling Party's election drubbing could ease tension with China and persuade Chinese leaders that they can peacefully influence politics there.  ●  US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2022-4-12 :  In 2020 presidential and legislative elections, President Tsai Ing-wen won re-election,...there were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties.  ●  al jazeera, 2022-5-30: Taiwan legislature erupts in violence over "secret expenses" bill /  KMT lawmakers try to block bill they say could be used to overturn ex-President Chen Shui-bian’s corruption conviction.● United Daily(聯合報) , 2022-5-9, editorial:  Taiwan's news reports seem to be free, but in recent years, the speech market has tended to be "Homogeneity" (單一化); particularly, the state apparatus controls the media very deeply ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30: There were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties (KMT and DPP) in Presidential election. ● Economist EIU Democracy Index 2019 shows Taiwan is "Flawed democracy", overall score is lower than 2015's and 2016's, the scores of "political culture", "political participation" are low (5.63, 6.11). ● <DW> of Germany (Chinese edition, 12-25-2020) and <RFI> of France (Chinese edition, 12-27-2020) both quoted <Yazhou Zhoukan > (亞洲周刊) criticizing Taiwan's new democratic authoritarianism. ● N.Y. Times  12-3-2019:  soft underbelly of Taiwanese politics: patronage networks.  they continue to allow community leaders, farmers’ associations and even organized-crime figures to buy votes. ● New York Times, 1-11-2020: Taiwan’s young and vibrant, if messy at times, democratic society. ● <China Times> 2-26-2020, editorial: more and more uncontrolled admin. power and withered legislative power, freedom of speech was suppressed by admin. and judicial power at all levels, ...as for political culture, partisan, stand and ideology matter. ● <Foreign Policy>, 2015: Taiwan politics belongs to mega-corporations (not the people) and is controlled by the political parties. ● Apple Daily, editorial, 12-14-2019: Taiwan gov. shows authoritarianism political culture, ignoring and being hostile to those critics.   ● Apple Daily, editorial, 12-7-2019:  in this bad election morality age, Taiwan president becomes a low threshold, min. qualification criteria position, and a laughingstock. ● <UDN> editorial,12-6-2018: Taiwan's democracy exists in name only ...; ● <United Daily News>, editorial opinion, 6-23-2019: The operation of democracy usually strays off most public-opinions, big-data became a sharp-weapon for politicians to manipulate the will of the people ... fail to solve the adverse situation of reversing democracy;  ● <United Daily News>, Opinion, 3-7-2017:  Now it seems hard to keep Taiwan's skin-deep democracy ... the people's "livelihood" was sacrificed for politics ...● <United Daily> editorial 1-8-2020, <UDN> editorial (聯合報社論) 11-14-2019／Taiwan's democracy turns into grave 。 (民主設計的良意，如今變成私欲墳場 https://udn.com/news/story/11321/4163629)  democracy & freedom

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●  freedom of speech  :  ● US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2023-3-20 : Reporters faced the threat of legal action under the liberal libel laws. ● US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2022-4-12 : CTi News was forced off the air after the National Communications Commission declined to renew its broadcast license. Opposition politicians and some academics and commentators claimed the decision was politically motivated retaliation for CTi News’ criticism of the ruling party. ●  RSF, <Reporters Sans Frontieres>, France, 2022-5-3: Taiwan's press freedom situation has been "impaired" by some "serious problems". ●  USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30: Opposition politicians and some media outlets criticized these provisions (a new law criminalized receiving direction or funding from prohibited Chinese sources to conduct political activities) as overly broad and potentially detrimental to freedom of expression, including for the press. Opposition politicians and some academics and commentators claimed NCC’s decision not to renew the license was politically motivated retaliation for CTi News’ criticism of the ruling party.  ● Global Times, 2021-3-29 : Taiwan DPP's dark "online army" underbelly in misinformation campaign ,  the DPP's "online army" which manipulated and meddled in an online public opinion field of more than 20 million people on the island.   "The DPP can collude with social media such as PTT, Facebook, print media, electronic media, and TV programs".    globaltimes.cn/page/202103/1219763.shtml   ●  USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  3-11-2020:  Journalists said they faced pressure from management to submit news stories to complement or support the content of paid advertisements. Oxford university (UK) Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Only 24% Taiwanese trust in local news which remains one of the lowest in Oxford survey.  < Reporters Sans Frontieres> (RSF, France) , 4-18-2019:  Taiwan’s journalists are suffering from a very polarized media environment dominated by sensationalism and the pursuit of profit. Although President Tsai Ing-wen has said she wants to continue developing press freedom in Taiwan, few concrete measures have been taken to improve journalists’ editorial independence and encourage media to raise the quality of the public debate. Beijing is exploiting this weakness by putting pressure on Taiwanese media owners, who often have business interests on the mainland. ●  China Times, editorial <中時社論> , 3-9-2020: Political power forms threats (penalty fine and suspending the license) to certain media ... Secretly bullying by (gov.-related) cyber force.  ● Apple Daily 12-4-2019 editorial : All political parties and many politicians found cyber-forces who are mean, base, cruel and dark to destroy target's image and reputation by secretly ways, without moral bottom line ...  ● UDN 12-7-2019 editorial: The number of fake news spread by Pan-Green coalition (ruling party) is far more (and more vile) than that sent by ordinary people   ● Apple Daily 3-29-2019 editorial opinion: Democracy & Freedom of speech is the bottom line which should never be lost, the government should not create chilling effect by fishing in trouble water.  ● The China Times 12-14-2019 editorial : the gov. seriously harmed free speech by investigating those messages shared or published on the net by the masses   ● The China Times 3-29-2019 headline news:  Democracy on the surface, anti-democracy to the bone is not allowed.  ● US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019: the impact of the concentration of media ownership on freedom of the press, self-censorship continued. ● N.Y. Times  12-3-2019:  Social media platforms are another key battleground (Chn-TW): Nearly 90 percent of Taiwan’s population is active on them, and traditional news outlets have been known to republish fake posts without fact-checking. According to Reuters, Chinese government agencies have paid Taiwanese news outlets to publish pro-Beijing content.  freedom of speech

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●  Family  New York times, Pew Research Institute, 2021-11-28:  unlike most other countries put family first, Taiwanese ranked Material well-being above family.  Marry for money not love

　

●  justice:  ● National ChungCheng University (ccu.edu),   2023-2-13: study found the percentage of Taiwanese trust in the judges is 32.8%. ● National ChungCheng University, 2022-2-14: study found 2/3 Taiwanese are not satisfied with the quality of judgment of criminal cases ●  United Daily, editorial , 2022-1-25 : More people suffered fear from invisible and delicate social control and threats by DPP government' flank and judiciary (prosecutor, police) ... ●  USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30: Some political commentators and academics, however, publicly questioned the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high profile, politically sensitive cases.  ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  3-11-2020:  Some political commentators and academics,  publicly questioned the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high profile, politically sensitive cases. US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019 pointed out that justice ministry was insufficiently independent and conducted politically motivated investigations of politicians (in <Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government> section), ...  ● The United Daily, 1-6-2020, editorial:  Taiwanese don't trust law-enforcement because of government abusing power and playing with the law.   : ●　The United Daily, Focus, 11-30-2019: 　The prosecutors  and Taiwan's 'FBI'　were questioned a lot for years for their political investigations and conducts ...in recent years, the judiciary giving services to DPP almost became a routine...:●  UDN 10-20-2019: politics overrode justice   ● The Liberty Times,  head-line news, 3-16-2019: Taiwan PM is not satisfied with Judicial reform  ●  The Liberty Times, head-page, The China Times, head-page, 12-8-2018:   Taiwan P.M. (賴清德):  Taiwan has not made significant progress on judicial reform, which is roiling with public discontent;  ●  <The United Daily>,  06-18-2016, head page news: Taiwan's prosecutors admit usually following order to conclude legal cases.  ● <USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices>, 2016-2018,  public trust on Taiwan's judiciary system keeps falling down.  ● <United Daily>, opinion column, 12-16-2017:  Taiwan's public voice with a heavy heart  : The prosecutors should abide by the law too... don't be a political tool.    judiciary

　

　

●  corruption : 
● TaiwanPlus, 2023-3-6:

● China Times, 2023-6-26:  Taiwan ruling party's corruption - structural, collective and overall (結構性、集體性、全面性貪腐) ;  has already crossed the bottom line, and being out of control. chinatimes.com/opinion/20230626004425-262101?chdtv   brief ● Voice of America, 2022-11-23:  "black gold"-"heijin." Corruption in Local Politics (elections) ● Avios, 2022-6-28: Scandals and corruption have plagued the Taiwanese armed forces ●  US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2022-4-12 :13 high-ranking officials, 79 mid-level, 93 low-level, and 18 elected officials were indicted for corruption.  the Ministry of Justice and the Judicial Yuan referred six officials to the Control Yuan for criminal investigation, including former minister of justice Tseng Yung-fu, former prosecutor general Wu Ying-chao, and two others for investigation of noncriminal misconduct... In 2020 presidential and legislative elections, President Tsai Ing-wen won re-election,...there were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties.  ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30:  Significant human rights issues included: the existence of criminal libel laws and serious acts of corruption. ●  Transparency International 1-29-2019: Taiwan has stagnated in the Corruption Perspective Index rankings since 2011 with its score 61~63 (dropped 2 spots this year), in contrast, South Korea improved by 3 points in 2017. ● China Times, editorial , 2022-6-1,  "The whole DPP party backups corruption, a shame of Taiwan's democracy": When the corruption scandal broke out in 2008, all DPP members gave ex-President Chen Shui-bian a cold shoulder, Chen's daughter 陳幸妤 was mad and shouted："Has anyone in DPP not taken money from my father ?? ", which shocked all fields, therefore, pan-Green Coalition has been involved in Chen's case.(綠營因此遭扁綁架事出有因)。● In platform presentation at 12-25-2019, Nationalist Party Presidential candidate Han criticized President Tsai has allowed top officials around grow very corrupt, Tsai refuted KMT was more serious, People First Party candidate Song said that speaking of corruption and unfair judiciary, KMT and DPP are about the same. ●  Apple Daily (12-7-2018) editorial :  Taiwan's corruption is off the charts by collusions between government officials and business owners,  furthermore, Taiwan's underworld going wild to assist government officials, business and some elected representatives (e.g., legislators) in corruption has been ahead of most corrupt countries, e.g., China, Indonesia, Brazil, Philippines, Vietnam, the stinky rotten food-chain crossing pan-Blue (Nationalist, KMT) and pan-Green (DPP) resurges after Taiwan's elections...●  Liberty Times, 1-12-2020, editorial: The administration's rottenness (腐壞氣息) smells already.   corruption

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●  medical  : ● Taiwan ranks No. 249 in World's Best Hospitals by Newsweek and Statista in 2023  ●  Bloomberg's CovID ranking: Taiwan's 3-month case-fatality rate ranks the last twice in 2021 ● Lancet / Measuring universal health coverage  Taiwan is behind countries of  Asia& Pacific like Japan, Singapore, S. Korea, Australia, NZ, Kuwait, Qatar   ● Only one Taiwan's hospital was included and ranked No. 249 in Newsweek's top 250 "World's Best Hospitals" in 2023  ● Guardian (UK), 2022-5-9: The death of a two-year-old boy last month highlighted communication failures exacerbated by Taiwan’s entrenched bureaucracy.  ● al jazeera, 2022-5-30: The fatalities have notably included the sudden deaths of several very young children, which many Taiwanese attribute to failures of the healthcare system.   ●  China Times, editorial, 2021-9-8: The government ignores human lives of high-risk older populations.  Using vaccine to draw votes is "cold-blood", "losing their souls "  chinatimes.com/opinion/20210907005525-262101?chdtv ●  United Daily, editorial, 2021-9-4: Taiwan's vaccination policy is based upon government's selfishness and special purpose. ● National Taiwan University professor, King ChwanChuen, 2021-9-1: CDC should not turn into a election campaign center. ● UDN 2021-5-31, editorial: Taiwan's government fails to purchase enough CovID-19 vaccines, and stop civil org. to purchase from the west for saving its political face.  Till end May, patients are not easy to apply for and have CovID-19 medicine, which cause more deaths, Taiwan cares money more than human lives   hospitals,   CovID19

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●  pirate :  ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30:  some indigenous rights advocates argued a large amount of indigenous land was seized and privatized decades ago, depriving indigenous communities of the right to participate in the development of these traditional territories. ● Green Peace, 5-2-2019:  It remains our view that Taiwanese fisheries still have many serious problems, both environmental and social, and that the need for reform is clear and urgent.  ●  Lowy Institute & <the interpreter>, 5-2-2019: Taiwan ...illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing... Taiwan has so far refused to adopt the Work in Fishing Convention. ●  EU warned in 2015 Taiwan with a yellow card for illegal fishing till  6 '19. ●  US  state government - 2019 Trafficking in persons report, Jun. 2019:   fishermen working on Taiwan-flagged and -owned fishing vessels experience non- or under-payment of wages, long working hours, physical abuse, lack of food or medical care, denial of sleep, and poor living conditions while indebted to complex, multinational brokerage networks. Migrant fishermen have reported senior crewmembers employ such coercive tactics as threats of physical violence, beatings, withholding of food and water, and pay deductions to retain their labor.    ● Freedom House, June 2019:  labor advocates report poor implementation, citing ongoing mistreatment and abuse of foreign fishermen on Taiwanese vessels.

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●  privacy : ●  The China Times (中時) , editorial , 2023-5-23: 23 millions of Taiwanese household administration data and 28 millions of labor insurance data have been leaked and were sold to fraud groups - all personal data of Taiwanese were sold out, Taiwan government looked the other way as its citizens were in fraud for leakage of their personal data  ●  US Naval Institute   , May, 2022 : Taiwan has extensive networks of closed-circuit TV cameras, and issued a national health insurance smartcard that tracks medical histories. ● Amnesty International, June, 2021 :The government took several measures to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus, some of which threatened the right to privacy.  ●  People's Daily, 10-15-2020, commentary: Taiwan's Intelligence strictly monitors its own people, which is called "Green Terror". ● The China Times (中國時報), 1-6-2021:  the human rights protected by the Constitution has been in danger for a long time... The government had not admitted the "skynet - electronic fence" until law-makers questioned them a number of times... ● New York Post  4-25-2020 : Taiwan deals CovID with "a lot more authoritarian.", "almost everyone is tracked.". ● Apple Daily 11-10-2020: Taiwanese health & medical data/information was forced without agreement of the party to be opened on purpose of business and academic use. ● The United Daily News (聯合報) , editorial, 3-31-2019 :  Taiwan is a backward country on personal-data protection.   Taiwan plans to sell general public's personal data and digital human rights (e.g., people's medical health data without giving any notice ), peep at whatever on the net , and even monitor all the citizens,  nothing people would normally notice ...   (brief https://udn.com/news/story/7338/3728815) ;  ● EU General Data Protection Regulation - GDPR was given to effect at 5-25-2018, Taiwan is far behind, even is going in an opposite way  / Apple Daily 蘋果日報, 5-28-2018,  National Taiwan University Law School professor 林鈺雄    privacy

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● secret police :  ●  Law maker (2023-6-2): What an authoritarian era in Taiwan ? (「這是什麼威權時代嗎」) /  Dr. Su Hung-dah (蘇宏達), dean of the College of Social Sciences, National Taiwan University, reveals he was threatened by National Security Bureau ( state machine ) that "we can watch your LINE" (a popular online app. )   ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30:  Members of the security forces committed some abuses.   ● The United Daily News, editorial opinion (9-19-2018) : "secret police" (「東廠們」) have been active around us ...  ● The Liberty Times, head-page, The China Times, head-page, 12-8-2018:   Taiwan P.M. (賴清德): "Secret Police event" (「東廠事件」) has seriously damaged public trust on the government...;   ● Apple Daily 12-4-2019 editorial : All political parties and many politicians found their cyber-forces to secretly attack targets... ,  the dark force are mean, base, cruel  and dark to destroy target's image and reputation, they executed without moral bottom line and military discipline  (brief).   ● The United Daily News, editorial 11-30-2019: The state machine was abused as government's "tributaries".  ● UDN 11-3-2018,  Intel. sys. (NSB) confirmed their investigations of Facebook and other's communities on the net.  All internet platform service providers in Taiwan were requested to hand in all users' personal information/data (intel denied).   ● <Apple Daily (蘋果日報)> 11-7-2018 editorial opinion:  by whatever name ( "secret police" or "national security bureau") it is called, what "it" did secretly were always more than what it admitted.  Taiwan's Intelligence and secret-agent systems keep on governing the country ... they're true Prime Minister (行政院長), ...So many suspected political murder cases remain unsolved  (ref to 2018.7.26【政經看民視】 FTV, "政經看民視", 7-26-2018;  SET(三立電視), 9-24-2013 "Secret agents govern the nation (特務治國)" www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBdZCdYrwF4;  Era TV,   年代電視, 9-22-2013; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1b4R2m6K3g; "Secret agent systems resurgence to control the nation (特務復辟治國)"   repression, oppression

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●  int'l fraud : ● United Daily (聯合報), editorial, 2023-5-11 : Taiwan government got no grades on fighting fraud。In today, Taiwanese crimes of fraud have spread all over the world, the criminal methods have deteriorated to abducting people, selling human organs, defrauding money by using the name of the administration...●The China Times (中時) , editorial , 2023-5-8: The head of fraud group,「im.B借貸媒合平台」, has close connection with DPP's top ranking officials such as deputy premier  ● Reuters, DW (Germany), 12-31-2020: Chinese court sentences 29 Taiwanese deported from Spain / In recent years, hundreds of Taiwanese nationals, suspected of committing telecoms fraud overseas...   ● United Daily, 10-23-2019, editorial: Taiwanese telecom frauds run wild the entire world to damage Taiwan's image.   ● CTV evening news, 12-14-2017,  EBC TV, 4-9-2017,  UDN opinion, 12-24-2017:  Taiwan is notorious for its fraud crimes all over the world.  quora, 4-16-2016:  Taiwan largely sees these telecom frauds/phone scammers as an asset rather than liability...  ●  China Times, 11-7-2017:  It's not easy for Taiwan to clean its bad name of 'fraud-crime empire' because "Rome is not built in one day".  (Asia Association of Police Studies, secretary general)     international fraud 

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●  torture & cruelty : ● Global Times, 2022-12-19:  There are forces on the island who are mentally controlling the Taiwan people...   ●justsecurity.org, Focus Taiwan, Taipei Times, etc, 2022-5-13:  international human rights review panel urges to ban torture and other cruelties ● Global Times (globaltimes.cn/content/1209528.shtml), 12-9-2020: Taiwan authority ‘persecutes mainlanders, pro-reunification activists' by 'Political persecution, framing charge' .    Taiwan is far behind and keeps stalling legislating a new law against torture and other cruelty, conclusively advised by international review panel ( Philip Alston, law professor at New York University; Eibe Riedel, former member of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Jerome Cohen, law professor at New York University; and Nisuke Ando, professor emeritus at Kyoto University, etc. )  (ref. to Apple Daily, headline, 12-9-2017)  Taiwan's opposition party vice presidential candidate, NTU professor Lin Ruey-Shiung, was subject to electromagnetic wave attacks (French AFP ,Dec. 1, 2011 , Thailand's Bangkok Post,  Dec. 3, 2011, Yahoo UK & Ireland, etc. ), Taiwan gov. denied this.     ● State violence and white terror (product of state violence) return in Taiwan (United Daily, opinion, 12-21-2017, 12-27-2017).     Taiwan's Facebook "Green terror" suppressed free expression...... (Wikipedia 2017, The China Times, public opinion, 11-18-2017).   The key-point is state violence (Apple Daily, opinion, 8-16-2013).   repression, oppression

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●  food safety  : ● United Daily (經濟日報社論),  2023-2-1: Food safety is an anxious issue for Taiwanese people ● Global Times,  2022-9-17 : DPP authority is sacrificing the people's interests for their political ends.   the Taiwan authorities detected Caesium-137 in the batch of konjaku jelly powder since the island in February relaxed a decade-long ban on imports of "nuclear food"  from Japan.  ● Scientific Reports Journal, Food Navigator Asia, 2-9-2021: Fish fraud findings: Almost 20% of fish in Taiwan found to be mislabelled - study (Taiwan food scare, including 5 star hotel restaurant foods  which the website revealed earlier in 2017).   ● The China Times, 10-20-2018  opinion (editorial)   https://opinion.chinatimes.com/20181019003889-262101 :  Taiwan's food safety failed again and again,  Dioxin, Fipronil poison-eggs in last year, Nicarbazin illegal drug residue event in this year.  Europe was very cautious about Fipronil event, in contrast, Taiwan did nothing about it.   Even worse, Taiwan officials hide Nicarbazin issue from Taiwanese people to baby related business ― indulge business to retrieve problematic eggs and then resell them as promotion goods.  Why do high-ranking officials always fudge Taiwanese people's only, and humblest request ？?   (brief)  ●  UDN, 2-17-2019: Gov. did not declared poison eggs until almost sold out...  ● The China Times (中國時報), 2-28-2019,  opinion (editorial) questions Taiwan officials are trying very hard to hide the epidemic state of Marek's virus in chicken eggs ...

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● int'l drug base :

● Statista 2022-11-18: Offense against narcotics hazard prevention act ranks No.2 crime by the Number committed in Taiwan in 2021  ●
The Diplomat, 2022-5-17
:"patrols of the coast became almost nonexistent and, as a result, it was easy to smuggle guns and drugs into Taiwan.”

 ● Taiwan is narcotic drugs producing & selling center of Asia (The China Times <Want Weekly>, 9-18-2019).  Taiwan was already reduced to be a 'kingdom' of producing narcotic drugs. (United Daily, headline news, 11-2-2017)   Philippine President Duterte ... blaming Taiwan-based organised crime behind all this drug traffic... for using his country as a shipping hub. (Reuters, 9-27-2017, The Straits Times, 9-29-2017)   Duterte: Triad supplying illegal drugs to PH is based in Taiwan, not China (inquirer.net, 9-26-2017).    Taiwan is scandalous for being a major drug transit center & a major drug exporting country, part of Taiwanese government including Judicial sys. refused to improve this issue. (UDN Opinion, 11-6-2017, The China Times, head-page & focus, 4-4-2017, The Liberty Times, 5-12-2017)    illegal drugs

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●  exploitation ,   children & women trafficking : ● US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2023-3-20: A rise in the number of reports of child sexual exploitation cases;  The NGOs called for increased prosecutions and heavier penalties.  ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2022-4-12:  the number of male victims of child sexual exploitation was increasing and that male and female minors of indigenous heritage were targeted at higher rates than those of other ethnic groups. ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30:  NGOs raised concerns regarding online sexual exploitation of children and reported sex offenders increasingly used cell phones, web cameras, live streaming, apps, and other new technologies to deceive and coerce underage girls and boys into sexual activity.  ● US  state government - 2019 Trafficking in persons report, Jun. 2019:   in the last five years, human traffickers subject foreign men and women to forced labor and sex trafficking in Taiwan, and traffickers subject local men and women to forced labor and local women and children to sex trafficking. ... take advantage of Taiwan and foreign women’s and children’s drug addictions to subject them to sex trafficking. Taiwan traffickers increasingly use the internet, smartphone apps, livestreaming, and other such online technologies to conduct recruitment activities, often targeting child victims, and to mask their identities from law enforcement.  ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices, March 3, 2017, 4-20-2018:  Exploitation of  foreign workers,  official corruption,  some media self-censorship with regard to China, vote buying, etc.     prostitution

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●  life protection  : ● NY Times, 2021-10-15: Taiwan has a spotty record when it comes to fire safety... severe disrepair as a result of weak management and government neglect.  Skyrocketing housing costs in Taiwan’s cities — and a rapidly aging population — have exacerbated these issues in recent years and have outpaced the government’s efforts to resolve them... ● Nature, 2023-6-22:  Despite concerns from several nations and international groups (but Taiwan goes down on its knees) , Japan is pressing ahead with plans to release water contaminated by the 2011 meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean ● China times, 2021-10-15:  Behind the fire sea in Kaohsiung building (城中城) is the government's discrimination and indifference to those underprivileged group who can not afford buying fire-fighting equipments ● UDN 2021-4-1: foolish energy policy kills our lungs, people in southern and middle of Taiwan increasingly got related diseases ●  Apple Daily, 2021-4-10, editorial: The bane of Taiwan- backward infrastructures, e.g., no early-warning system for railway train, pollution in stream, dam, reservoir deposition ● The government has not well taken its fundamental responsibility of protecting the safety of people's life and property - why 5/6 bridges badly in need of repair have not done ?  government even has never made public the info. and where those bridges are. (ref. to United Daily, 10-9-2019, headline news)   why are there so many tall buildings located on the fault-zone? why are poor architectures everywhere on bad geologic grounds ? why are those shit-hole politicians doing nothing and ignoring urban renewal so as to risk millions of old houses and human beings? (ps: may face death in 6 magnitude quake)    (full text: https://udn.com/news/story/11321/2974813 聯合報社論／斷層帶上何以建了那麼多高樓？  2-8-2018,  https://udn.com/news/story/7338/2977079 勿讓軟腳樓成坑殺人命陷阱 2-9-2018,  https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/daily/20180209/37928659花蓮 都更 爛政客   2-9-2018)

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● life protection (2) :  ●  BBC, Independent, 2023-6-20:  the drugging of preschool children in Taiwan have sparked widespread alarm on the island.  Some teachers at the kindergarten gave children phenobarbital to “make them more compliant”. A rally demanded transparency from the government. ● UDN, 2023-6-6: Taiwan government tries to hide the safety risk - Taiwan Power's 四接 in Keelung Port - a significant risk ● CIA Fact Book, Dec. 10, 2021: air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species ● Taiwan's CCPI (Climate Change Performance Index - GHG emissions, renewable energy, etc) rank of 2019 is reciprocal third among countries, the score/ranking is from bad to worse since 2017.  ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30: the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times higher than the number reported to police.   ●  United Daily, 2021-4-10, editorial: The death rate of traffic accident (8+ per day) is higher than hat of many backward countries.  Large-bus structure is problematic - Jerry-built or bad safety specification. So many gods are hidden in the detail  ● UDN 1-2-2018 udn.com/news/story/7266/2908720,  The China Times. 8-6-2016, <食品不安全的年代如何自保>, 2016, etc : Taiwan failed to solve food-safety issue, professors and MDs advised eating at home.  Taiwan is dishonest and 'cruel' ― trying to hide, block, delay public-health news, e.g., poisoned eggs, PCV virus vaccine, and Bird-flu more than one time.  ref to BBC news :  www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese_news/2012/03/120304_taiwan_birdflu_investigate. ●  Due to bad Income distribution, Taiwan's social security (offender rate) worsens (China Times, 2-25-2020 editorial).   ●  The China Times 5-9-2018 column : This is an EVIL state apparatus ... The China Times 5-26-2018 column : The government likes to conceal bad news, put paper over the cracks, e.g., air pollution, rupture of diplomatic relationships, ...http://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20180509000843-260109  ● Taiwan's CCPI (Climate Change Performance Index - GHG emissions, renewable energy, etc) rank of 2019 is reciprocal third among countries, the score/ranking is from bad to worse since 2017. ● Apple Daily 12-11-2019, headline news: Taiwan's air pollution is bad to worse, about half population were endangered by PM2.5 and PM10 from top 10 hazardous level companies (China Steel, Taichung Power plant, etc)  ● Taiwan administration's policy led to air pollution, toxic pollution in the land and sea ...   (The China Times, 1-7-2018 台灣海陸空污染毒害，山海變色 http://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20180107000465-260114。Daily Mail (UK) 7-14-2017 : Shocking underwater video from Taiwan shows ocean floor littered with plastic (bottles) garbage)

●

●  transportation safety ● CNN (2022-12-6): Taiwan's 'living hell' traffic is a tourism problem.  Taiwan is notorious for its dangerous roads. ● UDN, CTN, Apple Daily editorial、2021-4-3: NY Times, CNN: train carrying 490 derails /  Serious transportation accidents repeat -  all are SOP ignoring man-made disasters, no one treats seriously the warning message behind each accident, The gov. is good at risk management and focus-shifting, instead of preventive management in advance, all these lead to tragedy again and again. The event is just a tip of a iceberg, Taiwan should establish a culture respecting human life.  Taiwan railway bureau got rigid grading system  and reform failure.  ● United Daily News 1-20-2020:  The death rate caused by traffic accidents in Taiwan is 5 times that in Japan.  ● The SUN, BBC (UK) 2-13-2017: "BUS CRASH HORROR!" , Taiwan's tour bus  "has come under fire in recent months over safety standards"...  ● MSN, Reuters, EuroNews, Mirro(UK), NewsWeek, CNN, etc (2-4-2015) :"Taiwan has had a poor aviation safety record in recent years" .   transportation   Taiwan's aviation safety

●

●  Labor rights ● Le Monde diplomatique (France),  2023-2-14: Most migrant workers to higher-income Taiwan incur substantial debt to finance their fees, which binds them to their employers’ whims and exploitation while they pay it off.  ● US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2022-4-12: Large enterprises frequently made it difficult for employees to organize an enterprise union through methods such as blacklisting union organizers from promotion or relocating them to other work divisions. ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30: The right to strike remained highly restricted.  24 percent of foreign fishermen suffered violent physical abuse; 92 percent experienced unlawful wage withholding; 82 percent worked overtime excessively.  ●  , 3-16-2021: the U.S. Labor Department placed Taiwan on its 2020 List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor.  ● National Geographic, 11-25-2020 : Wildlife crimes and human rights abuses plague Taiwanese fishing vessels ...illegal dolphin catching, shark finning, and physical and verbal abuse ... ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  3-11-2020:  The right to strike remained highly regulated. Teachers, civil servants, and defense industry employees do not have the right to strike. Workers in industries such as utilities, hospital services, and telecommunication service providers are allowed to strike only if they maintain basic services during the strike. Authorities may prohibit, limit, or break up a strike during a disaster. For all workers, the law divides labor disputes into “rights disputes” and “adjustment disputes.” Workers are allowed to strike only in adjustment disputes, which include issues such as compensation and working schedules. The law forbids strikes in rights disputes related to violations of collective agreements and employment contracts.    foreign laborers
○

●  underworld gang & politics : ● Global Times, 2022-11-28:  black (underworld) gold politics and nepotism severely violated what the DPP had pledged to the people  ● China Times,  2022-11-27: Tsai's DPP has entangled with Mafia, has abused of power and corrupted (黑道纏身、濫權腐化)  ● United Daily, editorial, 2021-5-7: The underworld gang links with the legal syndicate, or the gangsters parasitize the political party, which certainly leads to deviation and collapse of the adm. order.  (udn.com/news/story/7338/5439377?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2)  ● Apple Daily, 2021-5-7:   the country has been ruled by "black-gold" gangsters and bureaucratic factions. The "big guys" of gangs can decide or influence which democratical representatives will reach the stage of electoral campaigns for law-makers, city-councilors, ....  President Tsai won't be able to crack down gangsters.  ( brief from  tw.appledaily.com/forum/20210507/AWDMO7WLEBCAZCIYHGO7UBA4DA/  趙少康)    democracy

○
●  social security  ● TaiwanPlus, 2023-5-4: Taiwan Police Chief Detained for Alleged Fraud Ring Ties  ● The China Times (中時) , editorial , 2023-5-5: The "Social security net" is proved to be broken -  they fail to protect citizens' personal basic data/information ● 《Yahoo Taiwan》, 2021-11-23:  all opposition parties blast the government not fulfilling its promise to patch the loophole of social security network.  ●《Next TV news 壹新聞》, 2021-11-23, 12:11: a big loophole in our social security net.  ● The China Times, 2-25-2020 editorial: Due to bad Income distribution, Taiwan's social security (offender rate) worsens.  ● World Economic Forum (WEF)  <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> released at 9-4-2019 shows Taiwan's "safety & security" got an Eastern Asia-pacific average score 6.0, and is worse than world No.5 Hong Kong, No. 6 Singapore , No. 7 UAE,  No. 10 New Zealand,  11 Qatar,  13 Japan, 19 Australia,   23 Saudi Arabia.   ●《Economist》UK , EIU 「The Safe Cities Index 2019  」  Taiwan's "personal security" dropped 14 places compared with previous yrs. report,  Taiwan is worse than neighbors Singapore, Japan, China, Korea...     police

●

●  discrimination ● Taipei Times, 2023-6-12:  immigration authorities hand out insult after insult to people whose skins are a bit too brown... the reality of its suicidally discriminatory immigration policies is painful for those of us who live and work here. ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30: The majority of sex discrimination cases reported in 2019 were forced resignations due to pregnancies. Scholars said sex discrimination remained significantly underreported.   There was reported discrimination, including employment discrimination, against persons with HIV or AIDS.  ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  3-11-2020:  Activists for LGBTI rights said due to victims’ reluctance to lodge formal complaints, discrimination against LGBTI persons was more widespread than suggested by the number of court cases.  There was reported discrimination, including employment discrimination, against persons with HIV/AIDS. ●  US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019  Foreign and PRC-born spouses were reportedly targets of social discrimination outside and, at times, inside the home.   Discrimination against LGBTI persons was more widespread than suggested by the number of court cases.  Employment discrimination against persons with HIV/AIDS continues, Taipei officials pressured a magazine reporter to drop an investigative report about the city’s breach of personal information for more than 3,000 AIDS patients.

　

●

Harvard professor Dr. Joseph Nye advised in 2010 that hard and soft power enable Taiwan to deal with China and expand its international space. Brookings at 1-22-2018 commented that Increasing “soft power” is a low-cost, high-return strategy for Taiwan.  However, Taiwan's soft power was behind that of Asian's countries, China and Asian's Japan, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, India, UAE.  Taiwan failed to be included in UK based Monocle's Soft Power list 2010 ~ 2019 and Soft Power 30 by USC Center on Public Diplomacy, 2017 ~ 2019/2020.   Besides, according to Washington Post, 5-20-2020: There's a limit to what this soft power can achieve ...  Taiwan was unable to compete with China's economic and political clout ...  As for Taiwan's military power, Taiwan's administration made a core defense strategy to resist Chinese PLA for 2 weeks, and made assumption that then Americans will always risk their lives to protect home.  for details, pls.  click Taiwan soft power, Taiwan military.

　

　

　

　

　

A brief intro. of Taiwan, ROC

○

"We call ourselves the Republic of China, Taiwan", president Tsai has told BBC UK at Jan. 15, 2020, but later BBC changed it to "the Republic of China (Taiwan)".  This self-governing island country lies roughly 100 miles off the coast of southeastern China ( Taiwan's small island, Kinmens,  just one mile off China ) .  Taiwan's current population around 24 million is roughly the same as Australia's, close to New York's, but the area of Australia is 207 times larger than Taiwan's, that of NY is about 4 times Taiwan's.  Taipei's housing price is about triple Tokyo's or Singapore's.  Taiwan's climate is subtropical.
　

　 　 　 means you should eat & drink nothing for 29.68 years
 to buy a house
in Taipei
　 area population data 2023 Ratio of house price to income
UK 7 Taiwan 3 Taiwan Taipei (Taiwan) 29.68
Japan 10 Taiwan 5 Taiwan Tokyo (Japan) 12.65
Australia 207 Taiwan same Singapore 15.73

  

Taiwan's travel and tourism competitiveness is ranked No.10 among Asian nations (WEF,  9-4-2019), ranked about No.13 in Asia & Pacific (Statista, 2-4-2021) , ranked n/a in 2022 (WEF) . Taiwan's higher education is ranked about No.7~9 in the region (QS  UK, Times, Nature Index, ARWU World 2019~2022) ,  Taipei ranks No.53 in EIU's Global Livability Index Ranking 2022.  Taiwan's justice ministry was insufficiently independent and was questioned the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high profile, politically sensitive cases (USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices , 2018, 2019, 2021 ; http://intlhumanrights.com/PoliticalPersecutionsTaiwanENG.htm  ) . CTN opinion (4-12-2019): Taiwan's three presidents should be ashamed of Taiwan's judiciary.  Taiwan's physicians density is almost the last in Asia.  Taiwan was still "in its early days" of building soft power  (abc news Australia, 9-28-2022) .Taiwan's soft power has never entered top 30 before CovID-19, losing Asia-Pacific's Japan, Australia,  NZ, China, Singapore, Korea, UAE, India, Thailand, Qatar in recent years (USC, Portland , Monocle's Soft Power Survey, 2010 ~ 2020)

　

To contrast China's 'authoritarian', Westerners gave too many fulsome compliments to Taiwan's democracy, however, Taiwan's democracy  is at surface level.  USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices (2022-4-12, 2021-3-30):  There were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties in Presidential election in 2020.  Besides, Taiwan lacks good separation & balance of powers between the ruling party and the opposition, the executive and the legislative, the government and the media.  New York Post (4-25-2020) comments that Taiwan deals with CovID-19 with "a lot more authoritarian".  Global Times, 2022-8-11: under the guise of "democracy", the DPP authorities are practicing "green terror".  Taiwan's ruling party, DPP's official website : human rights abuses occur anywhere and anytime in Taiwan (https://www.gotv.ctitv.com.tw/2020/12/1648383.htm). 

　

Economist at 2022-11-29 reported many Taiwanese are tired of squabbles over national identity, especially after president Tsai's refusal to accept an offer of much-needed vaccines from China during a severe coronavirus outbreak.   Guardian, 2021-7-12: Taiwan has rejected China's offers as fake altruism. ... putting politics above its people The priority of the CovID vaccination is to draw votes (electoral interest) instead of saving human lives, which is "cold-blood", "losing their souls " (ref. to China Times, 2021-9-7, United Daily, 2021-9-12, Guardian, 2021-8-14). 

　

 Taiwan's press freedom is ranked No.43 in 2020 and 2021.  At end of 2020, Taiwan shuts Pro-China TV channel first ever since Taiwan's liberation, which could have a "chilling effect, strongly impacting press freedom".   The Liberty Times, 1-12-2020, editorial: The administration's rottenness smells already.... It has shown a retrogressive trend in recent years, the freedom of speech, publication, assembly etc were persecuted by excuses such as national security (NHU paper, Jun. '20). Taiwan not only harm its democracy for national security, but also harm its national security for democracy. 

　

Now China keeps inching closer to Taiwan, Economist (2021-5-1) describes Taiwan as "The most dangerous place on Earth", western experts (e.g., Foreign Policy, 4-5-2021, 10-28-2020, Financial Times (UK), 7-12-2020 ) advise Taiwan to make urgent defense reforms such as lengthening the existing four-month conscription and improving reservist systems, but, Taiwanese politicians are afraid to discuss this issue with the public because of electoral realities, Taiwan's leaders don't want to shift to a policy which could be deeply unpopular among the young voters courted by the ruling party (DPP), according to Foreign Policy (10-19-2020).  N.Y. Times, 2022-6-19: 'A Looming Threat'  ──  but "politicians have electoral considerations".   Most younger generation don't want to be soldiers (China Times, 2022-9-28: 81.5% oppose one-year compulsory military service ).  Financial Times (UK), 2021-9-15 : Washington keeps scolding Taipei over its supposed lack of preparation against an ever mightier Beijing.  New York Times criticized Taiwan's nearly two million reservists "exist in name only" - Eventually, in Dec. 2022, Taiwan extends its mandatory military service - still shorter than that of Singapore, Israel, S. Korea... and president Tsia denied the decision was made under US pressure - it's a lie.    

　

The People's Republic of China (PRC) has identified that Taiwan as part of its territory and its most important core interest, since the Kuomintang (Nationalists or KMT) government retreated to the island in 1949 following defeat in the Chinese civil war.  Beijing regards reunification of the mainland and Taiwan is priceless  and a   "sacred mission” ,  'do or die' prestige issue,  and has traditionally used a double strategy  of “carrot and stick”  towards Taiwan, on one hand, it has vowed to reunite this "breakaway province" by force if necessary, and has been ramping up military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan since president Tsai I.W. (2016 ~) refused to recognise the "1992 consensus" a 'pseudo'-agreement made by Taiwan's KMT party and the Chinese Communist Party, that proclaimed "the existence of only one China ”, but “ with different interpretations ” (being free to decide which side was legitimate.).  In early 2019,  CCP Xi openly equates One Country Two Systems with the 1992 Consensus to eliminate other interpretations.   Under China's political development and strengthening its trade ties to our allies, Taiwan is diplomatically isolated, has only 13 formal diplomatic relation allies till Mar., 2023, most of them are little, unknown countries. 

　

On the other hand, China took the "carrots" strategy ─ "Allowance of economic benefits to Taiwan"("讓利" ) so that Taiwanese people may have higher tendency toward unification with China ―― about 52% Taiwanese want closer economic ties with the mainland China.  Brookings, 1-22-2021: Only 23% Taiwanese thought that democracy was more important than economic development.  Washington Post, 2017-1-2:  83 percent chose bread ( economic ties with China) over romance (political independence).  Taiwanese understood this interdependence is unavoidable, but over-dependence is risky. New York Times, 2022-6-22:  To Pressure Taiwan, China Flexes Economic Muscle...  L.A. Times, 2022-7-29: (Taiwan) The country's economy relies on China, its largest trading partner .  Washington Post, 2022-10-21:  42 percent of Taiwan's exports — and 60 percent of its chip exports — go to China.  But after China's largest ever drills around Taiwan to respond Pelosi's visit, New York Times (2022-8-7) comments the policy carrots that China has used to entice Taiwan toward unification may carry even less weight.

　

President Tsai (ruling party DPP) in her inauguration speech at 5-20-2020 reiterated that Taiwan calls for stability in China relations but would reject being ruled by China in the same way Hong Kong is.  Washington Post (7-22-2020) reports: In a major speech in January 2019, Xi offered an ultimatum to Taiwan to come to the table for unification talks or face annexation by force.  Then, in Mar., the PLA warplane crossed the Taiwan Strait "median line" that has served as a "de facto border" (Newsweek, 8-11-2020) or "the de facto cease-fire line" ( Japan's asia nikkei review, 8-13-2020) for the first time since the end of Chinese civil war in 1949 (Newsweek, 8-12-2020). However, Taiwan's government was tight-lipped about this ultimatum, a everyone's life-and-death issue,  according to National Interest (6-16-2020): more than 60.3 percent of the respondents opposed Taiwan's independence if it is followed by China's military invasion...

　

Yomiuri Shimbun, Opinion, 6-22-2017 stated the US is the key to keep the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait ("米国は台湾の防衛力強化を担っており、台湾海峡の平和と安定のカギを握る"。).   The United States,  Taiwan's most important protector,  “acknowledges” there is one China and Taiwan is part of China, but has never officially “recognized” Taiwan as part of China.  The US Congress passed a law ("Taiwan Relations Act") to commit the US to defend Taiwan's sovereignty, and provide necessary 'defensive' services.   After Biden's 4th remark about defending Taiwan in Sept. 2022, it looks like the US has moved from strategic ambiguity to deterrence...  But CNN (2022-9-20) comments Biden's remarks don't necessarily equate to how he would behave in a real crisis.  In Dec. 2022,  the US Senate passed legislation authorizing $10 billion in security aid for Taiwan.

　

Till end of 2022, seeing US' actions on the Taiwan run counter to its clear political promise, the Chinese increasingly and really believe that the U.S. government is “salami slicing” and “hollowing out” the One China policy (US also blames China's salami-slicing behaviors against Taiwan ), as Beijing's ambitions grow and relations between the U.S. and China deteriorate.  Anyway, China has long assumed that the US would intervene to defend Taiwan - maybe not sending their troops.

　

After Vietnam war, Afghanistan withdrawal, and Ukraine-Russia war, Taiwan learns it must defend itself.  But Taiwan's defense budget remains scandalously low.  New York Times, 2022-5-7: US presses Taiwan to buy missiles and smaller arms for asymmetric warfare (suited to win against China);  But some Taiwanese defense officials are resistant.   Foreign Policy (8-20-2020) comments Taiwan just focus on putting up a good show of being tough, buy enough U.S. weapons for display, and pray that Americans come to our rescue (Politico, 3-15-2021:Trump indicated (in 2019) America might not come to Taipei's defense in the event of a Chinese invasion.  ).  Foreign Affairs, 2022-9-14: (US) military's most promising capabilities to counter China will not be ready until the 2030s...This creates a window of vulnerability for Taiwan, most likely between 2024 and 2027.  

　

Taiwan also relies upon its computer chips as "silicon shield" to protect Taiwan, perhaps from a highly optimistic viewpoint.   Taiwan is the source of 90+ % of the most advanced computer chips relying upon importation of key components and advanced technology from the US  and Japan.  WSJ, 2021-6-19: The world relies on one chip maker in Taiwan, leaving everyone vulnerable.  That's one of the reasons we're trying to produce semiconductors here in the United States, Blinken told CBS (2022-9-25), but this will take years to accomplish at the cost of trillions of dollars (National Interest, 2021-9-11) .  Japan's日本経済新聞 (Nikkei news, Nihon keizai shinbun ) comments in May 2020 that the US asking TSMC-Taiwan to build a factory in Arizona as a "Pressure Point" in tech. fight with China (N.Y. Times, 5-19-2020)  may weaken Taiwan's security .  Some analysts argue that calculations over supply chains are insignificant in a decision over war (NY Times, 2022-8-29).

○

Wikipedia (Oct., 2022): Taiwan is the 8th largest economy in Asia (Forbes, 2022-5-15: Taiwan is home to the world's 22nd largest economy), although its high-tech sector is falling behind for lacking of key tech. and its low pay to attract university-educated talent.   Global Wealth Report (Credit Suisse, Sept., 2022) shows Taiwanese' "Median wealth per adult", USD 113,940, is higher than Americans' USD93,270, but nation's share (Credit Suisse, Oct., 2018) world wealth (1.3%) is less than USA(31%), Japan(7.5%), China(16.4%) and Korea(2.2%).

　

　

★

　    In world media's eyes, Taiwan is  ~ 　
　 　


◆ "conduit (tool)"  /    The LOWY Institute( think tank in Australia ) , 6-16-2020 : treating Taiwan as a conduit to frustrate Beijing imperils Taiwan’s security... and then the United States abandons Taiwan to deal with the consequences.

◆ "meat on chopping blocks" /  New York Times , 9-18-2020: Taiwan has become completely dependent on the United States,... Many people are saying that Taiwan has become the meat on others’ chopping blocks”

◆  "human bomb"  /  Global Times, 9-8-2020: US sets Taiwan up as a 'human bomb'  ( drive the little to poke the big  )

◆  "food on the menu"  /  SCMP, 10-7-2020: "If you are not at the table, you are on the menu,” When the great powers sit at the geopolitical table, Taiwan has long been on the menu."

◆  "a dog under control"  /  Eurasian Times  7-9-2020: The Tsai authority ... turns to Washington and is willing to be used.  Taiwan Now Under ‘Deep Control’ Of The US.

◆  "a rat" /  Le Monde diplomatique of France, '16: an illustration depicts Taiwan as a trembling sweating rat, doing nothing to approaching huge cat (China), but turning around and  lifting high a banner "$O$" . 

◆  “a ticking time bomb"   /  Brookings, 12-14-2020:  Taiwan should follow suit and take a pragmatic approach, and avoid becoming what Graham Allision described as “a ticking time bomb" that could lead to a tragic conflict

◆  "a bargaining chip"  /  Forbes, 10-5-2020:  It would be a mistake for the U.S. to pursue an FTA as part of its China policy or to use Taiwan as a bargaining chip, and Taiwan has reasons to be wary as well.

◆  " a tradable pawn", "a useful chess piece"  /  Global Times, 8-23-2020: Taiwan is a useful chess piece for the US only because of the US strategy to suppress the Chinese mainland. On the one hand, Washington exploits the Taiwan question to contain China, on the other hand it is inciting tensions and making money by selling arms to Taiwan...Taiwan is a tradable pawn.  Taiwan for the US is only a tradable chess piece, but for the mainland, reunification of the mainland and Taiwan is priceless.

◆   "dispensable  irritant"  /   Asia Times, 11-16-2020;   Washington Post 1-18-2019: Trump abandoned the Kurds in Syria. Could Taiwan be next ?  WP, 7-14-2020: Trump's policies are undermining the security of Taiwan's democracy ...

　

 

 　
　 　

　

 　

　

　


 ★  Taiwan Shuts Pro-China TV Channel in Battle over Press Freedom
　
media

  Cti TV side

NCC side
Reuters 11-18-2020 ...citing evidence of interference from a Beijing-friendly tycoon amid fears over China's campaign to win support on the island.
there was no evidence that CTi had received Chinese government funding.  and key shareholder Tsai has previously rejected accusations of newroom interference.

Taiwan's main opposition party, said it opposed the decision, as it could have a "chilling effect, strongly impacting press freedom"

 CTi had been fined for several violations such as failure to check facts and endangering the public interest
Bloomberg 11-18-2020 Taiwan Shuts Pro-China TV Channel in Battle over Press Freedom
TV station says its closure is politically motivated
the latest example of the often fraught relationship between press freedom and concerns over Chinese influence in Taiwan’s fiercely competitive media landscape.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-18/f-16-disappears-off-taiwan-s-eastern-coast-fate-still-unclear		 NCC says Chung T’ien News violated broadcast regulations     The key issue is its largest shareholder Tsai Eng-meng is directly and indirectly involved in the production of news programs
　
Guardian, 11-18-2020 “Today is the darkest day for freedom of the press and freedom of speech in the 30 years since Taiwan’s liberation,”
CTi has been accused of acting as a mouthpiece for Beijing and lobbying against the Democratic Progressive party (DPP) government, led by Tsai Ing-wen, and in favour of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/18/pro-china-tv-station-in-taiwan-ordered-off-air-over-disinformation		 Pro-China TV station in Taiwan ordered off air  after Taiwan’s media regulator found it had failed to address serious and frequent findings of bias and disinformation.
CTi had devoted 70% of its airtime to the KMT mayor of Kaohsiung, Han Kuo-yu, who unsuccessfully challenged Tsai in the presidential election. In January, CTi was fined  for airing false statements by a KMT politician without factchecking or interrogating the claims before broadcast
AFP, Yahoo News Australia, 11-18-2020 Many of the large media outlets are openly partisan, backing Beijing-friendly politicians or their opponents
"It is completely and utterly hypocritical for governments to invoke press freedom only when it fits their agenda," tweeted KMT chairman Johnny Chiang.
　
It called for NCC to make public all the evidence it examined and apply the same standards to all future license reviews regardless of their political orientation.https://au.news.yahoo.com/taiwan-pulls-plug-china-friendly-100647362.html 
He has sparked criticism in the past for being overtly pro-Beijing and imposing his political preferences on the media outlets he owns.
The NCC accused Tsai of making direct and indirect interventions in news coverage by CTi.

One example was a false report that local farmers had to dump massive quantities of pomelo fruit last year because they were unable to sell their produce to mainland China as relations soured.
Times of India, 11-18-2020 The channel, which vowed to fight the decision in court, says the government is seeking to silence those who do not support its policies. Taiwan's government has repeatedly said China has stepped up efforts, including a media campaign, to infiltrate and gain influence on the democratic island
SCMP, 11-18-2020 CTI: The Tsai government has closed CTi; press freedom is dead! CTi is seen as pro-China and the decision marks the first time the regulator has effectively shut down a television news station  It cited evidence of editorial interference from major shareholder Tsai Eng-meng
The Straits Times, 11-18-2020
The rejection of CTi cable's request is the first time Taiwan has shut, even though indirectly, a television news station since the regulator, the National Communications Commission was set up in 2006.
The decision provoked immediate anger from CTi and Taiwan's main opposition party, which called it an attack on media freedom.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/taiwan-cti-cable-shut-down-china-tycoon-tsai-eng-meng-13585436
 CTi had been fined for several violations such as failure to check facts and endangering the public interest
Focus on Taiwan, 11-18-2020 at the time of the hearing that the Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) government was looking to close the station, effectively threatening Taiwan's media freedom
CTiTV called the day "the darkest" for the freedom of press and speech since martial law was lifted over 30 years ago.
In denying the license renewal based on two reasons -- the number of complaints that led to fines imposed on the station and the interference of a major shareholder -- the NCC "ignored the issue of political manipulation and disregarded communication theory and practice," CTiTV said.
"Under the NCC's current standards, every news stations in Taiwan should be shut down,"
 Though CTi News submitted eight measures during the review process to improve the situation, Chen contended that none of them would have eliminated the interference of major shareholders in its news.
China Times, editorial 11-19-2020
Freedom of the press is dead! ! !
The ruling authorities ignored the Constitution's guarantees for freedom of speech. The National Communications Commission (NCC) betrayed the establishment purpose of the Constitutional Freedom of Speech stipulated in Article 1 of its Organic Law and decided to shut down the CTI News Channel. This was a naked, a blatant political ruling.  NCC finished the assignment Taiwan president Tsai gave.

In the 2018 elections, CTI TV stood on the opposite side of the ruling party. As a result, the DPP suffered a fiasco, the authorities grew enmity and decided to revenge CTI.

The reasons NCC claimed for shutting down the CTI  are completely ignorant of media practice and even violate the basic principles of communication. If the same standards are used,  should all news stations in Taiwan be shut down?  The gov, wants to kill one to scare many, and forces all media to follow the authorities, otherwise the same would be the case.

   United Daily, China Times, Apple Daily, Liberty Times are four major news in Taiwan.
UDN, editorial, 11-19-2020 NCC  passed the elimination of CTi News with "no objection" . Another symbolic meaning is: this is a "beheading" of Taiwan's freedom of speech, because the DPP government no longer allows "objection."   From today on, NCC is no longer an independent institution !
Apple Daily, editorial, 11-19-2020
We express our regret for NCC's Shutting Cti TV Channel
The National Communications Commission (NCC) rejected the Zhongtian News Channel’s renewal case results in a harm to the image of Taiwan’s press freedom, We express our regret for this.
LTN no comment

　

　

   understanding Taiwanese -  from CovID-19 flare-up
　
★ Benefit has precedence over human lives /
 Taiwanese patients in serious situation waiting for one week but failed to get Remdesivir,  because the government placed obstacles on their applications for using the specific remedy for curing coronavirus, which increased Taiwan's death rate ―  double global average.

★ Politicians first,  Elders' lives - the 6th~10th /
Taiwan's CDC says 90 per cent of those who died of Covid-19 were over 60 (TTV news, 2021-7-4), The CDC USA noted at Jun. 9, 2021 that The risk increases for people in their 50s and increases in 60s, 70s, and 80s... However, Taiwan once eliminated elders aged 65-75 from vaccination list, and later gave those aged 60+  and with chronic disease 10th ~ 6th low priorities to get vaccinated, instead, top officers (a huge number , and is expanding "unlimitedly" ) got 2nd priority, in spite of WHO advice : government leaders and admin. personnel should be narrowly interpreted to "a very small number of individuals". 

★ human lives do not matter /  
Taiwan's government deliberately to place obstacles (Foxconn says "invisible power") on civil organizations to purchase western vaccines.  Guardian (UK) :  it still seemed “in the DPP’s electoral interest " not to get any Pfizer BNT vaccines from Chinese agents.  (ps: Taiwan's gov is unable to get enough vaccines, which is far from needed)

　

  for full details :  Taiwanese personality,   CovID-19 in Taiwan

　

　

　

 ●   UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage  /    https://ich.unesco.org/en/lists
         Taiwan is at the end

ranks

 Asian country heritage items selected
1 China 40
2 Korea 24
3 Japan 20
4 Mongolia 15
5 India 13
6 Indonesia 10
7 Saudi Arabia 8
8 Cambodia 5
9 Philippines 4
10 Qatar 3
10 Malaysia 3
10 Pakistan 3
13  Thai 2
14 Singapore 1
14 Sri Lanka 1
14 Vietnam 1
14 UAE 1

18~3X

 Myanmar, Laos, Nepal 0
Taiwan 0
◆  Taiwan is doing De-sinicization (getting rid of Chinese culture) for political reason.

◆  sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-hawker-culture-gets-nod-included-unesco-intangible-cultural-heritage-list-140941296.html  12-16-2020: Singapore’s hawker culture was officially approved on Wednesday (16 December) to be inscribed into UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity.  The biggest thanks must go to the generations of hawkers for nourishing a nation’s stomach and spirits.   Taiwan is proud of its night market culture, but was not selected.

　

　

　

         local & int'l news reviews on Taiwan     

　

　 　

　

　

　

　

　
　

　

children & women trafficking  

　

★  US  state government -  Trafficking in persons report, Jun. 2020 
As reported in the last five years, human traffickers subject foreign men and women to forced labor and sex trafficking in Taiwan, and traffickers subject local men and women to forced labor and local women and children to sex trafficking. Taiwan women and children are subjected to domestic sex trafficking, including as part of an increasing trend in which traffickers induce and exploit Taiwan and foreign women’s and children’s drug addictions. Taiwan traffickers increasingly use the internet, smartphone apps, livestreaming, and other such online technologies to conduct recruitment activities, often targeting child victims, and to mask their identities from law enforcement. Taiwan traffickers also exploit persons with disabilities in sex trafficking. Traffickers lure women from China and Southeast Asian countries to

 Taiwan  through fraudulent marriages and deceptive employment offers for purposes of sex trafficking. Many trafficking victims are migrant workers from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and, to a lesser extent, individuals from China, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka. Taiwan is host to more than 700,000  foreign workers, most of whom are hired in their home countries through recruitment agencies and brokers—including some from Taiwan—to perform low-skilled work as home caregivers and domestic workers, or in farming, manufacturing, meat processing, construction, and fishing.  full text


 ★  US  state government -  Trafficking in persons report, Jun. 2019:   in the last five years, human traffickers subject foreign
 men and women to forced labor and sex trafficking in Taiwan, and traffickers subject local men and women to forced labor and local women
 and children to sex trafficking. ... take advantage of Taiwan and foreign women’s and children’s drug addictions to subject them to sex
trafficking. Taiwan traffickers increasingly use the internet, smartphone apps, livestreaming, and other such online technologies to conduct recruitment activities, often targeting child victims, and to mask their identities from law enforcement.

　

　

Traffickers lure women from China and Southeast Asian countries to Taiwan through fraudulent marriages and deceptive employment
offers for purposes of sex trafficking.   Many trafficking victims are migrant workers from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam,
 and to a lesser extent, individuals from China, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka.

　

Traffickers reportedly take advantage of Taiwan’s “New Southbound Policy” visa-simplification program to lure Southeast
Asian students and tourists to Taiwan and subject them to forced labor and sex trafficking.

　

　

New !    illegal migrants  

　

　

 　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

exclusive news !!

●  Green Peace, 5-2-2019:  It remains our view that Taiwanese fisheries still have many serious problems,
both environmental and social, and that the need for reform is clear and urgent.

　

　

　

●   <The Diplomat> (4-14-2016) :  Taiwan's illegal fishing is 'out of control' - 

 EU warned in 2015 Taiwan with a yellow card for illegal fishing, till 6 '19. 

 GreenPeace criticized Taiwan gov. for knowing this issue but does little.

　

●  Washington Post 2-22-2018: Taiwan is No.2 fishing nation

as measured by Global fishing Watch's Automatic Identification Sys., 2016.

(wait & see how TW  nw law works)

　

●  Lowy Institute & <the interpreter>, 5-2-2019:
◆ Taiwan currently operates under an EU “yellow card,” or warning, for illegal, unreported and
unregulated (IUU) fishing; 

◆ Taiwan has so far refused to adopt the Work in Fishing Convention;
◆ Taiwanese authorities declined to prosecute the ship (Fuh Sheng ) for shark finning, although
the ship’s proprietor had earlier admitted to the Financial Times the vessel had caught and finned sharks; t
◆ The Taiwan-flagged Wen Peng...allegedly killed one Filipino and one Indonesian. Six other foreign crew
 members were reportedly forced to jump into the sea and were never found.

　

The 2●  US State Department’s Country Report on Human Rights Practices (2018):  Taiwan flagged the practices of
recruitment and brokerage agencies, which facilitate the hiring of fishermen and other migrant workers, as leaving workers “vulnerable to debt bondage.  Foreign workers are often charged excessive fees and subjected to poor working
conditions.  Fishermen on the high seas are left with no way of seeking help by using multilingual hotline
for migrant workers to report mistreatment. (brief) 

 
 Taiwan government's reply  at 5-9-2019

views from China Times, 7-4-2019, more efforts are needed to solve human rights issues :  https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20190704004444-262104?chdtv

　

　
　

　

　

　

　

Taiwan illegal fishing as a pirate

Taiwan, A pirate boat !!?

　

†

     

　

　

　

　

 　

　

　

　

　

　

★

　

★

  2.  Taiwan soft power Reviews

　

 

Taiwan's soft power  vs.  Asia's soft power
world best surveys Taiwan's rankings
in top 25~30 list		 comparison with
other Asia & Pacific countries
Brand Finance -  Global soft power Index 2022 failed 1. US, 2. UK, 3. Germany, 4. China, 5. Japan, 6. France, 7. Canada, 8. Swiss, 9. Russia, 10. Italy
ISSF's World Soft Power 2022 failed 1. US 2. France, 3. Germany, 4. Japan, 5. UK, 6. Swiss, 7. Italy, 8. S. Korea, 9. Spain, 10. China,11.India,12. Sweden, 13. Canada, 14. Australia, 15. Denmark
Brand Finance -  Global soft power Index 2021 failed 1. Germany,  2. Japan, 3. UK, 4. Canada, 5. Swiss, 6. US, 7 France, 8. China, 9. Sweden, 10. Australia, 11. Korea, 12 Holland, 13.  Russia, 14. Norway, 15. Denmark, 16 NZ, 17. UAE, 18. Iceland,    19. Italia, 20. Singapore
US News: 2021 Best Countries Overall failed top 10 2. Japan,  5. Australia   7. New Zealand
2020 Brand Finance -  Global soft power Index ,
 top 60		 n/c https://brandirectory.com  No. 4 Japan, 5 China, 13 Aus,  14 Korea,  18 UAE,  20 Singapore,  22 NZ,  26 SA 27 India
2021 Monocle's
Soft Power survey		 included 1. Germany, 2. S Korea, 3. France, 4. Japan, 5. Taiwan, 6. Swiss, 7. New Zealand 8. Sweden, 9. Greece, 10. Canada
2020 Monocle's Soft Power survey listed No.1 Germany, No. 2. Korea, 3. France, 4. Japan, 5. TW, 6 Swiss, 7. NZ, 8 Sweden, 9 Greece, 10 Canada
 2019/2020 
Top 30 SOFT POWER by Portland		 failed No. 8 Japan, No.9  Australia, No. 17 New Zealand,  No. 19  S Korea, No. 21 Singapore, No. 27 China

　

　

　

world's most livable cities  ... include Taiwan's ?

 top ranking list of the world's most livable cities

　
world best surveys Taiwan's rankings
in top list		 comparison with
other Asia & Pacific countries
EIU's Global Liveability Ranking 2022 failed top 10 1. Vienna 2. Copenhagen 3. Zurich 4. Calgary 5. Vancouver 6. Geneva 7. Frankfurt 8. Toronto 9. Amsterdam 10. Osaka
The World's Best Cities to Live In 2022 failed top 10 1. London, 2. Tokyo, 3. Shanghai, 4. Singapore, 5. Melbourne, 6. Sydney, 7. Paris, 8. Beijing, 9. NY, 10. Amsterdam
The EIU's Global Livability Index Ranking   2021 failed top 10 　
The World's Best Cities to Live In 2020 failed top 10 1. Tokyo Japan, 3. Singapore, 5. Melbourne Australia, 8 Seoul Korea, 10. Sydney Australia
Monocle's Quality of Life survey 2021 9 Taipei 1. Denmark, 2. Swiss, 3. Helsinki, Finland, 4. Stockholm Sweden, 5. Tokyo, Japan, 6. Vienna  7 Lisbon, 8. Auckland, 9 Taipei, 10. Sydney
 The EIU's Global Livability Index Ranking   2019  failed in the top 50 No.2  Melbourne,  No.3  Sydney,  No.4 Osaka (Japan), No. 7 Tokyo,  No.10  Adelaide,  No.12 Auckland (NZ),   No.15 Wellington (NZ),   18 Brisbane  (Aus) ,    No. 38 Hong Kong,  No. 40 Singapore,   No.57  Seoul (Korea),  Taipei behind   
Monocle's Quality of Life survey 2019 failed in the top list

https://monocle.com/film/affairs/quality-of-life-survey-top-25-cities-2019/

 No.2 Tokyo (Japan),  No.11 Melbourne (Australia), No.13 Sydney,  No.16 Hong Kong,  No.17 Kyoto (Japan),  No.21 Auckland (NZ), No.22 Fukuoka (Japan),  23 Brisbane  25 Singapore
Deutsche Bank Liveability Survey 　

failed in the list https://www.dbresearch.com/PROD/RPS_EN-PROD/PROD0000000000494405/Mapping_the_world%27s_prices_2019.pdf
　

 No. 2 Wellington (NZ),    No. 7 Melbourne ( Australia ),  No.10 Sydney,   No.14 Tokyo  No.16 Auckland (NZ),  No.17 Dubai (UAE), No. 23 Singapore,   No. 26 Saudi Arabia Riyadh,  No. 29 Seoul (Korea),  No. 33 India Bangalore,  No. 39 Malaysia  Kuala Lumpur,   44 Hong Kong,   46 India Delhi,  No. 48   Shanghai (China), No. 55 Beijing
Safe Cities Index (SCI)  2019,   EIU (Economist UK), NEC failed in the top 20 No.1  Tokyo, No.2  Singapore, No.3 Osaka (Japan),  No.5 Sydney (Aus), No. 8 Seoul (Korea), No10 Melbourne, No. 20 Hong Kong 　
ArchDaily / The World's Most Livable Cities in 2019 failed in the top 20 No. 3. Auckland, New Zealand, 11. Sydney, Australia,  No.15. Wellington, New Zealand , No.17. Melbourne, Australia  
 The EIU's Global Livability Index Ranking   2018  failed in the top 50 No.2 Melbourne (Australia),  No.3  Osaka (Japan),  No. 7  Tokyo (Japan) ,  No.10       Adelaide  (Australia),   No.12 Auckland (NZ)    Wellington (NZ) ... ... (omitted),  Taipei 58
 The EIU's Global Liveability Index Ranking   2017  failed in the top 50  No.1  Melbourne,  No. 5  Adelaide,  No. 7  Perth,
No. 8 Auckland (NZ),  No.11 Sydney,  No.13  Tokyo,  No.  14  Osaka,  No.16 Brisbane,   No. 20 Wellington (NZ),  No. 35 Singapore,  No.45  Hong Kong,  No.58  Seoul (Korea),  No.60   Taipei  

EIU (Economist UK)'s  Global Liveability Index evaluates stability, healthcare, culture&environment,  education,   Infrastructure

　


　

Reviews on :

Taiwan Soft-power reviews
by international & local  institutions

 　
soft power

　

 ● abc news (Australia), 2022-9-8: Amid China's military and diplomatic isolation, Taiwan turns to films and games to reconnect with the world.  Taiwan was still "in its early days" of building soft power. 

● Taiwan was not included in Brand Finance -  Global soft power Index 2022, ISSF's World Soft Power 2022, Brand Finance -  Global soft power Index 2021, US News: 2021 Best Countries Overall.

● Before CovID-19, according to UK based Monocle's Soft Power Survey 2010 ~ 2019/2020, Taiwan has not been included in this global ranking list,  Taiwan's soft power is behind Asian's countries Japan, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, China, India, UAE, all of them reached "world top 20" at least once.  
● Taiwan also failed to be listed in 2019's, 2018's Soft Power 30 Study by USC Center on Public Diplomacy in July 2018 and  2017's Soft Power 30 Study, compiled by PR company Portand Communication and University of Southern California.   Asian countries in 2018,  Japan(No.5), S. Korea(20), Singapore(21), China(27) are top 30.   In 2019/2020: 8.Japan, 9.Australia, 17. NZ, 19. Korea, 21. Singapore, 27. China.

　
privacy

　

 ● US Naval Institute   , May, 2022  (usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2022/may/preparing-post-invasion-taiwan-insurgency): Taiwan has extensive networks of closed-circuit TV cameras, and issued a national health insurance smartcard that tracks medical histories.
● Amnesty International, June, 2021: The government took several measures to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus, some of which threatened the right to privacy.

　

● New York Post  4-25-2020 : Taiwan fights with CovID with "a lot more authoritarian.", "almost everyone is tracked.", "Children have their temperature taken at school and are sent to the hospital if they have a fever." 
         Taiwan govt. responded at 4-28-2020: Taiwanese would like to cooperate with our policy.   ps: UDN 5-7-2020 editorial:  No Taiwanese were told being monitored until govt. started its int'l propaganda campaign.  UDN 5-9-2020 : Taiwan's infra-red thermograph (for CovID-19) in dept store, rapid transit station, made women almost naked, and triggered questions.

● The United Daily News (聯合報) , editorial, 3-31-2019 :  Taiwan is a backward country on personal-data protection.   Taiwan plans to sell general public's personal data and digital human rights (e.g., people's medical health data without giving any notice ), peep at whatever on the net , and even monitor all the citizens,  nothing people would normally notice ...   (brief https://udn.com/news/story/7338/3728815) 

　
freedom of expression ● RSF, <Reporters Sans Frontieres>, France, 2021-4-20 :  2021 World Press Freedom Index -  Taiwan No. 43; Taiwan got No. 38 place in Press Freedom Index 2022.

● RSF, <Reporters Sans Frontieres>, France, (Christophe Deloire, Secretary General ) , LTN, 5-16-2020,  Reporters Without Borders (RSF, Cedric Alviani ),  Taipei Times, 12-17-2019
  It is no secret that the Taiwanese media sector is plagued by sensationalism, undeclared advertising and an unhealthy “blue-green” political polarization that hinders journalism in its role as a balancing power, stirring public distrust. It is not that Taiwan lacks competent journalists, but most of them have to work under undue pressure and cannot count on legal protection against requests from their management that would go against journalistic ethics... Taiwanese government always took "press freedom" as an excuse to ignore them.
   Five measures to reinforce Taiwan’s media:
1) establish regulations that effectively protect the independence of editorial departments from their employers and boards of directors
2) create in law a “duty of care” that would oblige online platforms to protect both users’ freedom of speech, and safety in regards to hate speech and manipulation
3) upscale the amount of financial resources allocated to public media outlets
4) support the emergence of new media outlets that aim to uphold journalistic ethics, through economic and fiscal incentives following a similar model to start-up development
5) emphasize critical thinking and media literacy in academic curricula and public education actions (brief)

● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  3-11-2020:  Journalists said they faced pressure from management to submit news stories to complement or support the content of paid advertisements.

● < Reporters Sans Frontieres> (RSF, France) , 4-18-2019:  Taiwan’s journalists are suffering from a very polarized media environment dominated by sensationalism and the pursuit of profit. Although President Tsai Ing-wen has said she wants to continue developing press freedom in Taiwan, few concrete measures have been taken to improve journalists’ editorial independence and encourage media to raise the quality of the public debate. Beijing is exploiting this weakness by putting pressure on Taiwanese media owners, who often have business interests on the mainland. 

台灣國安局監控

pic. : United Daily, 12-3-2018:KMT legislator : all internet platform service providers (e.g., FB) in Taiwan were invited by the government and requested to hand in all users' personal information/data. 

Taiwan's intelligence "National Security Bureau"  has been doing overall monitors on all Taiwanese.

The head of NSB expressed that investigations and monitoring will be used to those criticizing and blackening Taiwan president.   KMT press conference criticized NSB was infringing Taiwanese rights and interests. 
Where is freedom of expression ?

UDN 11-3-2018 headline news : Top target media communities that Taiwan's FBI has been monitoring are
 (1) Facebook ,  (2) Youtube  (3) LINE

　

　

　

　

　

　

◆  The China Times 3-29-2019 headline news:
Defend 100% freedom of speech ! 
Democracy on the surface, anti-democracy to the bone is not allowed !!

　

　
travel & tourism

● Washington Examiner, 2022-8-26: China's temper tantrum over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan seems to have sparked a mini-boom in congressional tourism toward the island.  washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/seventy-year-lie-china-has-never-had-a-serious-claim-to-taiwan
● ABC Radio National, Australia, 2-27-2020:  What's most apparent when visiting Taiwan is how ordinary it is — ordinary in the sense of normal, everyday, functional.

　

● WEF <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> of 2019 shows Taiwan had the sub-region's largest decline in competitiveness,  Taiwan ranks 10th in Asia.

　

● why 5/6 bridges badly in need of repair have not been done ?  government even has never made public the info. and where those bridges are. (ref. to United Daily, 10-9-2019, headline news) 

corruption ● Economist, 2022-8-2: Taiwan needs to do more to combat corruption and waste in its armed forces economist.com/leaders/2022/08/02/nancy-pelosis-trip-to-taiwan-highlights-americas-incoherent-strategy
 ● Avios, 2022-6-28: Scandals and corruption have plagued the Taiwanese armed forces

● US  Country Reports on Human Rights Practices , 2021-3-30:

there were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties  in Presidential election.

● Liberty Times, 5-25-2020: Univ. presidents' graft or malfeasance was heard frequently.

●Transparency International 1-29-2019: Taiwan has stagnated in the Corruption Perspective Index rankings since 2011 with its score 61~63 (dropped 2 spots this year), in contrast, South Korea improved by 3 points in 2017.   
 ● In platform presentation at 12-25-2019, Nationalist Party Presidential candidate Han criticized President Tsai has allowed top officials around grow very corrupt, Tsai refuted KMT was more serious, People First Party candidate Song said that speaking of corruption and unfair judiciary, KMT and DPP are about the same. 
● Liberty Times, 1-12-2020, editorial: The administration's rottenness (腐壞氣息) smells already.
human rights

　

 ● Global Times, 2022-8-11: under the guise of "democracy", the DPP authorities are practicing "green terror".  
●Taiwan's ruling party, DPP's official website : human rights abuses occurs anywhere and anytime in Taiwan (https://www.gotv.ctitv.com.tw/2020/12/1648383.htm). 
● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30:  Members of the security forces committed some abuses.  Significant human rights issues included: the existence of criminal libel laws and serious acts of corruption.

● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  3-11-2020:  Some political commentators and academics,  publicly questioned the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high profile, politically sensitive cases. Judicial reform advocates pressed for greater public accountability, reforms of the personnel system, and other procedural improvements ;   The right to strike remained highly regulated. Teachers, civil servants, and defense industry employees do not have the right to strike. Workers in industries such as utilities, hospital services, and telecommunication service providers are allowed to strike only if they maintain basic services during the strike. Authorities may prohibit, limit, or break up a strike during a disaster. For all workers, the law divides labor disputes into “rights disputes” and “adjustment disputes.” Workers are allowed to strike only in adjustment disputes, which include issues such as compensation and working schedules.Labor laws do not cover domestic household workers, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation. Concerns about censorship were limited to efforts by the authorities in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to censor Taiwan media outlets based on the business interests of their parent companies in the PRC.
pirate ● Green Peace, 5-2-2019:  It remains our view that Taiwanese fisheries still have many serious problems, both environmental and social, and that the need for reform is clear and urgent.  

● Lowy Institute & <the interpreter>, 5-2-2019: Taiwan ...illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing... Taiwan has so far refused to adopt the Work in Fishing Convention. 

● <The Diplomat> (4-14-2016) :  Taiwan's illegal fishing is 'out of control'... 
● GreenPeace criticized Taiwan gov. for knowing this issue but does little -  EU warned since 2015 Taiwan with a yellow card for illegal fishing, Taiwan has not improved this good enough, some small countries in Southern Asia did better than Taiwan.  (ps: yellow card ends now)
aesthetic country? ● Forbes (3-5-2017) "3 Things Chinese Tourists Are Surprised To Find When They Travel Abroad To Taiwan" : "It's not very modern !",  " the wealth wasn’t invested in architecture.   So the cities are full of decayed apartment blocks.... the housing isn’t as good.”. 

● The Liberty Times and the China Times (3-10-2017) /  local scholars : without overall urban renewal planning, Taiwan will never get rid of the bad name "ugly cities". 

● Taipei City mayor Dr. Ko pointed out during a trip to Japan that Taipei is short of aesthetic elements or sense of beauty (欠缺城市美學/美感). / The China Times 1-26-2016.
food & dining ●  Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, 2022-2-7: Taiwan Set to Lift Ban on Fukushima Food to Boost Japan Ties.  finance.yahoo.com/news/taiwan-set-lift-ban-fukushima-140007509.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
 ● Scientific Reports Journal, Food Navigator Asia, 2-9-2021: Fish fraud findings: Almost 20% of fish in Taiwan found to be mislabelled - study (Taiwan food scare, including 5 star hotel restaurant foods  which the website revealed earlier in 2017).

● UDN, 2-17-2019: Gov. did not declared poison eggs until almost sold out...

● Food safety is one of biggest challenges to Taiwan / The China Times. 8-6-2016,
 an interview to Taiwan president Tsai I. W.

● Chang Gung Mem. Hospital Toxicology expert & professor Yin M.D. (顏宗海, Doctor, Univ. of London ): Minimize the times of dining out to protect your health !  ref to book <食品不安全的年代如何自保>, 2016.

● MicroPlastics were found in 44% tap water samples, medical circle believes it's a very serious environmental pollution, since something bad, e.g., Dioxin, Bisphenol A (BPA), PAHs, heavy metal elements, may be brought into food chain, and then were accumulated in human body...... we better use purified water by RO machine for safety.  Furthermore, mussels, oysters, clams (扇貝與蛤) were also found some microplastics......  brief -  headlines of Apple Daily, United Daily, 9-26-2018.   

 democracy ●US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2022-4-12 :  In 2020 presidential and legislative elections, President Tsai Ing-wen won re-election,...there were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties.  

● National Interest, 2022-7-9: Taiwan is a young democratic country that is vulnerable to demagoguery by politicians trying to win elections ...

● New York Times, 1-11-2020: Taiwan’s young and vibrant, if messy at times, democratic society.

● Economist EIU Democracy Index 2019 shows Taiwan is "Flawed democracy", 2019's overall score is lower than 2015's and 2016's, the scores of "political culture", "political participation" are low (5.63, 6.11). 

● <Foreign Policy> 2015: Taiwan politics belongs to corporations (not the people) and is controlled by the political parties.
Social security ● Taipei Times, 2022-9-13 : The results of a survey released yesterday by the Foundation for the People showed  that 73.6 percent are dissatisfied with public safety in Taiwan, while 25.5 percent are satisfied. taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2022/09/13/2003785231
 ●《 United Daily, 聯合報》, Presidential election page,  1-6-2020:  The Police headquarter denied the state machine pressured them to inspect fake news, but the Nationalists Party showed police internal document to prove the police were push by performance merit, rewards or punishments to check fake message on internet, so police were lying  

●《 United Daily, 聯合報》, opinion,  1-6-2020: Taiwan police interviewed nationals everywhere for their reposting messages or pressing facial symbols on the net. 

● More than 10 Korean media, e.g., Yonhap News Agency (韓聯社),  Donga Ilbo (東亞日報), and largest web portal Naver, reported in Jan. 16, 2017 in large scale or great length to lash out Taiwan's bad social security. 

●《 BBC》UK,  3-29-2016   "The whole society's safety net has loopholes " . 

　
judiciary 　

● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30: Some political commentators and academics, however, publicly questioned the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high profile, politically sensitive cases.

● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  3-11-2020:  Some political commentators and academics,  publicly questioned the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high profile, politically sensitive cases.   USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices at 3-13-2019 and 4-20-2018 both pointed out that Taiwan's justice ministry was insufficiently independent and conducted politically motivated investigations of politicians. US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019 pointed out that justice ministry was insufficiently independent and conducted politically motivated investigations of politicians (in <Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government> section), ...

●  The China Times, 5-27-2020 : The public trust on Taiwan's prosecutors was suffered severe injuries from the Minister's "guides" and "leads"  (部長下指導棋重傷檢察公信力)   
       https://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20200527000524-260118

●  The United Daily, 5-16-2020, https://udn.com/news/story/121092/4567513   (從人權到新威權 變調的司法正義)
       The ruling party DPP has been more "authoritarian" than the way "authoritarian" government in old days was, no wonder the first thing the public have not satisfied with is the judicial reform.  Many question the judicial system was reduced to be the government's tool ― to strengthen monitoring the public, and many worries, their political opponents   (過去四年許多作為卻比過去威權更威權，立法、執法上不斷加強對人民的監控，司法不斷被質疑淪為掌權者工具， 司法改革卻是人民最不滿意的重中之重 )

　
exploitation

● LaborRights.org,  2022-4-7: In 2022, the SWG finds that Taiwan should be downgraded to Tier 2 due to the government’s failure to meet the minimum standards as set forth in the TVPA

●  Freedom House, June 2019:  labor advocates report poor implementation, citing ongoing mistreatment and abuse of foreign fishermen on Taiwanese vessels.  

● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices, March 3, 2017, 4-20-2018:  Exploitation of  foreign workers,  official corruption,  some media self-censorship with regard to China, vote buying, etc .  

● US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019:  Foreign workers were most susceptible to forced labor, especially when serving as crew members on Taiwan-flagged fishing vessels.   Mistreatment and poor working conditions for foreign fishermen remained common.

transportation ● New York Times, 2021-7-19 (nytimes.com/2021/07/19/world/asia/taiwan-train-crash.html):  systemic failures at a government agency contributed to Taiwan’s worst rail disaster in seven decades. It has undermined confidence in the government at a time when Taiwan has struggled with a surge in coronavirus cases and rolling electrical blackouts

● Lancet Planetary Health (April 10, '19): "The 4th worst for rate of kids getting Asthma from traffic air pollution" 

● BBC UK, The SUN (2-13-2017):  "Bus Crash Horror !" -  Taiwan's "safety standards need to be improved".   A few days later another fatal bus accident occurred. 

● Taiwan's aviation safety - MSN, Reuters, EuroNews, Mirro(UK), NewsWeek, CNN, etc (2-4-2015) :"Taiwan has had a poor aviation safety record in recent years" .
housing 　

●《 National Interest》 ,  2022-7-9:   Taiwan faces many internal problems. First, low wages and high housing costs are affecting the marriage rate and leading to decreases in fertility.  

●《 New York Times》 ,  2021-10-16: The Kaohsiung building (46 killed in a fire) is one of many aging structures across the island that have fallen into severe disrepair as a result of weak management and government neglect. 

●《 Bloomberg》 ,  2021-7-1 (bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-01/taiwan-s-red-hot-housing-defies-challenges-from-covid-to-china?srnd=prognosis) : Taiwan’s Red-Hot Housing Defies Challenges From Covid to  the constant threat of invasion from China / Prices defy sale curbs, falling population, high vacancy rate, Covid outbreak slows deals, but low rates drive prices higher.

●《 Global Property Guide》 ,  2021-8-2 :  Taiwan’s house prices are surging again, buoyed by a strong economy and ultra-low interest rate environment.

● <CTS HD>, 5-23-2016 1:25pm, "華視新聞雜誌":  17 million Taiwanese people ( totally 23 million population in Taiwan) live in "potential danger" (潛在危險) houses, according to <遠見> study, Taiwanese people gave a "failure" score (53.5) on "living safety".

● Lloyd's City Risk Index 2015-2025 analyses the potential impact on the economic output (GDP risk)  of world's major cities, Taipei was ranked world No.1 - within the next 10 years

　

creativity

 ● poor and weak creativity - even some government's logos are similar to western's,  Taiwan very seldom won award in Cannes Ad. Festival, France.

● abc news (Australia), 2022-9-8: Amid China's military and diplomatic isolation, Taiwan turns to films and games to reconnect with the world.  Taiwan was still "in its early days" of building soft power.

●The China Times,  headline news  at 12-24-2017:  The total value of Taiwan's cultural & creative production was far behind of that of Korea, Korea's value in publication is about 6 times larger than Taiwan's,  Film industry 6 times, TV 3.5 times, Advertising 3 times, Pop-music 6 times bigger than Taiwan's,  Taiwan lacks of updated related laws and policy ― no focus, no direction, no institute, original creativity is not encouraged, the industry field is divided, without integrated marketing...... 

● It's a big shame again that Taiwan government used the photo of Washington Dulles int'l airport (old Taiwan airport is a cheap-copy, very similar to Dulles) on Taiwan's new passport in 2017-2018.

character/personality

 ● The Liberty Times, 1-4-2016/  Taipei City mayor Dr. Ko: Taiwanese have been patient sufferance of so many politically bullies and toying (and killings), hence lost confidence and passion, Taiwan only has obedient, docile citizens who surrendered to their "lord",  those some of Taiwanese revolted, resisted or rebelled were all killed by their rulers, the rest of Taiwanese are docile citizens, their children or descendants are even more docile.

● Forbes (3-5-2017) : Taiwanese "People are ominously courteous".

happiness

● CIA   The World Fact Book (cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/total-fertility-rate/country-comparison), Japan Times, 2021-4-21: CIA estimates Taiwan's "Fertility Rate" in 2021 to be world's lowest.  Taiwan ranks No. 227, probably caused by many house-wives being busy in work as well as in household duties, according to Liberty Times 2021-4-20. 
●《 VOAnews》 ,  2022-4-1: survey: More than 20% of Taiwanese under the age of 40 say they lack savings and 65% report they are in debt, only one-third of respondents said their income exceeds their expenses

medical service

 ● Bloomberg, 2021-9-28: Taiwan's CovID 3-month case-fatality rate is 13.4% which is the worst worldwide, compared with Singapore's 0.2%, S. Korea 0.3%, Japan 0.3%, China 0%.  Taiwan's case-fatality rate increases to 5.2% (2021-9-26,  coronavirus.jhu.edu/region/taiwan, Microsoft Bing statistics) from 4.9% which ranked 8th highest worldwide according to Johns Hopkins University, China Post, 2021-7-14.

shopping/commodity-price

 　

● World Economic Forum (WEF)  <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> released at 9-4-2019 shows Taiwan's "price competitiveness" ranks world No. 78.

● (WEF)  <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> (released at 4-6-2017), Taiwan's "Price Competitiveness" ranks No. 46, "Hotel Price Index" ranks No. 89 (82 in 2015).

● In Swiss UBS's "most expensive cities" report, Taipei's commodity price was ranked No. 26, worse than the rank (No.42) in last time.    (9-18-2015)

● UK's Economist Intelligence Unit - Liveability Country Level Index (2015), evaluates "Cost of Living" of Taipei as "72" (scores 1~131, "1" means the cheapest, e.g., Mexico City is "73").

● According to 2015 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report, Taiwan's "hotel price index" ranks world No. 82, "Purchasing power parity" ranks world No. 64,  "price competitiveness" ranks No. 38. 

● Forbes (3-5-2017): Things are cheap !  Taiwan’s a good bargain, explaining the glut of self-guided tourists from China who voluntarily go shopping in Taipei. Some tourists also wonder if the prices reflect weakness in Taiwan’s overall economy.

　

women

　

● US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-11-2020 : In the new legislature, a record 38 percent of lawmakers were women.  ABC Radio National, Australia, 2- 27-2020: 42 per cent of Taiwan's legislators (law makers) are women;  it's the only Asian nation to have legislated same-sex marriage.

● <The United Daily 聯合報>,  3-16-2018 (prime news edition)

         Taiwan president Tsai I. W. : Taiwan still have a not short way to reach gender equality (台灣離性別平等  還有一段路要走)

athletics

 ●  olympics.com/beijing-2022/olympic-games/en/results/all-sports/medal-standings.htm  Taiwan in Winter Olympics Beijing 2022 : zero medal.

● Tokyo Olympic Games medal rankings : countries of Asia & Pacific - No. 2. China, No. 3 Japan, 6 Australia, 13 NZ, 16 S Korea, 27 Iran, 34 Chinese Taipei (2 gold, 4 silver, 6 bronze) .

● In 2016 Rio Olympics medal tally statistics, Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) got 1 gold, 2 bronze, ranks world No. 50.

int'l fraud

● Forbes 6-23-2016: Taiwan's fraud network is expanding overseas.

●    Taiwan largely sees these telecom frauds/phone scammers as an asset rather than liability... / quora

● Taiwan's legislators and judicial system don't have a sense of shame on releasing so many int'l telecomm scammers and fraud groups committing the crime across the world (United Daily, 8-24-2016 opinion-editorial ).　

'entertainment' / "circus"

 US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2022-4-12:
nThe Control Yuan reported in August that its analysis of official statistics from 2005-20 showed the number of male victims of child sexual exploitation was increasing and that male and female minors of indigenous heritage were targeted at higher rates than those of other ethnic groups.
nThe Taiwan High Prosecutor’s Office reported a rise in child sexual exploitation cases in 2018, 2019, and 2020, with 1,060, 1,211, and 1,691 indictments, respectively.
nNGOs raised concerns about the online sexual exploitation of children and reported sex offenders increasingly used cell phones, web cameras, live streaming, apps, and other new technologies to deceive and coerce underage girls and boys into sexual activity; the NGOs called for increased prosecutions and heavier penalties.

 Liveability

●《 United Daily 聯合報》 4-12-2019 headline news -  Lancet Planetary Health (April 10, '19): "The 4th worst for rate of kids getting Asthma from traffic air pollution"  《中國時報 China Times》, Taiwan,  4-12-2019 : the government was criticized that lacking intention to improve air pollution.

　

●《 United Daily 聯合報》 9-6-2019:  "the root of all evil - high real estate price", Taiwanese politicians kept trying to earn sudden huge profits by their secret weapons - distorting tax rates, land-value assessing,    changing land category, and wrongly using political power (在稅率、估價上，行種種遷就現實的扭曲，成為炒作地價法寶，配合變更地目千倍差價，借助公權力圖謀暴利，乃成大小政客的聚寶盆 ... / 馬凱)

　

● 《Apple Daily 蘋果日報》, 9-28-2019:  "the root of all evil", the biggest injustice : land trades ( 台灣萬惡之源、台灣最大的不公不義: 土地交易... 很多避稅手段) , in the past decades, the richest Taiwanese earned huge fortune by land-trades.

　

● According to Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)'s Global Liveability Report of 2017, Taipei ranks No. 60 among 140 cities, based on 30 factors related to education resource, safety, health care, infrastructure, environment, etc.  Asia's Tokyo No. 13, Singapore 35, HK 45.

Political status

 ●  Brookings, 2022-2-7: why is unification so unpopular in Taiwan? It’s the PRC political system; A majority of our respondents — 56% — said Taiwanese culture was similar to Chinese culture.  72% rated China’s government as at least somewhat unfriendly.  brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2022/02/07/why-is-unification-so-unpopular-in-taiwan-its-the-prc-political-system-not-just-culture/
●  Nikkei Asia, 2021-7-7: The US does not support Taiwan independence.

● WSJ (Wall Street Journal) 9-20-2019: It’s clearly a big win for China having the two largest allies of Taiwan in the Pacific drop so quickly...  Washington Post 9-25-2019: China’s growing dominance in the South Pacific is a defeat for an America in retreat.    New York Times 9-20-2019:  As Taiwan Loses Influence, China Gains Ground in Race With U.S.

　

●

 Taiwan votes in elections, Nov. 2018
        ● New York Times, 11-23-2018:  Economic growth, employment and pension reforms were among key issues in the elections...China said the results (Taiwan elections) reflected a desire of Taiwanese for better relations with the mainland...

      ● Quartz , 11-25-2018 :  
      Taiwan’s elections have given Beijing much to celebrate  (https://qz.com/1473960/taiwans-elections-have-given-beijing-much-to-celebrate/)

    ● Le Monde (France), 11-24-2018 :  A Taïwan, des élections sous influence chinoise

    ● Wall Street Journal , 11 25 2018:

       A great virtue of Taiwan’s voters is that they’re pragmatic, a useful trait for an island under threat of a Chinese invasion. That pragmatism was on display in local elections Saturday that rebuked President Tsai Ing-wen while refusing to ban nuclear power.

     ●  Reuters UK , 11-26-2018: Beijing told Reuters simply: “They’re really happy.”  
     ●  SET news, Taiwan, 11-26-2018: 英國路透社一針見血，認為中國是這次選舉的最大贏家，而華盛頓郵報和法國世界報也都認為，中國是左右這次選舉的最大關鍵。

      ● New York Times 11-28-2018: Will Taiwan Be the First Domino to Fall to China?

　

●The People's Republic of China (PRC) claims that the Republic of China (Taiwan) government is illegitimate, referring to it as the "Taiwan Authority".

The ROC, however, with its own constitution, independently elected president and armed forces... since Chiang Kai-shek (leader of the KMT, Taiwan's ruling party most of time) and his forces fled to the island at the end of Chinese civil war in 1949.

　

              

pic. left: ROC (Taiwan) national flag;      
pic. right: Chinese Taipei flag for participating in int'l events, e.g., Olympics Games.   

　
　 　

　

　

　

　

ps:

 (1) Monocle's soft power survey:   Taiwan's soft power
　

2019/2020  THE SOFT POWER by Portland

　
1  France 16 Austria
2 UK 17 New Zealand
3 Germany 18 Belgium
4 Sweden 19 Korea
5 USA 20 Ireland
6 Swiss 21 Singapore
7 Canada 22 Portugal
8 Japan 23 Poland 
9 Australia 24 Czech
10 Nederland 25 Greece
11 Italia 26    Brazil
12 Norway 27    China
13 Spain 28    Hungary
14 Denmark 29    Turkey
15 Finland 30    Russia

  Dr. Joseph Nye advised that hard & soft power enable Taiwan to deal with China and expand its international space. (Dec. 8, 2010)

  However,

  Till 2020, Taiwan has not been included in Monocle's Soft Power survey ranking list, so Taiwan's soft power is behind Asian's "world top 20" nations , including Japan, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, China, India, UAE.    Japan ranks No.3, Korea No.15, China No.19 in 2019.   Korea ranks 19、14、11 in 2010, 2011, 2012,  and No.17 in 2017/2018.   China is No.19 , Japan No. 4, Singapore No.22, India 24, in 2017/2018.   Taiwan keeps failing to enter top 25 ranking status in 2013~2019.

　

　

2018/2019 Monocle's Soft Power survey

1  France 16 Nederland
2 Germany 17 Finland
3 Japan 18 Norway
4 Canada 19 China
5 Swiss 20 Belgium
6 UK 21  Singapore
7 Sweden 22 Ireland
8 Australia 23 Austria 
9 USA 24 India
10 Portugal 25 Brasil
11 New Zealand ps: Asia & Pacific countries marked
12 Italia
13 Spain
14 Denmark
15 Korea

　


  (2) Till 2019, Taiwan has not been included in Monocle's Soft Power survey ranking list, so Taiwan's soft power is behind Asian's "world top 20" nations , including Japan, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, China, India, UAE.    Japan ranks No.3, Korea No.15, China No.19 in 2019.   Korea ranks 19、14、11 in 2010, 2011, 2012,  and No.17 in 2017/2018.   China is No.19 , Japan No. 4, Singapore No.22, India 24, in 2017/2018.   Taiwan keeps failing to enter top 25 ranking status in 2013~2019.  The UK based Monocle's Soft Power Survey ranks nations according to their culture, politics, business, diplomacy and education rather than their financial or military power, drawing on US academic Joseph Nye's notion of applying power by persuasion and attraction rather than coercion or force.
　

　

　

★

　

　

Taiwan

       

Taiwan diplomatic isolation         diplomacy  外交

　

●  CNN 2-19-2020:  The US has been careful, at least publicly, to adhere to a so-called "one China" policy, acknowledging Beijing's assertion that Taiwan is part of China, as well as the People's Republic's status as the sole legitimate government of China. It is this policy that sees the US base its embassy in Beijing, but not in Taipei.  But Washington has also maintained deliberate ambiguity on the status of Taiwan, only encouraging both sides to engage in dialogue to settle their long-running disputes.
　

● WSJ (Wall Street Journal) 9-20-2019: It’s clearly a big win for China having the two largest allies of Taiwan in the Pacific drop so quickly...  Washington Post 9-25-2019: China’s growing dominance in the South Pacific is a defeat for an America in retreat.    New York Times 9-20-2019:  As Taiwan Loses Influence, China Gains Ground in Race With U.S.
　

● New York Times 4-1-2019: Taiwan protests China jets crossing center of Taiwan Strait, a provocation that seeks to alter the status quo ...  an intentional act.    Taiwan News, 6-28-2019: U.S. Senate passes pro-Taiwan defense bill calling for more patrols in Taiwan Strait.   Reuters 6-27-2019: Canadian navy ships sailed through Taiwan strait amid tension with China  (Such passages upset China ... In April, Beijing condemned a French decision to send a frigate through the Strait as illegal)
　

● Daily Mail (UK)  4-1-2019: Taiwan blasts China for "reckless and provocative" incursion by 2 fighter jets across a largely respected line dividing the 2 sides in the Taiwan Straits.      Japan Times, 4-1-2019: China's move also comes less than a week after the U.S. sent ships through the strait ( mission was unusual) — the third time in as many months...those sailings have likely been interpreted by China as implicit support for self-ruled Taiwan.     Reuters 2-25-2019: US Navy ships ... riling China.   ABC.net Australia: Chinese fighter jets cross Taiwan Strait after Tsai urges Pacific pushback against Beijing.
　

　

●

　

Taiwan

       

 Taiwanese Identity  Conditional independence or Conditional unification ...   

○

 ● Economist, 2022-10-10: When asked about their identity, 63.7% of islanders call themselves Taiwanese, up from 17.6% in 1992.  economist.com/special-report/2022/10/10/china-has-chilling-plans-for-governing-taiwan
 ● Brookings, 2022-2-7: why is unification so unpopular in Taiwan? It’s the PRC political system; A majority of our respondents — 56% — said Taiwanese culture was similar to Chinese culture.  72% rated China’s government as at least somewhat unfriendly.  brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2022/02/07/why-is-unification-so-unpopular-in-taiwan-its-the-prc-political-system-not-just-culture/

 ● New York times, 2022-1-19: China's Growing Menace Hardens Island's Identity  nytimes.com/2022/01/19/world/asia/taiwan-china-identity.html     According to surveys by the Election Study Center at National Chengchi University in Taipei:  more than 60 percent people identify as solely Taiwanese, three times the proportion in 1992, Only two percent identified as Chinese, down from 25 percent three decades ago.
 ● In 2020, a Pew Research poll found that 66 per cent of Taiwan’s 23 million people solely identified as “Taiwanese” while 28 per cent identified as both Chinese and Taiwanese
  ● N.Y. Times 5-12-2020: The U.S.-based Pew Research Center found that 66% view themselves as Taiwanese, about 52% of Taiwanese support closer economic ties with China, only 36% favor closer political ties.  more than two-thirds have a favorable view of the U.S., with 79% supporting closer political ties...

　

 ● N.Y. Times 12-3-2019: Trade between China and Taiwan exceeded $181 billion in 2017, up from about $35.5 billion in 1999, but only about one in 10 Taiwanese people support unification with China sooner or later,  the number of people who identified as Taiwanese increased from 48+ percent to about 60 percent between 2008 and late 2015.

 ● Liberty Times, Apple Daily, China Times, 6-18-2018, FocusTaiwan 6-17-2018 (http://focustaiwan.tw/news/acs/201806170010.aspx) : China has higher favorable than unfavorable rating in Taiwan: poll  /  A survey conducted by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation (台灣民意基金會)  found China with a 48.8 percent favorability rating among respondents and a 43.9 percent unfavorability rating, the first time a majority of respondents in the annual poll saw China favorably.

 ●  New York Times, 5-1-2018:  Tsai declined to endorse the so-called "1992 Consensus" that both side are part of “one China,” allowing each side its own interpretation of what that means.    

 ●  Washington Post,    1-5-2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2018/01/05/can-china-really-take-over-taiwan/?utm_term=.e66214694331
       Can China really take over Taiwan?
        A poll last year revealed that three quarters of people in Taiwan think that the island and China are two separate countries, with only 14 percent believing that they are parts of one nation. That’s a significant change from two decades ago when more than half of Taiwan’s population said they considered themselves Chinese.

  ●  New York times,  12-13-2016:   As Taiwanese identity has consolidated, with more than 90 percent of Taiwanese believing they are in some way “Taiwanese,”  /  https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13

   ●  BBC, 12-3-2016  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34729538
          Officially, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) still favours eventual independence for Taiwan, while the KMT favours eventual re-unification. Opinion polls show only a small minority of Taiwanese support pursuing one or the other at the moment, with most preferring to stick with the current middle ground.

  ●  brookings.edu,  9-12-2016   “Taiwan’s China Dilemma,”  https://www.brookings.edu/events/taiwans-china-dilemma/   
          Shirley Lin’s new book, “Taiwan’s China Dilemma,” explores a conundrum: Despite a shared culture, and even as Taiwan’s economic interdependence with China deepened in the 1990s and 2000s, the island’s people felt an increasingly strong identity with Taiwan itself. These contradictory trends only continued during Ma Ying-jeou’s presidency, and will certainly shape the environment in which leaders in both Beijing and Taipei attempt to define and manage the cross-Strait relationship

   ●  Apple Daily, opinion, 10-11-2017: Only 5- % Taiwanese favour independence or unification, about 70% in total are for conditional independence and conditional unification.

  ● Washington Post,   1-2-2017, The Taiwanese see themselves as Taiwanese, not as Chinese :

        the Taiwanese are not willing to pursue independence at all costs. Many are concerned with the economy. When asked to choose between formal independence or maintaining economic ties with China, 83 percent chose bread over romance. /  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/01/02/yes-taiwan-wants-one-china-but-which-china-does-it-want/?utm_term=.8d999292eabd

●

  Some significant polls: 
　

Percentage of Taiwanese residents who consider themselves ?

Survey

 Taiwanese Chinese Both Taiwanese and Chinese
NCCU, Jan. 2015 60.6% 3.5% 32.5%
TVBS poll centre, Oct. 2012 75% 15% not an option here
TVBS poll centre, Oct. 2012 55% 3% 37%
Common Wealth Magazine, Dec. 2009 62% 8% 22%
Executive Yuan, Taiwan Admin., April, 2008 67.1% 13.6% 15.2%
source : Wikipedia

(59%: TWese, 34%: both)
Washington Post,  1-2-2017, The Taiwanese see themselves as Taiwanese, not as Chinese

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/01/02/yes-taiwan-wants-one-china-but-which-china-does-it-want/?utm_term=.8d999292eabd

●

  Some significant polls: 

https://sites.duke.edu/austinwang/2015/11/06/monkey-cage-article-how-taiwanese-view-the-future-of-the-cross-strait/
Austin Horng-En Wang,  Monkey Cage article: How Taiwanese view the future of the Cross-strait, PhD Candidate, Department of Political Science, Duke University

　

　

　

https://sites.duke.edu/austinwang/2015/11/06/monkey-cage-article-how-taiwanese-view-the-future-of-the-cross-strait/
Austin Horng-En Wang,  Monkey Cage article: How Taiwanese view the future of the Cross-strait, PhD Candidate, Department of Political Science, Duke University

　

　
● 　

　

　

               

　

　

　

pic. left: Washington Post,  1-2-2017, The Taiwanese see themselves as Taiwanese, not as Chinese

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/01/02/yes-taiwan-wants-one-china-but-which-china-does-it-want/?utm_term=.8d999292eabd

　

pic. right: United Daily News survey/poll at 11-20-2017 found "the table has turned" - The percentage of Taiwanese making good impression on Chinese people increased to 49%, on communist Chinese gov. increased to 40%.    UDN opinion 11-20-2017:  The % of Taiwanese are willing to work in China increased to 40%.
ps: at the same time, China terrorized Taiwan with military force (aircrafts etc) routinely flying around Taiwan in entire year of 2017 (UDN, 11-20-2017)

　

  PS: Apple Daily News, opinion, 3-22-2018: according to latest survey by <台灣民意基金會>, 38.3% Taiwanese people are for Taiwan independence, 20.1% for unification with mainland China, 24.1% for current status, 75% regard themselves as Taiwanese, 9.7% Chinese, 10.4% both.  As for China's latest policy - 31 items to benefit Taiwanese ("惠(對)台31項措施"),  41.9% think it as a trick for unification, 30.1% China's nice move. 

　

　

                           

　

◆  pic. left: Apple Daily, 4-20-2018, headline news : a Survey poll by 台灣民主基金會
☉ Taiwanese youth fight for independence - 55% yes, 35.9 % no, 9.1% others

 ☉ Taiwanese youth fight against  Chinese military force for unification - 67.7% yes, 24.9 % no, 7.4 % others

　

　

◆  pic. right: China Times, 4-21-2018, Opinion: Taiwan National Security Survey conducted by Duke University and NCCU of Taiwan
 at about the same time found that once China-Taiwan war happens ...
☉ more than 60% Taiwanese yield or give up & run away (逆來順受或投降逃跑)
☉ The highest percentage of giving up & escaping goes to youth group (age < 39), about 30+ %, aged 40+ is about 10%.
☉ 80% Taiwanese assumed the US army will come to rescue, otherwise the percentage of fighting people will drop, however, according to a seminar in Washington DC in 2017,
only 18% American people support US military force getting involved in the war.  

　

◆  Apple Daily, 4-24-2018: survey shows 65% Taiwanese are not confident at Taiwan's military force 

　

　
　
　
　

　

●

　

Taiwan

       

Taiwan universities      full details

 

Taiwan's high education was ranked around No. 8 ~ No. 11 among Asian & Pacific countries, Taiwan is behind Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and in Quacquarelli Symonds，QS  2021、Nature Index, Taiwan also lost Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and India.  If considering the number of selected universities, Taiwan is even far behind, e.g., in Nature Index, there are more than 30 Chinese academic institutions ranked higher than Taiwan's.

　

　

Times Higher Education ,  World University Rank 2023

timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2023/world-ranking#!/page/7/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats
Rank Taiwan China Korea Hong Kong, Macau Singapore Japan
1~70 　
　

　

　

16   Tsinghua University Beijing

　

17  Peking University Beijing

　

51   Fudan University Shanghai

52   Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai

67   Zhejiang University Zhejiang
 56  Seoul National University Seoul


　

 
　

31  University of Hong Kong

　

45  Chinese University of Hong Kong

　

58  The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

　
19   National University of Singapore

　


　

36   Nanyang Technological University

　

39  University of Tokyo
　

　

　

68  Kyoto

University

　
70~100 　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

74   University of Science and Technology of China

　

95  Nanjing Univ.

　
78 Yonsei Univ. (Seoul campus)

　

91  Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Daejeon

　
79  Hong Kong Polytechnic Univ. 

　

99 City Univ. of Hong Kong
　

　

 　 　
PS:    National Taiwan University (台灣大學) only got No. 187  (No. 113 in previous year) , number of students per staff  11.4,  female/male  42: 58, int'l students 11%

　

　

　

　

　

Taiwan

       
○
Taiwan judiciary  incurable !  ...    Full details Taiwan judiciary

　

● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30: Some political commentators and academics, however, publicly questioned the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high profile, politically sensitive cases.

　

● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  3-11-2020:  Some political commentators and academics,  publicly questioned the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high profile, politically sensitive cases.   USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices at 3-13-2019 and 4-20-2018 both pointed out that Taiwan's justice ministry was insufficiently independent and conducted politically motivated investigations of politicians.

　

　


 Horrible Judicial systems in Taiwan
 Taiwan presidents should be ashamed ...

　

　

　


　

 pic. below: Formosa TV news, 1-19-2021 3:00pm: Taiwan's biggest  judicial scandal of the century, it's an international joke !
Taiwan judiciary crashes 　

￭ Apple Daily, editorial, 1-19-2021:
Rotten & stinky judiciary shakes the nation to its core. Today is the darkest day in Taiwan judiciary, so-called judicial reform and jury system etc are nothing but slogans and lies.  Real horrible darkness is ahead if not to investigate the very-top-position officials.


 ￭ China Times, editorial, 1-19-2021: Taiwan judiciary crashes.  law officials fawn on the richness, and yield to the power.

　

　

￭ Apple Daily, 1-21-2021: Taiwan government dares to investigate high-position judicial officials' connections and property from unidentified sources (dummy accounts) ?? tw.appledaily.com/daily/20210121/ASVXWX4ASZCQ3PEWMSQKZ7CDS4/

　

　

￭ Liberty Times, 1-21-2021: Taiwan's legal machine was already a chunk of meat for "interest group"'s exclusive domain, even Control Yuan took the role of "body guard "
金恒煒  https://talk.ltn.com.tw/article/paper/1426899

　

 
￭ Apple Daily, 1-21-2021: "How big is the iceberg under the sea ?"  200 involve, 40 punished only  tw.appledaily.com/forum/20210121/LETBH6VACRHTPJAOVH6DL2LATY/

￭ Apple Daily, 1-19-2021: Too many law officials involved to be punished severely ― 40 former and current top officials in total engaged the case include grand justice,  president and chief judges of the Court of Final Appeal , chief prosecutors, Member of the Control Yuan, etc

￭ SETN news, 1-19-2021 (3:40pm) : more than 100 law-enforcement officials (judiciary, prosecutor, police, investigation) were engaged, including president of Supreme Admin. Court, chief judges of Supreme Court, chief prosecutors, etc.

　

￭ United Daily, editorial, 1-21-2021:  Who believes the Supreme Court is not giving problematic directions to entire legal system, in order to commit himself to pledging loyalty to the politicians in power  https://udn.com/news/story/7338/5190996
https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20210118004848-262103?chdtv    https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/20210119/JTHJCNBJNJG2NC3FM3L4ITBNDQ/    https://tw.appledaily.com/forum/20210119/4LULE24OC5GO7NX7OUI52R7LE4/ ( root it out !)   https://talk.ltn.com.tw/article/paper/1426700 (The root of legal system is rotten )
tw.appledaily.com/forum/20210120/SRI46KOPCRHETKV5XYOXOO7DIE/   https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20210119005784-262110?chdtv

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziv67-PbtHo

　

　

　

　

●  Public trust on Taiwan's judges is about the lowest, compared with OECD member countries
　

● The Liberty Times, 2-23-2019 : National Chung-Cheng University survey shows about 80% Taiwanese people do not trust judges, only 32% are satisfied with Taiwanese prosecutors. (https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/focus/paper/1269488) The percentage is about as low as that of Korea
 ― the worst judicial system country in OECD ( Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ) in 2019.
 ●  Korea Times, 7-2-2020 (www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2020/07/162_292043.html): OECD surveyed 37 member countries by asking how many of every
 1,000 people trust their own court systems. The result shows Korea had the lowest numbers of all countries surveyed. 
Various surveys in Korea also show that two out of three Koreans do not trust the courts.
 ●  Taiwan Judicial Reform Committee (司改會) survey 7-18-2020:  64% Taiwanese people do not trust judges.  (https://www.storm.mg/article/2861744)   

　

　


  

Index of judiciary

Asian countries
2020 Economic Freedom Index Judicial Effectiveness, Asian countries scores: Singapore 92.9,  Australia 86.1,  UAE 84.6,  New Zealand 79.1,   Hong Kong 76.8,   China 76.3,    Malaysia 74.6,   Saudi Arabia  72.3 ,    Japan 71.4  ,  Taiwan  70.1   
Rule of Law Index 2020

　

 No. 7  New Zealand,  No. 11  Australia,  No. 12 Singapore,  15. Japan,  16. Hong Kong,  17. R.Korea,   21. USA,  47. Malaysia,   59.  Indonesia,   69. India
worldjusticeproject.org/sites/default/files/documents/WJP-ROLI-2020-Online_0.pdf

　

● The United Daily, 10-31-2020, https://udn.com/news/story/7321/4977543 
      Taiwan's judiciary spends lots of money on advertising themselves, but, the truth us Taiwan's justice always made a detour whenever encountering the power and the rich people. (司法砸錢宣傳 遇權貴卻轉彎)   The Supreme Court (最高法院大法庭) has many cases to solve, but no one wants to touch sensitive issues.

　

●  The United Daily, 7-14-2020,  udn.com/news/story/7339/4699302
     Taiwan's president has never talked about anti-corruption, in recent years, the prosecutors and investigation gov. have not solved any big corruption cases, unlike lots of crack-downs in old days, instead, they focus on New National Security cases.  No wonder Taiwan president insists abolishing Special Investigation Division (SPD) .

　

●  The Liberty Times,  7-1-2020  ( Avoid judicial monsters )  :  The main reason that the public do not trust the justice is lacking of external supervision (外部監督力量) and hence quite many controversial legal judgments were out there。https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/paper/1383385

　

●  The China Times, 5-27-2020 : The public trust on Taiwan's prosecutors was suffered severe injuries from the Minister's "guides" and "leads"  (部長下指導棋重傷檢察公信力)   
       https://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20200527000524-260118

　

●  The United Daily, 5-16-2020, https://udn.com/news/story/121092/4567513   (從人權到新威權 變調的司法正義)

       The ruling party DPP has been more "authoritarian" than the way "authoritarian" government in old days was, no wonder the first thing the public have not satisfied with is the judicial reform.  Many question the judicial system was reduced to be the government's tool ― to strengthen monitoring the public, and many worries, their political opponents   (過去四年許多作為卻比過去威權更威權，立法、執法上不斷加強對人民的監控，司法不斷被質疑淪為掌權者工具， 司法改革卻是人民最不滿意的重中之重 )

　

●  The Liberty Times,  7-1-2020 劍青檢改：Taiwan's Control Yuan was reduced to political "hit-man".  https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/paper/1383386
　

●  The United Daily, 5-20-2019    How long can Taiwan judiciary stand being lynched and tortured ? ( 司法還能忍受多久的凌遲？)

       The Control Yuan (監察院) and the Prime Ministry (行政院) repeatedly have taken judiciary as sacrifice-offering  (司法當祭品)

　

●  The Liberty Times, 5-11-2020    Taiwan's prosecutors should not be haughty, arrogant and condescending to make themselves "superior or powerful".  Enforcement officers should have empathy in mind and being humble.  https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/paper/1287753  (檢察官不能高高在上」顏大和批有些辦案沒溫度)  

　

●  The United Daily, 5-4-2020:  Even law circle people are not satisfied with Taiwan's judicial reform    https://udn.com/news/story/7339/4539908

　

　

　

　

● US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019 pointed out that justice ministry
was insufficiently independent   ● <The United Daily>,  06-18-2016, head page news: Taiwan's prosecutors
admit following order to conclude legal cases, usually.  

　

　

 

 ● FTV (Formosa Television) News, 7-26-2018
　 　

　
　 　

　

pic.: FTV (Formosa Television) News, 7-26-2018: By expertise and team work, core members of former president Ma's Faction (clique) did 'dig' money in the amount more than ten times, or even more than 100 times that of another former president Chen Shui-bian got, Chen was sentenced to 20 years.  Ma himself did not touch the money-digging matter.   Establishing lots of foundations for donations is the culture of KMT (Nationalist Party).   Major people of DPP (political party in power since 2016) already knew about this,  the intel. systems  can but don't (till present) stop the cash flow making a detour through many places including Inner Mongolia and Outer Mongolia.   In other words, the gov. intentionally opened a 'gap'  for their "convenience"......   For further details:  2018.7.26【政經看民視】

　

　
　 　

　
　 　

　

● pic.: Taiwanese public trust on judges is less than 16% / FTV news, 7-26-2018

　

　

　

● pic.: Taiwan's Intelligence and secret-agent systems
keep on governing the country ... they're true Prime Minister (行政院長), ...
so many suspected political murder cases (intel might involved)

remain unsolved...
 (ref to 2018.7.26【政經看民視】 FTV, "政經看民視", 7-26-2018;  SET(三立電視), 9-24-2013 "Secret agents govern the nation (特務治國)" www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBdZCdYrwF4;  Era TV News  (年代電視), 9-22-2013; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1b4R2m6K3g; "Secret agent systems resurgence to control the nation (特務復辟治國)"

　

　
　 　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

Taiwan

       

Taiwan hospitals         full details: medical sys / hospitals

　

                                                             Num. of physicians in Taiwan from '12 to '20               https://www.statista.com/statistics/860217/taiwan-physician-number/

yr

 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

number

 40,938 41,965 42,961 44,006 44,849 46,356 47,471 49,542 51045

increase

 　 1,027 996 1,045 843 1,507 1,115 2,071 1503

　

　

　

Wikipedia : physicians density in Asia 

Asia's rankings country  physicians
per 10,000 people
1 Qatar 77.4
2 N Korea 33
3 Australia 32.7
4 Lebanon 32
5 Mongolia 28.4
6 New Zealand 27.4
7 Jordan 25.6
8 UAE 25.3
9 Saudi Arabia 24.9
10 Japan 23
11 Korea 21.4
12 Singapore 19.5
13 China 14.9
14 Malaysia 12
15 Philippines 12 
16 Vietnam 11.9 
17 Iran 9
18 Pakistan 8.3
19 Indonesia 8 
20 India 7
21 Myanmar 6.1
22 Iraq 6.1
23 Thai. 3.9
24 Laos 1.8
25 Cambodia 1.7

　

　
According to WEF<Travel and tourism competitiveness report> (released at 9-4-2019), Taiwan's Health & Hygiene (including "physicians density" ) score 6.0 is worse than that of No.16 Japan, No. 17 Korea, and Australia, Mongolia.   According to  WEF<Travel and tourism competitiveness report> (released at 4-6-2017), Taiwan's "Physician density" ranks pretty bad   ―   world No. 65 (No. 57 in 2015's report)
 According to Wikipedia (2021-5-5) and Liberty Times (2020-1-6),  Taiwan's doctor-to-population ratio (see pic. below) almost hit lowest in Asia, behind Japan, Korea, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam...even Myanmar...

Taipei Medical University professor 楊哲銘 comments Taiwan's medical quality is no longer good.  Taiwan's former medical chief 楊志良 (chinatimes.com/opinion/20210804005734-262104?chdtv) criticizes that the health & medical system has been damaged. 
　

　

　

◆  Lancet / Measuring universal health coverage based on an index of effective coverage of health services
Taiwan and some other countries of Asia & Pacific

　

Lancet, universal health coverage

Singapore 92 77 100 98 95 93 99 99 75 100 94 99 93 89 99 77 100 100 76 95 79 94 100 100
Japan 96 60 100 92 97 98 95 99 78 92 98 100 99 97 100 99 98 100 83 96 92 89 100 98
Korea 89 78 100 78 97 97 99 100 43 96 96 99 99 92 99 100 88 66 70 95 99 76 99 96
Australia 89 88 85 92 91 96 100 99 85 99 87 98 100 86 100 100 88 78 70 92 67 67 100 98
NZ 83 83 80 76 90 95 100 100 79 100 92 99 85 89 98 83 76 72 62 83 57 64 99 99
Kuwait 82 85 66 89 95 98 100 97 83 99 73 87 74 91 81 73 85 92 66 80 69 77 100 99
Qatar 80 71 69 59 99 93 100 99 67 97 72 85 69 91 78 75 97 49 58 97 60 95 100 97
Taiwan 79 96 84 75 100 98 100 99 46 99 88 93 89 97 91 90 82 44 55 55 89 73 99 97
Chn 70 96 70 75 98 99 99 90 32 97 72 91 60 88 86 66 43 80 61 41 86 65 98 98
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30750-9/fulltext

Measuring universal health coverage based on an index of effective coverage of health services, 2020-10-17

　

　

World's Best Hospitals 2021, Newsweek, Statista
 www.newsweek.com/best-hospitals-2021
rank country hospital
No.8 Singapore Singapore General Hospital
No.16 Japan The University of Tokyo Hospital
18 Japan St. Luke's International Hospital
34 S. Korea Asan Medical Center
42 S. Korea Seoul National University Hospital
43 Japan Kameda Medical Center
62 Japan  Kyushu University Hospital
71 Japan Center Hospital of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine
73 S. Korea Center Hospital of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine
76 S. Korea Severance Hospital - Yonsei University
84 Japan Kyoto University Hospital
87 S. Korea Seoul National University - Bundang Hospital
91 Japan Kurashiki Central Hospital
97 S. Korea Korea University - Anam Hospital
number of selected hospitals - Japan: 7 ;  S. Korea : 6; Singapore: 1
101-200 S. Korea 6 
101-200 India 2  All India Institute of Medical Sciences - Delhi, Medanta The Medicity
101-200 Thailand 1   Bumrungrad International Hospital
101-200 Singapore 2   Gleneagles Hospital,  National University Hospital
101-200 Japan 10
total number of selected hospitals - Japan: 17 ;  S. Korea : 12 ; Singapore: 3; India: 2; Thai: 1

PS:  There's no any Taiwan's hospital was selected in 2020 and 2021

　

　


Bloomberg's CovID Resilience Ranking, 2022-6-29
comparison - Taiwan with some other main countries in Asia & Pacific
 They’ve been unable to outrun Omicron: Taiwan saw deaths spike as more virus circulated ...
　
country 1-month cases per 100,000 resilience rank 3-month case fatality rate pandemic MVPs
Taiwan 7826 next to last 0.2% No.37
mainland China 0 No.51 0.1% 　
Hong Kong 376 No.49 1.9% 　
Malaysia 169 No.37 0.2% 　
New Zealand 3383 No.35 0.2% No.21
Bangladesh 8 No.34 0.1% No.27
Japan 373 No.30 0.1% No.15
Vietnam 28 No.18 0% 　
Singapore 2255 No.14 0% No.13
Australia 3216 No.9 0.1% No.24
UAE 336 No.2 0% No.1
S. Korea 502 No.1 0.2% No.4
bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-resilience-ranking/
PS: Taiwan's scores on "Flight Capacity", "vaccinated travel routes" are last but one

　

　

Nikkei CovID-19 Recovery Index

asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/COVID-19-Recovery-Index/Cambodia-Vietnam-top-COVID-recovery-index-as-Asia-fears-new-waves    
2022-7-8  comparison among main countries in Asia & Pacific
Asia's rank world rank country score
1 1 Cambodia 78
2 2 Vietnam 76.5
3 4 S. Korea 72.5
4 5 Qatar 72
5 6 Bangladesh 71
5 6 Nepal 71
7 11 Saudi Arabia 69.5
8 14 Sri Lanka 68
9 18 Mongolia 67.5
9 18 UAE 67.5
11 26 Malaysia 66.5
12 30 Japan 64
13 35 India 63.5
14 38 China 63
15 49 Pakistan 61.5
16 53 Hong Kong 61
16 53 Indonesia 61
16 53 Thailand 61
19 62 Philippines 60.5
20 71 Laos 59
20 71 Singapore 59
22 79 Myanmar 58
23 88 Australia 55
24 101 NZ 53
25 112 Taiwan 50
Source: The Index ranks 121 countries/regions on infection management, vaccine rollouts, and social mobility.  A higher ranking indicates a country is closer to recovery with its low numbers of confirmed cases/deaths, better vaccination rates and less stringent social distancing measures; data sources include Our World in Data, Google CovID-19 Community Mobility Reports, Oxford CovID-19 Gov. Response Tracker, Cirum, and Nikkei Asia research

　

　

 Bloomberg CovID Resilience Ranking   2022-5-27
 Taiwan ranks the 3rd from the end

Ranks of main countries of Asia & Pacific

 CovID cases per 100,000 people over the past month (JHU) The Strength of
health-care system		 CovID deaths as a share of cases over the past 3months (%)
World No. 5   EAU 82 63 0
 No. 6.  S Korea 1955 89 0.1
10. Saudi Arabia 30 64 0.7
12.  Singapore 1760 92 0.1
 22.  Vietnam 141 60 0
23.  Australia 5074 89 0.1
 33.  Bangladesh 0 54 0.9
  34.  Malaysia  185 67 0.3
35.  Thai. 328 72 0.4
39.  India 6 47 4.7
41.  Japan 786 96 0.2
  43.  Indonesia  3 49 1.5
  44.  NZ  4389 83 0.1
  48.  Hong Kong 115 - 0.8
  49.  Philippines 4 55 13.9
 50.  Pakistan 1 39 1
 51. Taiwan (drop 19 positions )  6031 79 0
52.  Chn 9 70 0.1
53 countries in total; bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-resilience-ranking/spanish.html

★


STATISTA   2022-5-5

 Coronavirus (COVID-19) death rate in countries with confirmed deaths
and over 1,000 reported cases as of April 26, 2022, by country
　
Characteristic (main country in Asia & Pacific) Death rate
Indonesia 2.58
Philippines 1.63
Taiwan 1.39
India 1.21
Saudi Arabia 1.2
Malaysia 0.8
China 0.69
Thailand 0.67
Vietnam 0.41
Japan 0.38
Laos 0.36
UAE 0.26
Mongolia 0.24
Qatar 0.19
S. Korea 0.13
Australia 0.12
Singapore 0.11
New Zealand 0.07
NZ Cook islands 0.02

statista.com/statistics/1105914/coronavirus-death-rates-worldwide/

　

　

　

　

  3.  Reviews on Taiwan's hard power - military            ● full text : Taiwanese military

　

Taiwanese military   vs.   Chinese military
  Taiwan military

　

assessments

　

● L.A. Times, 2022-3-20: over much of the last decade, Taiwan moved in the opposite direction: It cut the size of its regular army and reduced the training of its reserves.
 ● Breaking Defense, 2022-3-11: Until recently, President Tsai has appeared reluctant to discuss how Taiwanese citizens can help defend their country... the Taiwanese people must understand that a US-led coalition can only come to their aid if Taiwan can hold out for an extended period of time
 ● Economist, 2022-3-5: Taiwanese, seem too uninterested to fight to defend their land.... Taiwan's sloth in reforming its defence capabilities...(brief)
 ● Washington Post, 2022-1-25:   Taiwanese military has limited-to-no experience.
● Washington Post, 2022-1-24: Defending Taiwan is a worthy goal. But are we ready for heavy casualties? it would be a grave mistake for the United States to promise to defend Taiwan without preparing its public — and its soldiers — for the tough fight they could face
 ● WarOnTheRocks, 2021-11-18:  Taiwan's military seems to be taking its defense preparations less and less seriously;Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has abandoned asymmetric defense reform, Washington ought to step in to get Taiwanese defense reform back on track
 ● FT(UK), 2021-9-16 :Washington keeps scolding Taipei over its supposed lack of preparation against an ever mightier Beijing, Taiwan is failing to reorient its military towards an asymmetric strategy, US defence experts are growing exasperated over the Taiwan military’s reluctance to decisively act on their instructions.

● Foreign Policy, 10-19-2020: Taiwan needs huge arsenals of mobile missile launchers, armed drones, and mines; developing an army that can surge
tens of thousands of troops to any beach in an hour backed by a million-strong reserve force trained to fight guerrilla-style in Taiwan’s cities and jungles.
 it could take a decade to retool the Taiwanese and U.S. militaries to mount an effective defense of the island. 
With China’s rapid military buildup, that may be time that Taiwan does not have
 ● New York times,  8-30-2020:  Taiwan's Lawmaker said Taiwan’s military needs to improve a lot
 ● Forbes, 8-30-2020: Taiwan simply does not have enough firepower to  defeat a Chinese invasion without the help of the U.S. military
　

　
 personnel

 ( soldiers, officials )

 ◆  Taiwan’s Military Is a Hollow Shell.  US Defense Department officials have privately expressed dismal assessments regarding Taiwan's current force level and reserve system.
◆  armor, mechanized infantry, and artillery units are always in desperate shortage of enlisted soldiers
◆  few front-line units have more than 80 percent of their positions filled  /  Foreign Policy, 2-15-2020; https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/02/15/china-threat-invasion-conscription-taiwans-military-is-a-hollow-shell/
◆ Taiwan's active force down to under 200,000 (the exact number is classified). The nearly two million reservists exist in name only... /  New York times,  5-18-2017
◆  The ROC (Taiwan) Armed Forces number approximately 300,000, and reserves reportedly total 3,870,000.   /  Wikipedia, May 2020
◆  Taiwan began to phase out mandatory conscription for all young men, which was deeply unpopular, in favor of an all-volunteer force; 4 months of compulsory service ... training is "insufficient to meet the challenges posed by the increasing threat (RAND, '17)  /  New York times,  8-30-2020  https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/world/asia/taiwan-china-military.html

◆   Only 310 thousands out of 770 thousands of qualified reservists were called up for short-term military training, from 2015 to 2017, 61 thousands of those escaped the duty  / Formosa TV news, 8-3-2018, storm.mg 10-15-2019
 ◆  only 84,000 are demobilised volunteer force soldiers, the best-trained and most motivated group  /   Financial Times, 7-12-2020
◆  Taiwan’s military is also not in the most optimal state.  For instance, Taiwanese males serve only four months of conscripted military service, in comparison to over 20 months for Singaporean men and at least 18 months for South Korean men.  /   Hong Kong Free Press 7-15-2020
 ◆  Reserve force is short of both officers and sergeants, their speciality far match the position  /  United Daily, 10-2-2020 

strategy ◆  To against the threats of cyber warfare, cognitive warfare, and ‘unrestricted’ warfare from China , we ( Taiwan ) work to bolster our defense capabilities, future combat capacity development will also emphasize mobility, countermeasures, and non-traditional, asymmetrical capabilities (unconventional arms)” /  Taiwan president inauguration speech, Voice of American, 5-20-2020
 ◆  so called asymmetrical capabilities in Taiwan is only skin-deep    /   United Daily , editorial,  6-6-2020
 ◆  Taiwan's weird strategy:  Facing PLA's attacks, Taiwan's warplanes stay inside tunnels, warships leave Taiwan, await till the US military comes to rescue, they will return and join the war  / Apple Daily, 8-14-2020 tw.appledaily.com/headline/20200814/KDQ5JJAYQUR5JLE6EIIXK5VJM4/

firepower

◆  China could wipe out Taiwan’s navy and air force ...  Many insiders are accordingly pessimistic about its ability to hold out.  /  Economist,10-9-2020
 ◆  the PLA could, without invading, destroy Taiwanese military, power and telecom facilities, embargo oil imports, cut cyber connectivity, then take advantage of the psychological impact on Taiwan to press for negotiations   /  Politico,10-8-2020
◆ France forced Taiwan to withdraw its request to upgrade 20-year-old Mirage fighters ...  F-16 A/B and  F-CK-1 fighters are  growing tired; 60 or 70 new fighters and a few missiles won’t really change the balance of power. And heavy tanks – especially if they lack trained crews – won’t do much to stop a Chinese invasion / Forbes, 8-30-2020
 ◆   A whole lot of Taiwan’s weapons don’t work.   /  Forbes, 9-4-2020  forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2020/09/04/which-of-taiwans-old-weapons-still-work/#340d2ee156a2
◆   Three Taiwanese presidents Lee (李登輝後期)、Chen(陳水扁)、Tsai(蔡英文)  squandering those "bonus for peace" military budget and underestimating the demand of national defense, lead to shortage of arms-deal budget.  /   United Daily , editorial,  6-6-2020
 ◆  Today China has more and better conventional forces than Taiwan.   /  Forbes, 6-3-2020    China has ｎｕｃｌｅａｒ　ｂｏｍｂ ，Neutron bomb， hydrogen bomb, Taiwan has none of those. / Next TV news, 5-8-2020
 ◆  A major obstacle is that countries that might sell it the most sophisticated weaponry are increasingly reluctant to do so for fear of provoking China, ... /  New York times,  11-4-2017
 ◆  Taiwan military strength is ranked No. 26 ,  China PLA No. 3  /  Global FirePower, 2020

military logistics system

 ◆   The logistics inside the military remain so abysmal ... The army likely has no clue how many tanks or guns actually mission-capable ...      /  Foreign Policy, 8-20-2020 
◆  Taiwan  lacks enough supplement of all items of military equipments /   United Daily (聯合報 社評), opinion,   5- 7- 2020

 morale

 ◆  Taiwan’s preparedness and its will to fight both look shaky /  Economist,10-9-2020
 ◆  “Their underlying thinking is that PLA has grown to be too strong for us to fight militarily anyway... Taiwan should just focus on putting up a good show of being tough, buy enough U.S. weapons for display, and pray that Americans come to our rescue /  Foreign Policy, 8-20-2020  https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/08/20/taiwan-military-flashy-american-weapons-no-ammo/
◆  Policies put forward by the Kuomintang and the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party have left the military understaffed and in a state of low morale... /  New York times,  5-18-2017
 ◆ Taiwan fears uptick in military threat from China in wake of coronavirus epidemic ... / Financial Times  5-19-2020  

combat experience

 ◆ Taiwan’s army has trouble with training across the board. Many insiders are accordingly pessimistic about its ability to hold out.  /  Economist,10-9-2020

◆  The military combines 4 drills to one per year for battle and propaganda-show, affecting training effect ,  high percentage of military officers hence are not familiar with combat mission. /  ref to China Times, 7-7-2020, opinion   www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20200707004603-262105?chdtv 蘭寧利》; https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20200707006231-260417?chdtv

discipline

 ◆  The practice of judicial system has proved not as good as military criminal code to educate and train the military discipline.  A soldier's 洪仲丘 'torture to death" sparks massive protest around 2013,  the military court was hence no longer to judge the troops .   /  The China Times, 7-17-2020, editorial

budget

 ◆  High personnel expense pushes aside the logistics and maintenance budget,   the govt. needs to plan special budge to purchase arms. /  The China Times, 7-17-2020, editorial

◆ Taiwan would increase Taiwan’s defense budget by 10 percent, on top of a 5 percent increase the year before. That would raise military spending to more than 2 percent of gross domestic product   /  New York times,  8-30-2020

ps
VICE, 7-24-2020:  With increasing Chinese modernization, Taiwan’s advantages decline — and the numbers are telling.
To Taiwan’s 140,000 ground troops, China has 1 million. To Taiwan’s 23 Coast Guard ships, China has 248. Taiwan has no bombers, while China has 450. While Taiwan has 350 fighter jets, China has 1,500.
All in all, China’s defense budget is 17 times the size of Taiwan’s, with much of the former spent on developing the capability of unifying Taiwan with the mainland by force.   The capability to do harm and the intention to do harm. China has both.

　
　

　

　

Taiwanese people were asked if they agreed that "There will be war between China and Taiwan eventually"
 / BBC, 2022-1-12, source: Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation, research at Oct. 2021
strongly agree 7% strongly disagree 23.7%
partly agree 21.1% don't know/no opinion 7.6%
partly disagree 40.6%

news.yahoo.com/china-taiwan-really-simple-guide-142542268.html

　

　

Global Fire Power  /   globalfirepower.com/country-military-strength-detail.php?country_id=taiwan
For 2022 China Taiwan
world rank 3 of 140 21 of 140

● L.A. Times, 2022-3-20: over much of the last decade, Taiwan moved in the opposite direction: It cut the size of its regular army and reduced the training of its reserves.
 ● Breaking Defense, 2022-3-11: Until recently, President Tsai has appeared reluctant to discuss how Taiwanese citizens can help defend their country... the Taiwanese people must understand that a US-led coalition can only come to their aid if Taiwan can hold out for an extended period of time
 ● Economist, 2022-3-5: Taiwanese, seem too uninterested to fight to defend their land.... Taiwan's sloth in reforming its defence capabilities...(brief)
◆ Washington Post, 2022-1-25:   Taiwanese military has limited-to-no experience.

◆ Brookings, 2021-11-1 :  the asymmetric approach has been stretched beyond recognition in recent years by a recalcitrant MND  

◆ WSJ, FoxNews, 2021-10-25 :  the island's military is riven with internal problems...Among the most pressing concerns are poor preparation and low morale among the roughly 80,000 Taiwanese who are conscripted each year and the nearly 2.2 million reservists.
 ◆ WarOnTheRocks, 2021-12-6: Taiwan claims it must expend significant political capital and effort to convince its population to fight a prolonged war of attrition.  Asking the Taiwanese people to prepare for a long and bloody war of attrition — one that might become a fool's errand if the US ultimately decides to stay on the sidelines.
 ◆ Global Times, 2021-12-28:  Survey: more than 52.1 percent of people believe the Taiwan authorities are not ready for a war with the Chinese mainland, and 51.3 percent said they do not want to personally or let family members go to the battlefield
 ◆Foreign Policy, 2020-10-19 :  Given these electoral realities, Taiwan's leaders have gravitated toward military showpieces — while hoping that the United States will save the day if China ever attacks.   It could take a decade to retool the Taiwanese and U.S. militaries to mount an effective defense of the island.... With China's rapid military buildup, that may be time that Taiwan does not have.

 globaltimes.cn/page/202112/1243629.shtml   ☉ full text cyber-links 

　

　

　

What Should The US Do If China Invades Taiwan ?   TIPP Poll  2022-3-2 ~ 3-4, 1318 adults, online survey
　 come to defense of Taiwan
directly via MILITARY action		 economic sanctions combination of military action
 and economic sanctions		 allow China to take Taiwan not sure
overall 14% 27% 23% 6% 29%
Democrats 15 33 22 6 24
Republicans 16 27 27 n/a 25
Independents 11 22 24 9 34
Conservatives 17 27 28 6 21
Moderates 12 26 19 6 36
Liberals 15% 32% 25% 5% 22%
19fortyfive.com/2022/04/a-chinese-invasion-of-taiwan-what-response-would-americans-support/     TIPP Insights

　

　

Chinese and Taiwanese armed forces / BBC, 2022-1-12, source: TrendForce 2021
　 China Taiwan
Active duty personnel 2,035,000 163,000
Ground Force 965,000 88,000
Navy 260,000 40,000
Air Force 395,000 35,000
Strategic missile Forces 120,000 0
Strategic Support Force 145,000 0
Other Forces 150,000 0

news.yahoo.com/china-taiwan-really-simple-guide-142542268.html

　

　

　

　

　

　

◆  NewsWeek, 7-21-2020: 

　

Once military conflict breaks out -  

A slight plurality of 31 percent

assigned blame to

Chinese President Xi Jinping,

while 30 percent of respondents

said they believed both Xi and

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen

were responsible

and 24 percent blamed Tsai.

　

　

　

　

　

◆  Eurasian Times
 7-9-2020:

　

The Tsai authority knows that

Taiwan  cannot compete with

the mainland on its own,

and therefore turns to Washington

and is willing to be used.
Taiwan Now Under ‘Deep Control’

Of The US.

　

●   NHK Japan, 7-20-2020:Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has warned that the island will face
 intensifying pressure from China.
 www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200719_18/

　

●  Washington Post 7-22-2020: the Taiwanese fm : urging "extreme caution" in the island's dealings with a Chinese
 leadership in Beijing that he described as both increasingly emboldened and insecure.

　

●  Daily Mail, 7-22-2020:  Foreign Minister Wu:  'The threat is on the rise' !! 
 intrusions 'happened almost every day' in June and were 'much more frequent' than what the government had disclosed to the public.
 China has also made several 'simulated' military attacks on Taiwan.  ( ps: media didn't report it's on an almost daily basis since Jun.  )

　

　

●  CNN 2-19-2020 exclusive interview with Taiwanese president Tsai I. W. : "What we are expecting is, after withstanding

the first wave of Chinese attacks ourselves, the rest of the world would stand up to exert strong pressure on China" .... 

"Taiwan as an underdog facing down the growing might of Beijing" ...  

Therefore, Taiwan's fears soar as China repeats threat to INVADE the small island nearby.

　

　

◆  Washington Post (7-22-2020) reports:  
 In Jan. 2019, Xi (Chinese president) offered
 an ultimatum to Taiwan to come to the table for
unification talks or face annexation
 by force.   However, Taiwan's government was
 tight-lipped about this ultimatum, otherwise pro-Independence Tsai I. W. may not continue in
presidential office in 2020, because,
according to National Interest (6-16-2020):
more than 60.3 percent of the respondents
 opposed Taiwan's independence
if it is followed by
China’s military invasion... 

 

　

　

     Taiwan's military reform            'Five minutes to midnight' !!?
聯合報, 10-22-2020

　

嚴德發：若總統下動員令 第一時間作戰主力45萬人
 
國軍後備改革，有立委關切台灣後備戰力動員與召集情況。國防部長嚴德發今天表示，若總統動員令一下，約26萬名後備軍人就要報到，加上18.5萬名的現役軍職人員，約45萬人將是第一時間防衛作戰主力
　

　

https://udn.com/news
/story/10930/4954777

 募兵

 徵兵
　

◆ Taiwan's military reform (10-22-2020) : active force 185 thousands  +  reservists 260 thousands (call-up training 14 days per year )   ―   enough ?
      Foreign Policy, 10-28-2020: Taiwan needs to do more in boosting Taiwan’s defense capabilities, especially some serious deficiencies - increasing the existing four-month conscription and improving reservist systems are another.  This also means preparing the public for conflict...   foreignpolicy.com/2020/10/28/taiwan-threat-invasion-china/
　

Western experts'
advices:
 number of reservists

western analysts

 advices

a million

  Daily Express (UK), 10-11-2020 ￭ Daily Express (UK), 10-11-2020: PLA troops which did make it ashore would face roughly 175,000 full-time soldiers and one million reservists
a million  Foreign Policy, 10-19-2020 ￭ Taiwan needs ... developing an army that can surge tens of thousands of troops to any beach in an hour backed by a million-strong reserve force trained to fight guerrilla-style in Taiwan’s cities and jungles
 more than a million ＵＳArmy University Press
Military Review,
Sept-Oct, 2020		 ￭ Taiwan has a significant advantage in sheer numbers if it can create a more active, capable reserve element. The U.S. Army can serve as a useful partner in the effort to strengthen Taiwan’s reserve capacity
2.3 million  Financial Times (UK), 7-12-2020   ￭ 2.3m reservists the country has on paper, 780,000 were demobilised ... — the military’s metric for whether men are worth mobilising. Of those, only 84,000 are demobilised volunteer force soldiers, the best-trained and most motivated group...a force that is large on paper but seen as unfit for the task because of a lack of training.  Easton’s study declared “insufficient to meet the challenges posed by the increasing threat from the PLA
2~3.8 million New York times,  5-18-2017 ￭ The nearly two million reservists exist in name only...   (ps: Baidu , 10-15-2017: 3 million reservists 。  Wikipedia, May 2020:  reserves reportedly total 3,870,000.  )
　 　 　

 

 Financial Times (UK, 10-1-2020) reported the number of Chinese military personnel is about 2m,  Taiwanese military is only 163,000.  Guardian UK (6-27-2020) 、Financial Times UK (10-6-2020、10-19-2020) reported that if Beijing wanted to invade Taiwan it has been estimated that it would need up to one million soldiers or about 50% of total PLA strength ( Global Times 6-8-2020 : Chinese reservists can be up to 616 millions )  ―   therefore, Taiwanese military needs more than a million reservists with strict trainings.  Taiwan's latest military reform plan (10-22-2020) starting from 2022 obviously is not good enough !

　

◆  Combat skills and will-power  

Voice of America (Chinese version), 8-26-2020: After PLA's landing, Taiwanese military should move to the mountain to fight a Chinese style "Vietnam war’;  But some best-known politicians and experts said the war is about to end once PLA landing Taiwan.  Economist,10-9-2020: Taiwan’s preparedness and its will to fight both look shaky...  Washington Post,10-26-2020 : expert of National Defense University opposes US's shift from a policy of “strategic ambiguity” to “strategic clarity” in that Taiwan might use the American pledge as an excuse to “neglect its own defense”。This is exactly Taiwan's image, being not independent and always want to rely on American help , hawkish to its own weak nationals, but being chicken toward foreign powers .

　

◆  SOL:  Taiwan needs to attract more volunteer soldiers or shift to mandatory military service with same training period as Singapore's or Korea's as soon as possible    ――   Foreign Policy (10-19-2020) : It could take a decade to retool the Taiwanese and U.S. militaries to mount an effective defense of the island.... With China’s rapid military buildup, that may be time that Taiwan does not have.

　

◆  Core problem
       Taiwan's politicians like to win an election rather than win a war !!
       Diplomat, 10-3-2020:  Taiwan should lengthen its period of mandatory service to two years.  Such a policy, however, could be deeply unpopular among the young voters courted by the ruling Party (DPP).   Financial Times (UK), 7-12-2020 : Politicians in Taiwan are even afraid to discuss these issues with the public because they believe Taiwanese are not willing to sacrifice...  Foreign Policy (10-19-2020) :  Given these electoral realities, Taiwan’s leaders have gravitated toward military showpieces — while hoping that the United States will save the day if China ever attacks.  however, the United States may not be up to the task. https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/10/19/china-keeps-inching-closer-to-taiwan/

      

　

　

　

　

  US weapons,  good enough for Taiwan !?            'Five minutes to midnight' !!?

　 　

    

     Foreign Policy, 10-19-2020:Taiwan should devote its limited defense budget to acquiring huge arsenals of mobile missile launchers, armed drones, and mines ;  Forbes, 9-29-2020: Washington may need to further strengthen Taiwan’s indigenous capacity to deter by considering the sale of stealthy F-35 fighters, advanced missile defenses, and other weapons not currently contemplated.  Diplomat, 10-5-2020: Taiwan needs mobile systems、long-range surveillance armed drones...

　

    However, here are some problems:

　

◆  too big !?
        Many US weapons Taiwan bought in recent years are “big ticket”, "symbolic", such as M1 tank、 heavy vehicles、F16V jet ; SCMP (Hong Kong ,10-15-2020) and Japan Times (7-9-2019): those weapons Taiwan requested "will not alter the basic military balance in the region”  ; A more important issue is : Economist,10-9-2020: China could wipe out Taiwan’s navy and air force ...   Many insiders are accordingly pessimistic about its ability to hold out.  Foreign Policy, 10-19-2020: The Taiwanese and U.S. militaries still consist predominantly of small numbers of advanced aircraft, ships, and tanks operating from large bases—precisely the kind of forces that China can now destroy with a surprise air and missile barrage;  Bloomberg 10-27-2020 has same view;  therefore, Taiwan should buy "smaller-size" weapons with concealment and maneuverability capabilities (missiles, HIMARS, etc) better for its asymmetrical capabilities, but DW (Germany), 6-6-2019 reported: Taiwan confirms request for US tanks, Taiwan may be seeking to buy 66 more F-16 fighter jets 。

　

◆  too late !?

         Newly bought US weapons take at least one year maybe 4~5 years ? to arrive in Taiwan.  Independent (UK, 10-28-2020), SCMP( Hong Kong, 10-27-2020) : Taiwan says newly purchased US arms will help it destroy half of any invading Chinese force by 2025.  However, Defense News (10-27-2020): “I think if there’s anything to be concerned about its how fast we can get these systems to the Taiwan. If this is over the next 5-7 years, ... we shouldn’t be coming out of our seats celebrating. And that’s a political question ...".
         Voice of America,10-15-2020: Experts Say Taiwan Needs More Homegrown Military Efforts to Counter China.  Reuters (Oct. 2020) says Taiwan is developing and testing new missiles.

         China's mouth-piece Global Times, 10-27-2020:  the mainland might decide to solve the problem before Taiwan get fully armed to become a real "porcupine" ( Independent UK, 10-8-2020: US: Taiwan needed to "turn themselves into a porcupine" militarily,  "Lions generally don't like to eat porcupines.")
               

　

◆  too old !?
        Forbes, 10-26-2020: Taipei’s growing arsenal of long-range missiles complicates Beijing’s invasion-planning.  Diplomat, 10-31-2020: New Offensive Weapons Package stretches the concept of “defensive” weaponry to its limit .
        However, Defense News, 10-26-2020: The Harpoon missile (just purchased) is an older technology and travels at sub-sonic speeds, which means it may be more vulnerable to advanced air defenses. ...  Business Insider, 10-28-2020:  Harpoon anti-ship missiles could frustrate an amphibious assault a Chinese military.. expert in Hong Kong says the missiles "will boost Taiwan's attack ability a little bit," but they "cannot survive a real war and can barely make any change to the balance of military power between Beijing and Taipei.";  Global Times, 10-27-2020: The threat that these Harpoon missiles poses to the PLA is very limited, as they are high subsonic missiles designed in the 1980s, and the current self-defense and anti-missile facilities installed by the PLA on its vessels and land-based bases can shoot them down easily,"   The US has a more advanced anti-ship missile with stealth capability, but it won't sell it to Taiwan, so the latest announced sale is another expensive deal ...
If Biden is elected, things may even worsen, CNN 10-29-2020 says that Biden could offer minor concessions to Beijing, like providing Taiwan with less potent weapons.

　

 

◆  Can Taiwan defeat China by US weapons ?

         Taiwan's defense may be not too bad, but there’s little doubt that China would win a war with Taiwan, even if such a conflict would be costly on all sides, according to many analysts in media such as Chicago Tribune, Yahoo News,10-12-2020, Bloomberg, 10-8-2020.  China even could destroy Taiwan easily by missiles or fatal weapons if it really wanted.  Forbes, 8-30-2020: Taiwan simply does not have enough firepower to defeat a Chinese invasion without the help of the U.S. military.

         Many pro-independence" Taiwanese actually is short of "will-power",  if they all have "soul of the military" as Japanese army had in WWII ,  the Tokubetsu Kogekitai ( とくべつこうげきたい ,「神風敢死隊」, suicide planes) may destroy Chinese only two aircraft-carriers to end the war.  Now most Taiwanese want peace (NewsWeek, 10-28-2020) ― both sides of Taiwan Strait are Chinese, Chinese blood in the veins, NBC 10-24-2020: Economically, Taiwan is dependent on Beijing. But for its security and for international political support, it relies on Washington.  Most Taiwanese hope to find some way a peaceful resolution for the issue.  Washington Post, 1-2-2017 noted " 83 percent Taiwanese chose bread (China's economy) over romance ("independence") .    10-29-2020

　

      

　

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1345937/world-war-3-china-news-taiwan-news-xi-jinping-median-line-usa  10-11
https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/10/19/china-keeps-inching-closer-to-taiwan/  
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/18/opinion/taiwans-failure-to-face-the-threat-from-china.html

www.ft.com/content/92029f49-3e9a-47b7-b967-2af823f185cd

https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1204800.shtml

https://news.yahoo.com/taiwan-says-newly-purchased-us-111753710.html 

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/10/26/us-state-department-to-allow-sale-of-hundreds-of-anti-ship-missiles-to-taiwan-amid-diplomatic-row/

https://www.businessinsider.com/sale-of-missiles-to-taiwan-could-frustrate-a-chinese-invasion-2020-10

https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/experts-say-taiwan-needs-more-homegrown-military-efforts-counter-china

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2020/10/26/to-thwart-invasion-taiwan-points-powerful-new-missiles-at-chinese-bases/#439bad0147f6

https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-20201008-grd2fews3ffg7gdc4zyhagafjq-story.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/china/tiny-taiwan-caught-middle-u-s-china-battle-supremacy-n1244521

https://www.newsweek.com/china-war-taiwan-peace-poll-1542735

　

　

　

　

The People’s Daily, 10-15-2020 , Global Times, 10-15-2020:  “Don’t say we didn’t warn you"  (「勿謂言之不預」)...  

http://www.nexttv.com.tw/NextTV/News/Home/LatestNews/2020-10-17/275597.html

Taiwan,  Next TV, 壹新聞, 10-17-2020

The People’s Daily《告台灣情治部門書》full text : http://js.people.com.cn/BIG5/n2/2020/1015/c359574-34350271.html

 　

● Economist,10-22-2020: The People’s Daily, (CCP’s mouthpiece《人民日報》), carried a commentary... using a phrase—“Don’t say we didn’t warn you (ps: Taiwan intelligence)” — that has preceded Chinese military action against other countries in the past
●  Washington Post, 10-26-2020: ... jingoistic editorials in China's state-run press — have raised concerns in the West that Xi is readying China for a new war. The target in this case would be Taiwan
●  After China's mouthpiece, People's Daily or XinHua editorial issued a severe warning "Don’t say we didn’t warn you" in 1962、1967、1978，Chinese PLA started military operations against Indian and Vietnamese troops respectively.
●  The People's Daily in Nov. 2019 sent a warning  "Don’t say we didn’t warn you" to Hong Kongers, in the next year China cracked down HK, and passed a national security law on Hong Kong.
●  This time the People’s Daily put its warning to Taiwan's intelligence in "opinion/commentary" , instead of "editorial" column as before, and on "7th edition" instead of 1st~4th edition as before, ...  therefore, it's serious but not as severe as before, probably a warning for coercion or "gray zone" actions such as blockage or economic intervenes, or pressuring Taiwan into giving up ... those sort of psychological war.
●  SCMP (HK), 10-20-2020: ... unusually strong language in a recent commentary in People's Daily invoking the phrase “don’t say we didn’t warn you”, serves as a reminder, which was targeting a big rise in the number of Taiwanese intelligence agents active on the mainland, but was aimed at a much wider audience.

●  Washington Post (7-22-2020) :  In 2019, Xi (Chinese president) offered an ultimatum to Taiwan to come to the table for unification talks or face annexation by force.  Soon later PLA's warplanes crossed the Taiwan Strait "median line" ( "the de facto cease-fire line") first time ever since 1949, according to Newsweek 8-12-2020, and the PRC deliberately ratcheted up tensions till now. 

　

　

 　


　
　

(headline of Taiwan News)

　

Fox News, 5-27-2020: Taiwan Foreign minister warns Taiwan is next on Chinese agenda ( military actions )
and asks for international support. 
TTV (Taiwan), 5-27-2020: Taiwan president: keep our eyes peeled for China's military actions. 
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpcHp-1j6Lg

　

　

●  Financial Times  5-19-2020 : Taiwan fears uptick in military threat from China in wake of coronavirus epidemic, with increasingly frequent incursions into airspace traditionally respected as a safety buffer zone.   Taipei was at additional risk from the escalating dispute between the US and China.
   

TW
Defense		 TAIWAN’S DEFENSIVE CAPABILITIES 

◆(1)  China’s multi-decademilitary modernization effort has eroded or negated many of the military advantages that Taiwan has historically enjoyed the context of a cross-Strait conflict.

◆(2)  Taiwan is taking important steps to compensate for the growing disparities – building its war reserve stocks, growing its defense-industrial base, improving joint operations and crisis response capabilities,and strengthening its officer and noncommissioned officer corps – these improvements only partially address Taiwan’s declining defensive advantages.

◆(3)  The modified strategy stresses enhanced asymmetric capabilities, as well as suggesting greater reliance on Taiwan’s Air Force and Navy.

◆(4)  The transition (active duty forces to all-volunteer force ) has slowed due to severe difficulties recruiting volunteers.

◆(5)  Taiwan has stated that it is working to develop new concepts and capabilities for asymmetric warfare. Some specific areas of emphasis include offensive and defensive information & EW，high-speed stealth vessels ，shore-based mobile missiles  rapid mining and minesweeping  unmanned aerial systems and critical infrastructure protection.
PLA
attacks		 CHINA’S COURSES OF ACTION AGAINST TAIWAN

These circumstances PLA would use forces have included:
1. Formal declaration of Taiwan independence; 2. Undefined moves toward Taiwan independence; 3. Internal unrest in Taiwan; 4. Taiwan’s acquisition of nuclear weapons; 5. Indefinite delays in the resumption of cross-Strait dialogue on unification; 6. Foreign intervention in Taiwan’s internal affairs;  7. Foreign forces stationed on Taiwan.
　

◆(1) China could pursue a measured approach by signaling its readiness to use force or conduct punitive actions against Taiwan. The PLA could also conduct a more comprehensive campaign designed to force Taiwan to capitulate to unification, or unification dialogue under China’s terms.
◆(2) China would attempt to delay and defeat intervention in an asymmetric, limited war of short duration. In the event of a protracted conflict, China might choose to escalate cyberspace, space, or nuclear activities in an attempt to end the conflict, or it might choose to fight to a stalemate and pursue a political settlement.
◆(3) China has a range of options for military campaigns against Taiwan, from an air and maritime blockade to a full-scale amphibious invasion to seize and occupy some or all of Taiwan or its offshore islands.

   ●   kinetic blockades of maritime and air traffic, including a cut-off of Taiwan’s vital imports, to force Taiwan’s capitulation. Large-scale missile strikes and possible seizures of Taiwan’s offshore islands would accompany a Joint Blockade in an attempt to achieve a rapid Taiwan surrender, while at the same time, posturing air and naval forces to conduct weeks or months of blockade operations if necessary. China will also likely complement its air and maritime blockade operations with concurrent electronic warfare (EW), network attacks, and information operations (IO) to further isolate Taiwan’s authorities and populace and to control the international narrative of the conflict.

   ●  a variety of disruptive, punitive, or lethal military actions in a limited campaign against Taiwan, probably in conjunction with overt and clandestine economic and political activities supported by a variety of IO to shape perceptions or undercut the effectiveness or legitimacy of the Taiwan authorities. Such a campaign could include computer network or limited kinetic attacks against Taiwan’s political, military, and economic infrastructure to induce fear in Taiwan and degrade the Taiwan population’s confidence in their leaders.
   ●  Air and Missile Campaign. China could use missile attacks and precision air strikes against air defense systems, including air bases, radar sites, missiles, space assets, and communications facilities to degrade Taiwan’s defenses, neutralize Taiwan’s leadership, or break the Taiwan people’s resolve.
   ●  The most prominent of these, the Joint Island Landing Campaign, envisions a complex operation relying on coordinated, interlocking campaigns for logistics, air, and naval support, and EW. The objective would be to break through or circumvent shore defenses, establish and build a beachhead, transport personnel and materiel to designated landing sites in the north or south of Taiwan’s western coastline, and launch attacks to seize and occupy key targets or the entire island.

　

★

　

　

　

Taiwan internet army  (top rankings on the net)

　

BBC UK : WHO chief and Taiwan in row over 'racist' comments ...  


　

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus claims in a press conference that personal attacks from Taiwan have been going on for more than two months ...

　

★ CNBC 4-8-20:  WHO chief addresses death threats, racist insults

　

★ FOXnews 4-9-2020: WHO chief claims he was racially targeted by Taiwan

　

★ BBC 4-9-2020 : Coronavirus: WHO chief and Taiwan in row over 'racist' comments   https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52230833

　

★ businessinsider.com   4-8-2020:

"I can tell you personal attacks that have been going on for more than two or three months — abuses or racist comments, giving me names, black or Negro, [and] — for the first time I would make this public — even death threats," Tedros said.

　

★ Washington Post  4-9-2020 :  They (Taiwan’s foreign ministry ) didn’t disassociate themselves. They even started criticizing me in the middle of all that insult and slur ...

　

★  New York Post  4-10-2020:  WHO head cries racism  ... 

　

★ ABC 4-9-2020 : “This attack came from Taiwan,” said Tedros,   “I say it today because it’s enough.”

　

★  <United Daily > opinion "外交部長不可網民化", 4-11-2020 : Taiwan let cyber-force (netizens) attack WHO chief unchecked or without interfere, eventually probably fail to enter WHO. (放任網民向譚德塞發動攻擊，最後結果可能事與願違。)...  Taiwanese netizens used hate-speech to attack WHO chief, e.g., Nigger、死黑鬼；or "China pig"(「中國豬」), "Beijing Dog" (「北京狗」) on Wiki ...。https://udn.com/news/story/7338/4483673?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2

　

★ The China Times, 4-9-2020 editorial

中時社論》台灣的網路霸凌揚威國際  ( Cyber Bullying from Taiwan came out top in international )
https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20200409005466-262101?chdtv
　

The phenomenon of cyber bullying in Taiwan is very serious, a huge number of internet army, cyber worriers (netizens) run wild against law and reason, some are founded by politicians etc,  some others just followed suit, or were misled by certain groups,  took turns to attack certain targets.
They have two powerful weapons -  (1) violent language (2) fake news.   楊蕙如, a leader of internet army related to the ruling party (DPP) used these two weapons to successfully force an excellent Taiwanese diplomat in Japan to kill himself not long ago.
After Presidential election, the internet army/cyber force even attacked international people, therefore became vanguard for Taiwanese government, the latest case is personal attacking WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who counterattacked Taiwan in a press conference at 4-8-2020.  NHK of Japan reported recently about Taiwan's cyber violence,  the "braveness"  behavior of Taiwanese netizens are now formidable renown worldwide .

WHO's performance on the CoronaVirus event has discussion space, but Taiwan's officials, internet army, and pan-Green media worked together to do personal attacks and cyber bullying, showing their true color and ugly face to the entire world. (台灣官方、網軍、親綠媒體聯手攻擊，完全超越理性討論問題的範疇，淪為人身攻擊與網絡霸凌，真的是「讓世界看到台灣」)

Taiwan's "political roaches" are really too many and are fierce and antagonistic vengeful.  Both pan-Blue and pan-Green founded cyber force of their own. 

The sadness thing is internet army members don't feel shamed about whatever they did, instead, regarded it as an honour, and was happy to repeatedly make fake news and cyber bullying.  The authority used all means to support or cover up 楊蕙如, without conducting investigations after the whole thing were explored.   There are lots more 'hit-man' out there in Taiwan.

Translation above is briefing, Full text in Chinese version pls. click :

　

★  Apple Daily (Taiwan) 12-4-2019 editorial : All political parties and many politicians found their cyber-forces to secretly attack targets... ,  the dark force are mean, base, cruel  and dark to destroy target's image and reputation, they executed without moral bottom line and military discipline  (brief  台灣各政黨與政客豢養網軍 ,  網軍往往是恐怖殺手   毀人形象與名譽的殺傷力怵目驚心... 攻防手段與時俱進，但也更暗黑卑劣..  狠毒.. 沒有道德底線 人性最卑劣的一面，在網軍世界裡盡現 .... ).

　

★ <United daily 聯合報> (Taiwan) 1-8-2020 editorial: The ruling party gradually normalizes (make it a routine work) 『cyber assassination (網路暗殺)』,  even Taiwanese army, police, national security systems (國安軍警體系) have to participate in "cyber warrior" to infiltrate in internet communities to monitor public opinions (brief).  

　

★ <United Daily 聯合報> 1-6-2020 : internet army/Cyber force ('楊蕙如們') still are doing media-framing by fake messages, getting along with the authorities to do all kinds of cyber-bully, verbal-bully ... trying to make a white by lots of blacks, damage judicial systems, democracy, and degrade nice social morality ... (brief / 聯合筆記陳言喬)

       <United Daily> headline news, 1-8-2020 :  KMT presidential candidate Han: The chief of cyber troops is Taiwan president.

　

★ China Times, editorial <中時社論> (Taiwan) ,    3-9-2020    The gov. suppressed freedom of speech by means such as Secretly bullying by cyber force (網軍暗器霸凌)，the victims found no evidences to fight back, and Buying internet celebrities, polls, and personality to lead the public opinions (風向)。

　

★ China Times, editorial , 4-14-2020 :  Taiwanese govt. did not directly say racial discrimination words to WHO chief, but vice-president of Taiwan ranking official did give direct critiques which can be interpreted as an attacking order, and should not be responsible for the consequence - 'racist' comments?  (副總統層級的直接批評難道沒有帶風向的責任？事後就可以完全撇清嗎？)

　

★ Telegraph.co.uk  4-9-2020 :

Social media accounts of Mr Tedros have consistently been flooded with angry comments, some derogatory, and many accusing him ......

Taipei has complained that its exclusion has meant it can’t receive and share crucial, timely data, creating a dangerous loophole in the global health system.
full text

　

　

 　

　

　

  

　 ◆  Who insulted WHO chief ?  more important thing is Taiwanese govt. should take responsibility for cyber force netizens' being cruel, mean and dark for a long time.

　
　 ◆   Reuters news quoted Taiwan president Tsai's words "For years, we have been excluded from international organisations, and we know better than anyone else what it feels like to be discriminated against and isolated" .   However, Taiwan's local discrimination / isolation existed for a long time, according to world study.

　
　 ◆  Everyone can understand Taiwan wants to join WHO, but Taiwanese should try to work it out by reputable way, not low class way.

　
　 　

　

　

★

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  4.  Reviews on Taiwan's economy & GDP              full text : Taiwanese Wealth

　

●  Brookings, New York Times, 2022-7-26: Any further downturn in China's economy would have an outsized effect on Taiwan, whose exports to China hit a record.   nytimes.com/2022/07/26/business/dealbook/chinese-aggression-taiwan.html    ●  L.A. Times, 2022-7-29: The country's economy relies on China, its largest trading partner.

　

●  NDTV, 2022-8-4:  In the first half of 2022, Taiwan's exports amounted to $246.7 billion, while imports totalled $219.0 billion. The trade surplus stood at $27.7 billion. China is the biggest trading partner of Taiwan. Exports to Mainland China are 40 per cent of total exports. Electronic products comprise well over half of Taiwan's trade. Taiwan's economy is dominated by the services sector ndtv.com/business/6-facts-about-economy-of-taiwan-latest-us-china-flashpoint-3223565

　

●  The Tribune, 2022-9-25: The mainland is now Taiwan's largest trading partner, and Taiwan the mainland's eighth largest trading partner and third largest source of imports.

　

●  Bloomberg, 2022-8-6: China is Taiwan’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade rising 26% on year to $328.3 billion in 2021.   finance.yahoo.com/news/taiwan-says-china-simulating-attack-035002189.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

　

GDP per capita (Norminal) Ranking
Taiwan - No.10 in Asia & Pacific
country/economy 2021 rank 2020 rank
Singapore 66263 ($) 8 59795 ($) 7
Australia 62619 9 52905 10
Qatar 61791 10 54185 9
Hong Kong 49485 20 46657 15
New Zealand 48349 21 41165 21
UAE 43538 24 38661 25
Macau 42107 25 35621 27
Japan 40704 26 40089 24
Korea 35196 29 31638 29
Taiwan 33402 32 28358 32

statisticstimes.com/economy/projected-world-gdp-capita-ranking.php

　

　

●  Finance Yahoo, 2021-11-20:  Taiwan - a GDP of $760 billion (21st biggest) and GDP per capita of $32,000, (29th). a critical supplier of semiconductors, (20% global market share),   in 2020, Taiwan’s exports to China hit an all-time high. And “China and Hong Kong combined now represent 34% of Taiwan’s overall trade, compared with 13% with the United States,” according to Brookings. (The U.S. Trade Representative notes that Taiwan is currently our 9th largest goods trading partner with $90.6 billion in two-way goods trade — during 2020.)  finance.yahoo.com/news/why-you-should-care-about-taiwan-103511885.html

●  War On The Rocks, 2022-1-27  (warontherocks.com/2022/01/taiwan-is-not-ukraine-stop-linking-their-fates-together/): Taiwan is an economic powerhouse that punches well above its weight in global commerce, and its economy is closely intertwined with the rest of East Asia and North America. In 2020, it was America’s 9th-largest trading partner, with $106 billion in two-way trade in goods and services.  It is also the home of the world’s most strategically important company, TSMC, which has built a daunting lead in semiconductor technology and now accounts for more than half of global foundry revenues...... its per-capita gross domestic product level with Germany’s, adjusted for purchasing power.

　

◆  Global Times, 2-26-2021: Taiwan, therefore, has a deep, unidirectional dependence on the mainland's economy, and "this situation won't easily change in the future,"  The mainland remained Taiwan's largest export market in 2020, accounting for 43.8 percent of the region's total exports that year, the highest level in the past decade. The proportion was followed by the US' 14.7 percent   globaltimes.cn/page/202102/1216679.shtml    Global Times, 3-24-2021: In 2020, the island's exports to the mainland and Hong Kong hit a new high to reach $151.45 billion, a 14.6 percent increase year-on-year. (globaltimes.cn/page/202103/1219356.shtml).

　

◆  Newsweek, 1-20-2021: ... bilateral trade between Taiwan and China stood at $235 billion for the year until November. Exports from China accounted for just $54 billion, with Taiwan recording a significant trade surplus.. the figures showed Taiwan's economy was "inseparable" from China's newsweek.com/chinese-communist-party-apparatchik-demands-progress-taiwan-unification-1562999

   

◆  Economist, 11-19-2020:  Annual investment flows from Taiwan to China mainland have fallen by more than half since 2015. This growing reticence can be explained by 3 considerations.
(1)  geopolitical :  China's goal of discouraging formal independence by strengthening business ties is increasingly transparent to many Taiwanese.  Tariffs imposed by America on a long list of Chinese exports have prompted many Taiwanese producers to shift operations out of China.
(2)  competition:  the capabilities of homegrown Chinese rivals, are becoming more competitive and innovative.
(3)  generational change: the impending “leadership vacuum” has made them cautious

　

◆  Bloomberg, 11-21-2020: https://www.bloombergquint.com/china/taiwanese-businesses-boost-investment-into-china-during-pandemic

Total approved investment from Taiwan to China rose to $4.7 billion in the first 10 months of this year, an increase of 47% over the same period in 2019...China is retaining its appeal for many Taiwanese businesses, even as President Tsai Ing-wen’s government offers incentives to bring investment back home.

　

◆○The China Times, 6-13-2020 editorial: 41.5% exports from Taiwan to China,  No.2 is 14.5% to the US.

　

◆  Bloomberg 1-9-2020: Slow income growth and aging society post challenge ahead, Taiwanese income-per-person, income per capita, lowest of Four Tigers .   NY Times 1-11-2020:  lowest unemployment rate in two decades ...  The Guardian, 1-9-2020: The economy is improving, with wage growth and high employment.

　

◆  BBC UK  1-2-2019      What's behind the China-Taiwan divide?   https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34729538

The US is by far Taiwan's most important friend, and its only ally.
Given the huge divide between these two positions, most other countries seem happy to accept the current ambiguity, whereby Taiwan has most of the characteristics of an independent state, even if its legal status remains unclear.

... links between the two peoples (ps: Chinese, Taiwanese) and economies have grown sharply. Taiwanese companies have invested about $60bn (£40bn) in China, and up to one million Taiwanese now live there, many running Taiwanese factories.
Some Taiwanese worry their economy is now dependent on China. Others point out that closer business ties makes Chinese military action less likely, because of the cost to China's own economy...

　

◆   In Global Wealth Report of 2019 by Credit Suisse, Taiwan is alongside with Italia, Germany, in terms of wealth per adult.

 

◆   Credit Suisse, Oct. 18,  2018 : 

　

country Wealth per adult(USD) GDP per adult Total wealth (bn)    Share of world wealth quality
United States 403,974 81,425 98,154 31.0% Good
Singapore 283,118  75,242  1,289 0.4 % Satisfactory
France 280,580 55,668 13,883  4.4% Good
United Kingdom 279,048 54,621 14,209 4.5% Good
Japan  227,235 47,980  23,884  7.5% Good
Germany 214,893 57,955  14,499 4.6% Good
Taiwan  212,375 31,146  4,065  1.3 % Satisfactory
China 47,810  12,147 51,874 16.4% Good
Global Wealth Rpt.,  
http://publications.credit-suisse.com/tasks/render/file/index.cfm?fileid=77A4E912-A32D-8E84-CC8C21144CEE52E2
Global Weaalth Databook,  
http://publications.credit-suisse.com/tasks/render/file/index.cfm?fileid=777FDF0E-E060-F608-52DAF97E062CC35B

○

　

 ◆  United Daily, Opinion, 12-5-2017 :   The average monthly salary of Taipei employee (in the amount of NT 43500) is behind that of Beijing's (rmb 9900, equal NT46000 ), Shanghai is at the third (about NT 43000).  / 智聯招聘survey.

   

 ◆     Global Wealth Report 2016 by credit-suisse Research Institute, Nov. 2016

　

            http://publications.credit-suisse.com/tasks/render/file/index.cfm?fileid=AD783798-ED07-E8C2-4405996B5B02A32E

　

            Taiwan's average level of wealth, is at USD 172,800.  Over the entire 2000 – 2016 period, wealth per adult grew by 59% in  USD terms.    Taiwan has a high saving rate and well-developed financial institutions,  so it is not surprising that the composition of household wealth is skewed towards financial assets. The latter now make up 64% of total assets.  Debt is relatively modest, equaling 13% of gross assets.
           Taiwan has comparatively high average wealth and only moderate wealth inequality.    20% of the adult population have wealth below USD 10,000, that is not high compared to 73% worldwide.    38% percent of adults in Taiwan have wealth over USD 100,000 which is almost five times greater than the worldwide average of 8%.
     

　

Taiwan
 Country summary 2016

　 Population  23  million
　 Adult population  19  million
　 GDP   32,647  USD per adult
　 Mean wealth  172,847  USD per adult
　 Median wealth   63,134  USD per adult
　 Total wealth   3.0  trillion USD
　 US dollar millionaires  356  thousand
　 Top 10% of global wealth holders   8,727  thousand
　 Top 1% of global wealth holders   528  thousand

　

  ◆  The China Times, opinion, 11-7-2017, The United Daily, opinion, 11-10-2017:  Taiwan's industries are short of 5 core elements : electricity and water supply, labor, land and talented persons.

   

  ◆  Academia Sinica of Taiwan,  10-5-2017 :  Taiwan Economic Competition and Growth Strategy Policy Proposal  (中央研究院《臺灣經濟競爭與成長策略政策建議書》)
The country will fall into “middle-income” limbo in the next decade if it fails to deal with “three evil hands” that are stalling the economy ...

the law, environmental assessments, and Taiwan-China relations—that could leave Taiwan stuck in the so-called “middle-income trap” and see at least 15 (-30) countries catch up with it in the next 10 years.

 Its economic growth rate has reduced rapidly. In the past ten years, its average economic growth rate has dropped to 3.82%, which is lower than other Asian countries such as South Korea and Singapore.

https://financialtribune.com/articles/world-economy/73782/rigid-systems-holding-back-taiwan-development

https://www.sinica.edu.tw/ch/news/4880

　

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  ◆   Taiwan's economy and China

　

●  New York Times, 2022-6-22:  To Pressure Taiwan, China Flexes Economic Muscle /  China abruptly banned all imports of grouper from the island, in an apparent attempt at turning the economic screws on Taiwan...has also increasingly sought to restrict the island’s access to China’s vast consumer market, banning Taiwanese pineapples, then wax apples, last year after it said the fruits brought in pests.   nytimes.com/2022/06/22/business/china-taiwan-grouper-ban.html

　

● People's Daily of China (international edition), 11-12-2017 : China's GDP in 2016 is about 23 times the number of Taiwan's, five Chinese provinces' (GuanDong, JiangSu, ShanDong, ZheJiang, HeNan ) GDPs topped Taiwan's GDP already, in 3-5 years, 10 provinces might top Taiwan. (brief , UDN, 11-13-2017)

　

Economy

 ● Taiwan's economy is highly reliant on China,

     Forbes. 2015/11/26 <Top 10 China Dependent Countries>: Taiwan ranks world No. 2 ― Taiwan(EWT -9.56%),  has held up fairly well despite the fact that 26% of its exports are China bound.  A whopping 16% of its economic output is dependent on China.

● Taiwan's Economic growth rate(yoy) (%) is estimated (2017) as 1.92.  Economic growth rate (yoy) (%) is 2.88 (2016  4th QTR initial statistics by the government).

● For details pls. see section 3.  below.

 　

Economic freedom

 ● Heritage.Org 's  Economic freedom index 2017 gave Taiwan overall score 76.5,  Singapore and Hong Kong rank top 2.

● <United Daily news >,《The Liberty Times》Taiwan, 2-25-2017:  Taiwanese employee's real wages (average monthly) of last year is lower than that of 16 years ago.   The average amount of  the real ,monthly wages of about 70% employee is less than NT40000(USD1300), 36.72% is less than NT30000.  The youth's low salary is a serious problem, jobless rate is still high.

　

 　

　

　

  ◆  The China Times system, The Commercial Times (June 2017), WHO: Taiwan ranks world No. 3 in the  case-number of being under anti-dumping investigation.   ref to http://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20170630000054-260202

  

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  corruption

　

Transparency International 1-29-2019: Taiwan has stagnated in the Corruption Perspective Index rankings since 2011 with its score 61~63 (dropped 2 spots this year), in contrast, South Korea improved by 3 points in 2017.   

　

Apple Daily (12-7-2018) editorial :  Taiwan's corruption is off the charts by collusions between government officials and business owners,  furthermore, Taiwan's underworld going wild to assist government officials, business and some elected representatives (e.g., legislators) in corruption has been ahead of most corrupt countries, e.g., China, Indonesia, Brazil, Philippines, Vietnam, the stinky rotten food-chain crossing pan-Blue (Nationalist, KMT) and pan-Green (DPP) resurges after Taiwan's elections...

　

　
　 　

　

● pic.: FTV (Formosa Television) News, 7-26-2018: By expertise and team work, core members of former president Ma's Faction (clique) did 'dig' money in the amount more than ten times, or even more than 100 times that of another former president Chen Shui-bian got, Chen was sentenced to 20 years.  Ma himself did not touch the money-digging matter.   Establishing lots of foundations for donations is the culture of KMT.   Major people of DPP (political party in power since 2016) already knew about this, the intel. systems and gov. can but don't (till present) stop the cash flow making a detour  through many places including Inner Mongolia and Outer Mongolia.   further details:o 2018.7.26【政經看民視】

　

　

● Apple Daily (12-7-2018) editorial :  Taiwan's corruption is off the charts by collusions between government officials and business owners,  furthermore, Taiwan's underworld going wild to assist government officials, business and some elected representatives (e.g., legislators) in corruption has been ahead of most corrupt countries, e.g., China, Indonesia, Brazil, Philippines, Vietnam, the stinky rotten food-chain crossing pan-Blue (Nationalist, KMT) and pan-Green (DPP) resurges after Taiwan's elections...

　

　

●  UDN 10-20-2019: politics overrode justice 

　

　

　

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pic: This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword 
"review Taiwan"  on US Google, 5-2-2019, 5-23-2019

　

　

　

pic: This websites-group was ranked No.1
by keyword 
"review Taiwan"  on US Google, 4-5-2019

　

　

　

　

                                                

　

pic. left: This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword "review Taiwan"  on US Google, 3-8-2019;

pic. right : This websites-group was ranked No.2 by keyword "review Taiwan"  on US Google, 1-1-2019
　
　 　
　

　

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re○

 Review Taiwan by cartoons

●  NewsWeek, 10-28-2020: As China Threatens War, Nearly Everyone in Taiwan Wants Peace: Poll

　

●  “Their underlying thinking is that PLA has grown to be too strong for us to fight militarily anyway... Taiwan should just focus on putting up a good show of being tough, buy enough U.S. weapons for display, and pray that Americans come to our rescue /  Foreign Policy, 8-20-2020  https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/08/20/taiwan-military-flashy-american-weapons-no-ammo/

●  Taiwan’s preparedness and its will to fight both look shaky
/  Economist,10-9-2020

　

● New York Times 4-10-2019: The US considers Taiwan's political status to be undetermined ... TW Relations Act. calls for Taiwan's status to be determined by peaceful means.  

　

● CNN 6-17-2019: mass protests (in Hong Kong) emboldened anti-China elements in Taiwan.  

　

● New York Times 4-1-2019: Taiwan protests China jets crossing center of Taiwan Strait, a provocation that seeks to alter the status quo ...  an intentional act.    Japan Times, 4-1-2019: China's move also comes less than a week after the U.S. sent ships through the strait ( mission was unusual) — the third time in as many months...those sailings have likely been interpreted by China as implicit support for self-ruled Taiwan.     Reuters 2-25-2019: US Navy ships ... riling China.    

　 ○ 　 ● New York Times at  4-18-2018: Mr. Trump questioned why the US should be bound by the One China policy if Beijing will not budge on trade ... The U.S. and Taiwan are seen as heading in a direction that is getting perilously close to Chinese red lines...... (Taiwan president Tsai  stated) " Many  people say we are pawns of other people ......"

　

　

● USA Today 5-18-2018: Xi JinPing has signaled that China will seek to reclaim its historical properties by 2049.  Freebeacon 5-17-2018 :   2020—the deadline that [Chinese supreme leader] Xi Jinping has given the [People's Liberation Army] to be ready to invade  Taiwan

　

●  Washington Post,  1-5-2018 :  Xi commanded China’s military to become “battle ready.”  ...... Taiwan will turn “grave” because Taiwan’s government refuses to acknowledge that the island is part of China. .Taiwan needs to increase its defense spending considerably...“the outcome of the game [between China and Taiwan] is undecided".

　

　

　

●  New York Times at  11-4-2017, the Pentagon report, May 2017: China’s military modernization has “eroded or negated many of Taiwan’s historical advantages (geography and the US support) ” in deterring a potential attack.

　

　

　

● New York times,  5-18-2017: Taiwan's leaders have gutted the military and continued to base defense planning on the assumption that the United States would always come to the rescue.  Policies ... have left the military understaffed and in a state of low morale...

　

　

　

● Le Monde diplomatic of France, Mai 2016, depicted Taiwan as a trembling sweating rat   (click for details), turning its back on an approaching huge cat (China), lifting high the banner "$O$"  .

  

　

☉ below each visual parody, cartoon  are related or relevant reports or comments

　
China Slams the Door on Taiwanese Appeals for Independence.

　

　

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Taiwan is :

◆ "Washington's lapdog", "tool"  /  Global Times, Sept., 2021 globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1234662.shtml

◆  Eurasian Times  7-9-2020: The Tsai authority ... turns to Washington and is willing to be used.  Taiwan Now Under ‘Deep Control’ Of The US.

◆ "a conduit (tool)"  /    The LOWY Institute( think tank in Australia ) , 6-16-2020 : treating Taiwan as a conduit to frustrate Beijing imperils Taiwan’s security... and then the United States abandons Taiwan to deal with the consequences.

　

◆ Financial Times (UK), 2021-10-7 : US special forces secretly training Taiwan’s military; rotations had been occurring for at least a decade... the disclosure could further raise tensions. “Making this public will compel the Chinese to react  

◆ Washington Post, 2021-11-4:  Last year, an annual Pentagon report on China listed “foreign forces stationed on Taiwan,” as one of seven issues on which China had said it might use military force against the island. But Newsweek noted that in this year’s version of the report,  the “foreign forces” pretext was dropped  washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/11/04/no-one-wants-war-over-taiwan-that-wont-last-forever/

◆ Global Times, 2021-11-9: The US are aware that there is a red line - US troops and combat equipment must not land on the island. So they sent a small number of soldiers there to train Taiwan military forces globaltimes.cn/page/202111/1238576.shtml

　

　

　

 ◆ Foreign Policy, 1-22-2021 :  Taiwan seeks assurances from Biden admin., but Biden and his team
 are likely to resist using Taiwan as a cudgel against China the way Trump did. 
◆  Foreign Policy, 12-14-2016 named Taiwan President Tsai as
one of leading thinkers of 2016 for "Poking the bear" .

Trump takes Taiwan as leverage , one-China policy as bargaining chips

　

　

　

Salmon is poking the bear ?  Taiwan suffers !

　

　

● The Interpreter , The LOWY Institute ( Australia ), 6-16-2020 : treating Taiwan as a conduit to frustrate Beijing imperils Taiwan’s security.
 Already many in China’s party-state suspect that the US intends to promote Taiwan independence, ... The risk here is that
U.S. policy encourages an overreaction from China, upsetting the cross-straits status quo or whatever remains of it, and
then the United States abandons Taiwan to deal with the consequences.　https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/taiwan-s-wildcard

　

 

◆ DW (Germany) ,11-10-2020:The Biden administration will have to make it quite clear
from the outset whether it is ready to go to war for Taiwan's sake


◆ Japan Sankei Shimbun ( 產經新聞),10-29-2020:Japan's DM 岸信夫: Given military imbalance of
both sides, anything can happen, Taiwan must be very cautious
　

◆ WSJ,10-13-2020:  continued ambiguity in the face of Xi's escalating rhetoric and provocative movements by his armed forces
in the Taiwan Strait presents the greater risk of a confrontation as dangerous  as the Cuban Missile Crisis
　

  ◆ Bloomberg news 3-14-2018: In the future, Taiwan will suffer even more, as it

gets caught  in the middle between a stronger China and a inward-looking US...

　

◆ Chicago Tribune, Yahoo News,10-12-2020: We should defend Taiwan... Yet, to be effective as a deterrent, Beijing has to see it as
 a defensive move by Washington, aimed at preserving the status quo, and not as part of a new offensive against China
 ◆ Economist,10-9-2020:  China could wipe out Taiwan’s navy and air force ...  Taiwan’s preparedness and its will to fight both look shaky. 
Many insiders are accordingly pessimistic about its ability to hold out.


◆ New York Times at  4-18-2018: The U.S. and Taiwan are seen

as heading in a direction that is getting perilously close to

 Chinese red lines...... (Taiwan president Tsai  stated)

" Many  people say we are pawns of other people ......"   

 

　

●  CNN 2-19-2020:  TW president: "What we are expecting is, after withstanding the first wave of
Chinese attacks ourselves, the rest of the world would stand up to exert strong pressure on China" ....
"Taiwan as an underdog facing down the growing might of Beijing" ...    Taiwan military

　

　

● Washington Post, 8-20-2018:  Taiwan's precarious role in the China-US spat !
(Trump adm.'s Taiwan policy is unpredictable); 
　

● Bloomberg news 3-14-2018: In the future, Taiwan will suffer even more,

as it gets caught  in the middle between a stronger China and a inward-looking US...

　

　

◆ China military: can defeat Taiwanese army within 100 hours or 3 days ( ~  3-27-2018); 
Taiwan Defense Secretary: can resist Chinese army for about 1+ week (CTV 12-18-2016)

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  3-11-2020:  Some political commentators and academics,  publicly questioned
the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high profile, politically sensitive cases 
 ● US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019 pointed out that justice ministry was
insufficiently independent and conducted politically motivated investigations of politicians (in <Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government> section), ... 
  ● The Liberty Times,  head-line news, 3-16-2019: Taiwan PM is not satisfied with Judicial reform :

●  The Liberty Times, head-page, The China Times, head-page, 12-8-2018:   Taiwan P.M. (賴清德):  
Taiwan has not made significant progress on judicial reform, which is roiling with public discontent;
 <The United Daily>,  06-18-2016, head page news: Taiwan's prosecutors admit following order to conclude legal cases, usually.  

　

　

　

　

　

　

◆ 　

　

● CTV evening news, 12-14-2017  19:19pm: Taiwanese fraud crimes
are really all over the world. 

● UDN opinion 12-24-2017: Taiwan became international nuisances & social harms

　

● Taiwan is notorious for its fraud crimes all over the world,
damaging the image of Taiwan 
 / EBC TV 4-9-2017 6:54am

　

●    Taiwan largely sees these telecom frauds/phone scammers
as an asset rather than liability... / quora

　

● Taiwan's legal system is extremely tolerant of the scammers. Not matter how much money was involved in a scamming case  /  https://www.quora.com/Does-Taiwan-rely-on-the-fraud-industry-heavily,  /4-16-2016

　

●  Taiwan's legislators and judicial system don't have a sense of shame on int'l telecomm scammers issue
 /  ref to United Daily News (聯合報), Opinion 8-2016  

　

●  Taiwan is a "low risk-high profit" country for fraud crimes ... / EBC TV 4-9-2017 6:54am

　

　

Taiwan fraud,   full text

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

License to rape ? for  sicko raper

　

Taiwan state apparatus 'fully' support
freedom of expression  !

You can scream as loud as you want

  The louder you scream, the more I enjoy ...

 ( a violent, penetrative scientific power)
"You called Discovery,  I called the Rape ..." 
/  Jurassic Park ,  1990

　

　

more readings: ◆ State violence and white terror (product of state violence) return in Taiwan (United Daily, opinion, 12-21-2017, 12-27-2017).

◆ This is an EVIL state apparatus (column, CTN, 5-9-2018): Taiwan has shown a general tendency toward pandering state apparatus, surrendering in mind control ... http://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20180509000843-260109

◆ Abusing power to invade citizen's rights, going old route of anti-democracy are their nature  (United Daily, opinion, 12-20-2017).  https://udn.com/news/story/11321/2886710

ref to https://udn.com/news/story/11321/2897025。http://udn.com/news/story/7338/2179800。

◆ Now it seems hard to keep Taiwan's skin-deep democracy ... the people's "livelihood" was sacrificed for politics ...

The United Daily - Opinion, 3-7-2017

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

★★

★

　

　

Hitler resurgence ...  Nazi returns !? 

　

　

pic.: This cartoon of Zola Zu was printed in the United Daily News group,
Ming-Sen Daily about 20 years ago

 　

　

　

　

 

　

　

 †   Secret police have already been active around us...  

　

◆ People's Daily, 10-25-2020: Taiwan Intellugence strictly monitors Taiwanese people by so called "Green Terror"

◆  United Daily (聯合報), editorial opinion ,  9-19-2018
ps: 「東廠」meaning : imperial secret police serving the emperors of Ming Dynasty,
or the espionge agency under the leadership of the eunuch in Ming Dynasty, China

　

　

　

　

 　

★

Taiwan - an 'empire' of int'l fraud

　

　

 ◆ 　

●  BBC 4-22-2016: Taiwanese massive international telecoms frauds lead to diplomatic row between Taiwan and China, and cost Chinese victims billions of Yuan and to have driven some to suicidehttp://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36108762

●  CTV evening news, 12-14-2017  19:19pm: Taiwanese fraud crimes are really all over the world.

   

●UDN opinion 12-24-2017: Taiwan became international nuisances & social harms 

● EBC  TV news 4-9-2017 6:54am: Taiwan is notorious for its fraud crimes all over the world, damaging the image of Taiwan

　

●    Taiwan largely sees these telecom frauds/phone scammers as an asset rather than liability... / quora

　

● Taiwan's legal system is extremely tolerant of the scammers. Not matter how much money was involved in a scamming case  /  https://www.quora.com/Does-Taiwan-rely-on-the-fraud-industry-heavily,  /4-16-2016

　

●  Taiwan's legislators and judicial system don't have a sense of shame on int'l telecomm scammers issue  /  ref to United Daily News (聯合報), Opinion, 8-2016 

 

●  Crime liability in China, or Japan, Germany is much more serious than that in Taiwan, China may give it  life imprisonment , Taiwan treats it  minor offense, converting Imprisonment into Fine.   Taiwan is a "low risk, high profit" country for fraud crimes ... / EBC TV news 4-9-2017 6:54am ps14

　

　
†         international nuisances & social harms 　 　

★★

Taiwan - an 'empire' of  illegal drugs 

　

　

◆

　

 ◆

●Taiwan's image  ―  notorious for being a major drug transit center & a major drug exporting country ("drug" - amphetamine, etc, ps13 )

　

● Police of Japan and Australia already labelled Taiwan as "High Risk" illegal drug-exporting country

　

● Based on Japan's statistics,  Taiwan is its No.3 drug resource country ...... ref to The China Times, headline news, 4-4-2017

　

●   Taiwan was already reduced to be a kingdom of producing narcotic drugs.  (United Daily, headline news, 11-2-2017)  Taiwan's anti-drug is a phony show / CTN, 7-2017

　

● Drug-abuse in Taiwan is too serious to stop / Apple Daily, Opinion, 5-15-2017;   

　

●Philippines President Duterte (9-26-2017) : Triad supplying illegal drugs to PH is based in Taiwan, not China / inquirer.net  , UDN, opinion, 10-20-2017

　

●  Taiwan got bad records in The Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG)  for the law and law-enforcement problems / UDN 4-11-2017

　

　

†   international nuisances & social harms

       ps: Taiwan government sponsored an int'l cartoon contest under the theme of "anti-drugs", now we have reason to doubt whether or not  this probable propaganda event using world artists to fool the world.

　
　

◆

Taiwan illegal fishing

Taiwan, a pirate boat  !?

　

●  <The Diplomat> (4-14-2016) :  Taiwan's illegal fishing is 'out of control', GreenPeace criticized Taiwan gov. for knowing this issue but does little -  EU warned in 2015 Taiwan with a yellow card for illegal fishing.  (wait & see how TW nw law works)

●  Washington Post 2-22-2018: Taiwan is No.2 fishing nation as measured by Global fishing Watch's Automatic Identification Sys., 2016.

●
● Taiwan's principal human rights problems reported :

exploitation of foreign workers, including foreign crewmembers

on long-haul fishing vessels  / USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,   3-3-2017

　

　

●   More than 100 foreign laborers were raped

 each year  / BBC 1-24-2017

　

　

●  Taiwanese endured foreign household caregivers who prefer an easy job

and are picky about patients and severe disabilities..., 

Economic Daily News ( 經濟日報, 2015-11-28)
ps: Many laborers are 'good' at committing crimes (running away, malicious destroy/damage, guilty of burglary, etc ), something wrong with TW system.

　

　

 　

●●  <Reporters Sans Frontieres> (RSF, Reporters without Borders),  France,  4-27-2017 :   Local government officials are also directly interfering in the editorial policies of state-owned media;  Taiwan's press freedom is at 45th place.

　

●●  USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,   3-3-2017 :  some media self-censorship with regard to China......


 ●●  RSF: “the main threat to media freedom comes from China, which has been exerting growing economic and political pressure on the Taiwanese media.”

　

●●   Those faceless coward-hackers tried to damage speech-freedom and stop my modifying this and some other web-pages.  6-10-2017

　

★  ★★

Taiwan travel★

　

　

Does Taiwan
Have democracy?
　

 Taiwan democracy

　

　

　

Taiwan food

 †

●   BBC UK, The SUN (2-13-2017): "BUS CRASH HORROR !" Taiwan's "safety standards need to be improved".

●  China - People's Daily's Global Times (7-19-2016) Opinion-editorial: Tourists're gambling their lives in Taiwan  ...
 click Taiwan travel  for details

 ● Taiwan has had a poor aviation safety record/
CNN, Newsweek, 2-4-2015


 ● People's Daily (8-4-2016) Opinion-editorial: Chinese not dare to visit Taiwan without safety assurance,  there's loopholes in law and regulation, careless mistakes in administration, not-good-enough system, etc

★

●  All night-market districts across Taiwan have safety problem similar to the big gas-cylinder LPG-explosion in Fengjia (逢甲) night market (known as largest night-market business district in Taiwan) / The China Times, 7-19-2017

　

● Taiwan politics belongs to corporations (not the people) and is controlled by the political parties <Foerign Policy> 2015.

●

　

　

● Now it seems hard to keep Taiwan's skin-deep democracy ... the people's "livelihood" was sacrificed for politics ...The United Daily - Opinion, 3-7-2017
　

　

　

● Taiwan's financial system is rotten ... / FTV news, 5-29-2017

　

● Food safety is one of biggest challenges to Taiwan / The China Times. 8-6-2016,
 an interview to Taiwan president Tsai

●  Government's food-safety budget is too little, only USD0.03 for each Taiwanese, according to 前瞻plan / China Times, 7-9-2017
 ● Professor Yin M.D. (殷宗海, Doctor, Univ. of London ): Minimize the times of dining out to protect your health !
● The  limit-amount  (ppm, part per million) of pesticide  residue are restricted to in Taiwan is 1000 times that in Europe / The China Times, Opinion <短評 "Taiwan is more toxic than before>, 4-21-2017
　

　

Beaviss : dummy ! the re's no poison, addictives, MSG, lard oil, gutter oil,  added in these Chinese heritage arts - pork stone and cabbage jade
 Butter-Head: so, we can eat these healthy foods now?!  ps4
 a visual parody by Zola Zu　


●

　

　

　

●

★  ps: The incidence rate of Taiwanese people suffering colon/rectal cancer was ranked world No.1,  many black-heart tainted foods containing Carcinogen (cancer producer)...../ 8-28-2015 apple daily.

★  ◆

　

　

Taiwan politicians buried people alive 

　

　

in quakes of magnitude 6.0

　

 　

Taiwan government (including local gov.) has not well taken its fundamental responsibility of protecting the safety of people's life and property -

　

● why 5/6 bridges badly in need of repair have not been done ?  government even has never made public the info. , where are those fatal bridges' locations ?   (ref. to United Daily, 10-9-2019, headline news)

● why are there so many tall buildings located on the fault-zone?

● why are poor architectures everywhere on bad geologic grounds ?

● why are those shit-hole politicians doing nothing and ignoring urban renewal so as to risk millions of old houses and human beings ?? 

　

　

  (full text: https://udn.com/news/story/11321/2974813 聯合報社論／斷層帶上何以建了那麼多高樓？  2-8-2018,  https://udn.com/news/story/7338/2977079 勿讓軟腳樓成坑殺人命陷阱 2-9-2018,  https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/daily/20180209/37928659花蓮 都更 爛政客   2-9-2018)

 †  

　

★

★

★　

★　

★　

 †  Taiwan, a "kingdom" of mask  ― 
　

　

● Taiwan's environmental quality (serious air pollution, bad water) was ranked almost the last
in all OECD countries  / 9-21-2015 China Times

　

●  Taiwan built an environment to kill legally , for its PM2.5 air-pollution-control standard
15 years behind  / dean, College of Public health, National Taiwan University,  UDN headpage, 10-16-2017;   Liberty Times 1-4-2016 (http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/paper/945998).

　

● Taiwan,  in the lower ranks, placing 54th out of 57 nations in the CCPI with regards to cutting down carbon emissions

and other greenhouse gases. / Taipei Times, 11-23-2017★taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2017/11/23/2003682785
 　●  United Daily, Opinion, 12-2-2017: 2/3 of Taiwan's air pollutions came from local, the "culprit" is too many
coal-fired power generation - Taiwan government's policy.

　

　

　

★  ★

★★


 Justice's raped  !

Taiwan justice dead


Taiwan Justice sys. is ruler's tool, judiciary is controlled by politics - Liberty Times, 6-19-2016
　

Nearly 80% Taiwanese don't believe justice...   United daily 2-26-2019

　

Nearly 80% Taiwanese are not satisfied with gov. measures against corruption  - Liberty Times 2-23-2016  †

★

　

　

　

 Taiwan, a rotten country

One of Taiwan's Principal
human rights problems :
rotten (corruption)

　

　

ref. to US Country Report on Human Rights, 2015-2017, and PERC 2009, etc.

　

cyber-link:
 Corruption in Taiwan
 Prosecutors in Taiwan
 Justice in Taiwan

　

DEMOcrazy?  vs   democracy
　

★Taiwan torture★

   

Torture on Taiwan's own people - a major difference

from what CIA did (ps2)
also violate Nuremberg Code (ps12)

Professor Lin R.S. was subject to electromagnetic

wave attacks / French AFP, Bangkok Post,  Dec. 2011,

 Yahoo UK & Ireland, etc  †

　

★  

★  ★

★　

★　

　

　

　

★

Taiwanese


have been patient sufferance of so many politically bullies and toying (and killings),
hence turned into obedient, docile people   †

★

Washington Post, 1-2-2017 : 83 percent chose "bread" over "romance"...

　

　

　

 　
★

   

Hawks at home, chicken abroad,
sharp spikes pointing

to its own hoi polloi


 ◆

in Presidential inaugural speech, Tsai referred to the Constitution of the Republic of China and the legislation governing cross-strait relations, both imply the acceptance of a “one China” framework.

　

◆

★  

★  ★

　

　

Taiwan air force●●

　

 ●

　

●  Express UK, 6-17-2020:  World War 3: China preparing for 'military struggle' as Taiwan row intensifies ●   CNN, 8-11-2020 : Beijing's warplanes have only crossed  the Taiwan Strait "median line" ( "the de facto cease-fire line") intentionally three times since 1999 (ps: Newsweek 8-12-2020: since 1949)-- once in March 2019, in February of this year, and again on Monday (Azar met with Taiwan President Tsai) ps: In 2020, PLA fighters crossed median line more than 40 times

　

VS

 

●Taiwan declared no other air forces are allowed to flex their muscle in Taiwan air space/ Apple Daily 5-30-2016,...

●

†   Taiwan's sky, our air-space ? 

      

●

　

★  

　

★  ★

   

    ◆ United Daily, 9-6-2018, headlines : Any solution to our ocean crisis  ??  a bowl of plastic trash soup still trouble Taiwan 
     ◆ Apple Daily, 9-6-2018: serious pollutions in many locations around Taiwan, Phenol may harm human health ...
     ◆ MicroPlastics were found in 44% tap water samples, medical circle believes it's a very serious environmental pollution, since something bad, e.g., Dioxin, Bisphenol A (BPA), PAHs, heavy metal elements, may be brought into food chain, and then are/were accumulated in human body...... we better use purified water by RO machine for safety.  Furthermore, mussels, oysters, clams (扇貝與蛤) were also found some microplastics......  brief -  headlines of Apple Daily, United Daily, 9-26-2018.

　

　

　

　

 　

†  

        Taiwan  ―   a piss boy polluting the environment 

      

　

     ●   Asian's biggest sewage treatment plant in Taiwan's New Taipei,  skipped the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and disposed dirty and disgusting water into the sea for probably 4-5 years, witnesses confirmed. / Next, front-page, 4-6-2017
     ●  Taiwan administration's Dioxin ("poison of the century") control system crashed completely / FTV news, 4-22-2017
     ●   NO justice !  The courthouse judged enterprise's disposing 5000 ton cancer-producer strong acid and waste water into the river-creek (color changed to dark yellow ) and endangering the natural environment  is no guilty !  / headline news of Apply Daily, 9-30-2015  http://www.appledaily.com.tw/appledaily/article/headline/20150930/36807420/
     ●  Taiwan ignores environmental protection (ocean garbage clean-up) of 90% coast-line of Taiwan island for large garbage-distributions... / UDN, 5-30-2017
     ●  "Wanna murder people?"  Official certification  for food (CAS) includes not Dioxin.    Pollution for12 yrs never end, Dioxin inside many people already over the limit probably, TW government has never done source-control, never stop contaminants (pollutant, e.g., plastic, inks from industry, fly-ash from incinerator, etc) going to our environment  / Apple Daily, head-page, 4-22-2017 

     ●  Taiwan is reduced to a world dumping ground  -  one million ton of stinky trash were delivered to Taiwan between Jan. 2018 ~ July 2018 / Apple Daily, headline news, 8-30-2018

　

　

　

　

　

★

★

★★
　

　

　

Taiwan weakness

　

Taiwan, a soft chicken

　

◆

NY Times, 5-18-2017:  Taiwan has left the military
understaffed and in a state of low morale...

　

◆

　

 Taiwan president beset by low approval rate because of

weakness against foreign countries, even including

Philippines, a backward country dared to hurt Taiwan,

not to mention military strong ones, China, Japan, etc
ref. to Forbes, 5-21-2013
　

ps: The Philippines is little & weak, but not soft   / Independent UK, etc, 10-11-2016,
Philippines refused to be "a dog with leash" / CNBC 10-25-2016

　

　

　

 　

　

 　

　


lay the blame to an innocent one

Major crimes fled easily,
The little or innocent took the rap


. ◆Taiwan's legislators and judicial system don't have a sense of shame on releasing many int'l telecomm scammers and fraud groups (United Daily, 8-24-2016 editorial ).   In the past 8 years, ◆about 100 major crimes escaped overseas easily and happily (Next magazine, Liberty Times, 12-31-2015), including Legislators leader Liu 劉松藩 (apple daily 12-8-2016) ps3;

ps15

　

 　 　  †
★  ★

  

★  ★
privacy toilet 
　

   pic. : political dig-dirt...ps1

　

◆ watch the people, or listen to the people?

◆ keyhole or loophole ?

Taiwanese privacy

　

　

　

   pic. : 
murder the image, firstly

　

　

　

　

Wanted Poster

　

pic. :  Looking for the guilty?
need only look into a mirror

 on WANTED poster  /
TTaiwan's political culture & ecology can't cultivate citizens knowing and obeying the law ...
/ <United Daily> 8-24-2016 editorial

TW Taiwan government logo
 Taiwan lacks creativity, not cold calculations
  The logo (pic. above) of Taiwan gov. / Ministry of Economic Affairs (pic. above) is similar to Canadian logos (pic.below) appeared earlier       click for Taiwanese creativity


       logo Canada    
★    ps: The China Times, 3-29-2017: Taiwan lacks key tech. to make a  coach (L  bus).

★  ★  

★  
                  
         
 

 ◆  Hypocritical government / Taiwan declared crackdown on prostitution, only to turn into a country with world No.1 percentage of  sex-related business consumers of all the adults. (Apple Daily 12-25-2014 )  ◆Taiwan is hard to stop sex transactions, a 9 yrs old girl as prostitute (Next Magazine, no. 1887) ◆ Prostitution is violence against women / ref to <Prostitution : violence with no name>, "Prostitution et Societe", 2010, "Int'l Day for the Elimination of Violence against women", 11-25-2016 France.   ◆Taiwan government is the main criminal  to harm women's rights in large scale.  †

★  
　

  

　

　

Taiwan diplomacy

　

'comfort women' style kowtow diplomacy,
Taiwan served 2 powers, USA and/or China

　

◆

　

Taiwan's economy is highly reliant on China,
Taiwan needs the US for national defense

　

ps: "serving dicks" ("捧L.P.") is a widely-known political slang in Taiwan

　

　
★  
★  
white

 terror
　

 　

Taiwanese privacy   / Leaking patients' medical records is a normal social protocol in Taiwan     UDN  1-3-2017

In Taiwan, journalists are not used to respect patients' privacy... our hospital members do not get (cognosis) very clearly on the principle of protecting patients' privacy...
 <<快速看診、洩露病歷淪常態 醫療倫理何在？>> https://udn.com/news/story/7266/2205935  by  president of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Cancer Center  †

★

★

 　
Potential 'suicide bomber' !?

undergound das explosion disaster Taiwan


  †

●   It triggered public anger that Taiwan gov. never

 and refuse to go public residential-area locations

with potential explosion risks,

●   Hidden underground pipelines with dangerous Ethylene,

Propylene, liquefied petroleum gas, etc may pass

 through your home  / apple daily,  8-2-2014  (ps15)

  ps: the little whale is Taiwan-island shape.

　

　

 　

★

★


★★Land slide disaster in Taiwan★★

   

　

●  Taiwan has never gone public via media
those area with landslide disaster risks,

lots of houses with potential fatal dangers in Taiwan.

　

●  <CTS HD>, 5-23-2016 :

<遠見>study found Taiwanese people

gave a "failure" score (53.5)

on "living safety".   †

★

　

　

　

　

　

★ 

　

　

　

　

　

 USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,
   3-3-2017 & 2016, 2015 /

One of Taiwan's principal human rights
problems -domestic violence, Taiwanese
Women suffered being raped (spousal rape).
  Many victims did not report the crime for fear of social stigmatization.  Various nongovernmental

organization (NGO) and academic studies
 estimated that the total number of sexual assaults

was seven to 10 times the number

 reported to police. 

†

　

　

　

 

 　

where's Birds Flu ...?

　

　

 

　

Taiwan (TW) is dishonest and 'cruel' ―
trying to hide, block, delay public-health news,
e.g., poisoned eggs, PCV virus vaccine,
and Bird-flu more than one time


(1-2-2018 UDN udn.com/news/story/7266/2908720, 2012 BBC news :  www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese_news
/2012/03/120304_taiwan_birdflu_investigate)

　

　

★  

★  

　

　

　

Taiwan ! Save the ocean !


 save the ocean

　


 ●  Daily Mail  (newspaper UK),  7-14-2017
comments it as "selfish" human beings ,
"Taiwan was once called 'Garbage island'
and more conversation is needed" ......

    ● Taiwan ignores environmental protection (ocean garbage clean-up) of 90% Taiwan's coast
 with large garbage-distributions...
/ UDN, 5-30-2017

　

pic above: Daily Mail (UK) :
Shocking underwater video from Taiwan
shows ocean floor littered with plastic (bottles) garbage
　

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4690526/The-bottom-ocean-filled-plastic-bottles.html  (news & video)

★  

　

                                         Free speech in Taiwan   

　  

 Nov. 18, 2017  The China Times : Taiwan president gave tacit (secretly) permission to Facebook (Taiwan) to restrict or block certain contents  ... brief http://opinion.chinatimes.com/20171118000516-262114;  Taiwan government did not deny or respond this.   

　

free expression on FB Taiwan ,  Freedom of speech in Taiwan

◆

★  

★
　

　

　

　

　

　
　

　

Too many fake scholarly papers

　

●  Fake papers again  -

Taiwan's image worsens for top scholar Chen (陳慶士) 's eight papers were found fake in the US.  / UDN 4-1-2018

● There's neither democracy on campus (colleges) nor university autonomy, / Apple Daily, opinion, 5-1-2018

●  UDN 5-5-2018 opinion: Associations of national and private universities criticized this is the darkest ever moment in Taiwan's history of university autonomy.

●  Lousy conducts and bad ethics in Taiwan's academic circle happened again and again, but never be handled seriously,
some careless-done fake papers are either ignorant or extremely audacious, some are even fraud-crimes,
only legal punishments can stop these, Taiwan government should take hard line now, even resulting in "corpses lie all over the country "  / UDN 1-11-2017  ps11

●   Lousy students with totally 38 score in entrance examination are good enough to be freshmen of Taiwan's university,
 it's an international joke ! / The China Times, 7-20-2017

　

　

　

　

★   ★  

　

　

　

Taiwan

　

　

Deposit room safety box

 †  Taiwan's society,
 laughs the poor instead of the prostitute

 †    

　

Organs harvest  2.0 / unbloody version 

Some people's compliance with the powerful  (ps: In the past, government encouraged its people to struggle and sell out each other for self-preservation or benefits which may degenerate humanity and make a decadent society. ) this cartoon was prt. in The China Times.

　

　

★  

★  

　

Taiwan prosecutor

　

　

　

　

Taiwan justice

　

　

　

†   Lack of  judicial independence  
     United Daily 6-18-2016 head page: Taiwan prosecutors admitted they usually took compliant & subordinate manner to follow their commanding officer's order to access legal cases  Prosecutors in Taiwan
 Also ref to "USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices", the US State Department, 3-3-2017.

　

 † Taiwan's justice dodged the celebrity
       ps: The official hat has 2 flies-swappers - implying they only deal with
             tiny little ones instead of major crimes    Justice in Taiwan

　

★  

★

　

　

　

　

　

　

 †   Taiwan Police fired strong water cannon
against unarmed students and compatriots

courtesy news photos by Apple Daily and Liberty Times

　

　

 †  Japan fired strong water cannon
        toward Taiwan's official ship and fishing boat,
        Taiwan's very weak water cannon was mocked by Japanese media  (ps5)

　

　

★

★  

　

　

　

fire dragon

　

　

　

　

old man, sea, remote island★

　

　

†   Taiwan has enough laws, but lax management (administration)

 hurt too many people, e.g., traffic accidents killed too

many people - local and international tourists.

 / ref. to The Sun, BBC, People's Daily, Washington Post,

CNN, etc 2015 ~ 2017.
The SUN 2-13-2017: : BUS CRASH HORROR !

 it has come under fire in recent months over safety standards.
BBC 2-13-2017 :

　

　

 †  

Cart before the horse


Be blind to fundamental issues - democracy,

human rights,

food safety, judiciary, etc, 

But put efforts on political propaganda 'show' !? 


ps: this cartoon was exhibited in Bulgaria, Cyprus, etc

　

　

　

　

★  

★

　

　

Taiwan legal system

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

 †    Big muzzle on law enforcement officers
          money-talks working fine in Judicial system -
         a deep-rooted perspective in Taiwanese mind

　

. 

 †  Lady Justice turns into Venus

　

　

　

★

◆

     More reviews on Taiwan

　

　

　

US president Bush was in Taiwanese restaurant

 　

Taiwanese Presidential Office Building

pic.  former US president Bush was in Taiwan's restaurant - Beijing Do It True

 pic: Taiwanese Presidential Office Building ― this original Japanese governor office which was a symbol of Japanese power's colonial domination sparked a controversy about moving to new place for transitional justice.  Taipei mayor Ko also stated it's really weird !    In the dinner of Ma-Xi meeting, the 1st time highest-ranking meeting since 1949, Communist Chinese leader Xi JinPing mentioned "Presidential Office" to Taiwan's leader Ma  ― probably both friendly and satirical ... 

　

　

　

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reviews on Taiwan

pic.1

　

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 Ocean pollution in Taiwan coast

Daily Mail (UK)  7-14-2017 :
Shocking underwater video from Taiwan
shows ocean floor littered with plastic (bottles) garbage. 

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●  Taiwan ignores environmental protection (ocean garbage clean-up) of 90% coast-line of Taiwan island for large garbage-distributions... / United Daily, 5-30-2017

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●  Daily Mail  (newspaper UK),  7-14-2017
comments Taiwan coast garbage as  :
"selfish" human beings ,
"Taiwan was once called 'Garbage island'
and more conversation is needed" ...... ......

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review Taiwan's environmental pollution

　

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●   Next Magazine (Apple Daily), front-page, 4-6-2017 - ocean and river pollution by Taiwanese

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●    Asian's biggest sewage treatment plant in Taiwan's New Taipei,  skipped the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and disposed dirty and disgusting water into the sea for probably 4-5 years, witnesses confirmed. / Next Magazine (Apple Daily), front-page, 4-6-2017

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●   NO justice !  The courthouse judged enterprise's disposing 5000 ton cancer-producer strong acid and waste water into the river-creek (color changed to dark yellow ) and endangering the natural environment  is no guilty !  / headline news of Apply Daily,

9-30-2015  http://www.appledaily.com.tw/appledaily/article/headline/20150930/36807420/

　

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ps: Dioxin & Fipronil in Taiwan


     ●  Taiwan administration's Dioxin
 ("poison of the century") control system crashed completely / FTV news, 4-22-2017

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●  "Wanna murder people?"  Official certification CAS for food  includes not , but Dioxin was already inside many people's body, probably was over the limit ,  TW government has never done source-control, never stop contaminants (pollutant, e.g., plastic, inks from industry, fly-ash from incinerator, etc) going to our environment.   Pollution has exited 12 yrs, and never end  / Apple Daily, head-page, 4-22-2017 

　

　

● United Daily, opinion, 8-26-2017 : Taiwanese are mad at the administration is so careless that too many loopholes for business to illegally use chemical......  randomly inspections of some farms found Fipronil in sample chicken-eggs 30 times exceeding Euro. official standard.    

　

●   CTN  8-23-2017 : Taiwan's pesticide-control on foods was only half-done.

　

　
　 　

　

　

　

　
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pic:    ● BBC UK, The SUN (2-13-2017): "BUS CRASH HORROR !"
Taiwan's "safety standards need to be improved".
 ● China - People's Daily's Global Times (7-19-2016) opinion-editorial:
Tourists're gambling their lives in Taiwan  ...  click Taiwan travel  

● CNN, Newsweek, 2-4-2015: Taiwan has had a poor aviation safety record
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◆  Taiwan is reduced to a world dumping ground  - 

one million ton of stinky trash were delivered to Taiwan

between Jan. 2018 ~ July 2018 / Apple Daily, headline news, 8-30-2018
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News 2021 :  

◆ CNBC, 2021-8-19: President Joe Biden will likely remain ambiguous about whether it will defend Taiwan if Beijing uses force against the island ◆ FoxBusiness, 2021-8-19: China’s Xi Jinping is forecasting he will invade Taiwan, the US better listen ◆ Reuters, 2021-8-19: President Joe Biden appeared to suggest the United States would defend the island if it were attacked  ◆ New York Times, 2021-8-4: “independence” or “unification.” Most Taiwanese, however, fell somewhere in between.  Xi declared China would “strive to achieve the Chinese dream of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.  It would undo the hundred years of national humiliation China had been subjected to by foreign powers.  “Hong Kong today, Taiwan tomorrow” had turned from a chant to a harbinger ◆ Reuters, CNN, 2021-7-13: Japan warns of crisis over Taiwan, growing risks from U.S.-China rivalry ◆ New York Times, 2021-7-13: Japan, while still wary of being drawn into the rivalry between the United States and China, ...as Washington and Beijing have ramped up both their rhetoric and military presence around Taiwan, Japanese white paper warned that China’s rapid expansion of its military threatened to ... undermine peace in the region ◆  Washington Examiner, Yahoo, 2021-7-7: China's Taiwan ambitions could drag Japan and US into war with Asian power ◆ Nikkei Asia, 2021-7-7: Kurt Campbell: US does not support Taiwan independence ◆ CNN, 2021-7-5: As Beijing steps up its military propaganda and warns Taiwan to "prepare for war," experts say the bigger threat to the island and western democracies is the large-scale cyberattacks that could potentially paralyze physical infrastructure and business simultaneously ◆ Washington Post, 2021-7-2: ‘Strategic ambiguity’ is no longer a prudent U.S. policy on Taiwan ◆ Foxnews, 2021-7-1: China’s Xi warns Taiwan on independence, sends message to West  ◆ Washington Post, 2021-6-17: the world’s top democracies were less vocal about the ever-increasing Chinese threats to Taiwan...Lawmakers increasingly believe, he said, that Beijing is moving toward compelling reunification, perhaps not through military invasion, but through various other coercive and covert means ◆ New York Times, 2021-6-16: how deeply entrenched the long-running conflict across the Taiwan Strait has become, with a degree of mutual distrust that not even a global medical emergency can allay ◆ Sunday Guardian (UK), 2021-6-19: Instead of invasion, China is trying soft power action, including cyber warfare, psychological warfare, media warfare by penetrating Taiwan to influence, mislead and divide the population ◆ Foreign Affairs, 2021-6-3: Washington would need to persuade a large coalition of allies to commit to a coordinated economic, political, and military response to any Chinese aggression. And that, unfortunately, remains a remote possibility ◆ New York Times, 2021-5-5: The more the United States and Taiwan formally close the door on reunification, the more likely Beijing is to seek reunification by force ◆ NBC, 2021-5-5:Taiwan fears quieter Chinese threat as U.S. warns of invasion ◆ Economist, 2021-5-1: Taiwan - The most dangerous place on Earth.  America and China must work harder to avoid war over the future of Taiwan ◆ Reuters, 2021-4-17: US.-Japan statement refers to "peace and stability in Taiwan Strait" ◆ Le Monde (France), 2021-4-16: parmi leurs nombreux différends, la question taïwanaise est la plus sensible. C’est celle qui présente le plus grand risque de déboucher sur un conflit armé ◆ New York Times, 2021-4-9: "military conflicts often seem unlikely until the moment they begin", The Atlantic : a Chinese invasion “could happen at any moment” and that Biden should be prepared ◆ New York Times, 2021-4-8: the Biden administration might manage to deter China without provoking it through more forceful warnings that stop short of an explicit promise to defend Taiwan   ◆ for full text, pls. click cyber-link  

　

◆ Washington Post, 2021-3-26: Xi might be in favor of a risky push for reunification — especially if China continues to believe that a weakened America isn’t ready to fight back ◆  NBC, 2021-3-27: A war over Taiwan remains a worst-case scenario that officials say is not imminent. China's growing firepower casts doubt on whether U.S. could defend Taiwan ;  Taiwan needs lower-tech weapons (mines, drones and mobile anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles) to fend off a potential Chinese invasion, and that big-ticket items like fighter jets and Patriot missiles (they've invested a lot of money in) are going to die in the first few hours of the war ◆  Forbes, 2021-3-26: Many observers believe the moment when the option “reunite”Taiwan by force is exercised is fast approaching  ◆ Bloomberg, 3-21-2021:  ... a very dangerous situation. The U.S. commitment to Taiwan has grown verbally stronger even as it has become militarily weaker... the reluctance of the Taiwanese themselves to treat their national security with the same seriousness that Israelis take the survival of their state ◆ Australian, 3-22-2021: Unfortunately for Taiwan, its future grows increasingly uncertain as Beijing’s military expansionism continues unabated... ◆New York Times, 3-14-2021: Taiwan is selling a life without fear of the CovID-19 virus. Every day, droplets fly with abandon in packed restaurants......The influx helped make Taiwan one of last year’s fastest-growing economies ◆ , 3-16-2021: the U.S. Labor Department placed Taiwan on its 2020 List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor ◆NBC news, 3-8-2021: CCP has threatened to invade if Taiwan declares formal independence or delays talks on uniting with the mainland  ◆ Economist , 2-20-2021: In reality America’s ability to deter an invasion over Taiwan is crumbling... the hardest part of deterring China involves building robust coalitions that are ready to challenge Chinese aggression...If China ever believes it can complete the task at a bearable cost, it will act ◆  New York Times, 2-12-2021: Analysts warned : Beijing may resort to war if the Kuomintang is unable to reclaim power or if the Communist Party feels it no longer has a dialogue partner on the island ◆ BBC, 2-10-2021, "Why Taiwan has 'luck-improvement services' ": There’s a pervasive idea running through Chinese culture that things aren’t random◆ Guardian, 2-9-2021: the Taiwan Strait could become a flashpoint ..the pivotal reason peace had endured for 70 years had disappeared ◆  Washington Post, 1-28-2021: Taiwan Is the Biggest Risk for a U.S.-China Clash ◆  Reuters, FoxNews, 1-28-2021: China warns Taiwan independence ‘means war’ ◆  NY Times, 1-24-2021: China sent warplanes into the Taiwan Strait over the weekend, a show of force to the Biden administration that signals Beijing’s plans to maintain pressure on Taiwan even as it calls for a reset with the US ◆ Wall Street Journal, 1-21-2021 :  Biden Sends Important Foreign-Policy Signal With Taiwan Inauguration Invite ◆ Foreign Policy, 1-22-2021 : The U.S.-Taiwan relationship is likely to remain more low-key.  Taiwan seeks assurances from Biden admin., but Biden and his team are likely to resist using Taiwan as a cudgel against China the way Trump did ◆ Reuters, 1-20-2021: Blinken : US would uphold its commitment to ensure that self-ruled Taiwan has the ability to defend itself  ◆  VOA, 1-6-2021: China Is Increasing Taiwan Airspace Incursions ◆ Newsweek, 1-6-2021:  China Wages Cognitive Warfare To Topple Taiwan Government  ◆ WSJ, 12-28-2020: The loss of democratic Taiwan’s independence against its will would be a geopolitical earthquake. The Pacific balance of power would shift decisively in China’s favor  ◆ for full text, pls. click cyber-link

　

News 2020 :   ◆ NY Times, 12-14-2020: Pound for Pound, Taiwan at the center of the battle for global technological supremacy is the most important place in the world, As the Cold War between China and the United States intensifies, that importance will only continue to grow  ◆  Reuters , 12-10-2020: Taiwan is suffering a serious and worsening decay in the readiness and training of its troops, particularly its army units... ◆ NY Times, 11-24-2020: Biden Faces Pressure from Democrats and Republicans to Stand Up to China by Embracing Taiwan... He will continue to support a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues ... won't use Taiwan to poke Xi Jinping in the eye and make him look weak ◆ Economist, 11-19-2020: :  Why commercial ties between Taiwan and China are beginning to fray?   geopolitical, competition, and generational change  ◆  Washington Examiner, 11-18-2020: China will race to expand 'empire' and attack Taiwan during window of opportunity (~2022), experts fear  ◆  WSJ, 11-15-2020: An attack on Taiwan, the top chips manufacturer, would roil industry and the world   ◆  New York Times, 10-1-2020 :  As China and the U.S. vie for tech dominance, Taiwan’s chip companies are feeling the heat. They are forced to heed American tech policy, but many of their customers — and their customers’ customers — are in China. ◆  Hudson.org, 9-23-2020:  Senator Marco Rubio : Helping Taiwan to win an all-out conflict against China would not be a way to reach that goal,  “That’s not possible.” Instead, Washington should assist Taipei “to have the capability to raise the cost of military adventurism there to a level that China’s not willing to pay..."  ◆  VOA news, 9-21-2020:  The increasing number of air force incursions from China is starting to fray nerves among ordinary Taiwanese,  A Yahoo poll, as of early September, had found that 64% of Taiwanese worry about a conflict,  but a lot of people’s fears are muted by perceptions that China is just sending a political signal, a big proportion of Taiwanese who think  United States would defend Taiwan  ◆  France 24, 9-16-2020: Taiwanese FM on China: 'After Hong Kong, Taiwan might be next'  ◆  National Interest , 9-12-2020:  Washington would establish “a new bilateral economic dialogue” with Taipei to “explore the full spectrum of our economic relationship—semiconductors, healthcare, energy, and beyond, with technology at the core.” .  ◆ US Defense Gov., annual Report to US Congress, 9-1-2020: The PRC appears willing to defer the use of military force as long as it considers that unification with Taiwan could be negotiated over the long-term and the costs of conflict outweigh the benefits ◆ NY Times, 8-30-2020:  Taiwan has moved to revamp Taiwan’s military doctrine and strengthen its reserves...Taiwan cannot count on US as a matter of strategy. ◆ Economist, 8-30-2020:  The island cannot rely on American help, but armed conflict remains unlikely ◆ Forbes, 8-30-2020: Taiwan simply does not have enough firepower to  defeat a Chinese invasion without the help of the U.S. military ◆ National Interest, 8-28-2020: Could China Successfully Blockade Taiwan?  China hopes direct action will yield clean and swift results, letting it present Asia, America, and the world a fait accompli — a done deal  ◆  Wall Street Journal 8-30-2020: Fearing Hong Kong’s Fate, Taiwan Moves to Bolster Its Military Against China.   Financial Times (UK), 8-28-2020: Financial Times (UK), 8-28-2020: Taiwan eases restrictions on US pork and beef imports.   full text

The Hill, 8-25-2020: Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) ... does not say the president must wait to consult Congress until a Chinese attack actually occurs or is imminent — only that the threat to Taiwan’s democratic security and the danger to U.S. interests be identified...Yet, Biden... consultation with Congress prior to responding would cause disastrous delay.   Forbes, 8-24-2020: China Can Capture Taiwan In Three Days, Say Former U.S. Officials.  VOA, 8-21-2020:  a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan... could happen as early as next year... the Trump administration has been taking a very strong stand on China in recent months, there have been no moves from the administration to suggest it is preparing to do away with strategic ambiguity... Joseph Biden:  the U.S. has not been obligated to defend Taiwan ... There is a huge difference between reserving the right to use force and obligating ourselves, a priori, to come to the defense of Taiwan" .  Foreign Policy, 8-20-2020: Suicide reveals Taiwanese army dangerously unprepared for Chinese invasion.   Bloomberg, 8-20-2020:  The danger of a Chinese assault on Taiwan is growing. And the U.S., which has an ambiguous security commitment to Taipei, might well lose if it joined such a war on Taiwan’s behalf.  N.Y. Times, 8-17-2020:  U.S. Tries to Bolster Taiwan’s Status, Short of Recognizing Sovereignty.  US Naval Institute, Proceedings, Aug. 2020: 2021 U.S. political transition would be an even more vulnerable time than usual for U.S. decision-making...  such an opportunity would only appear every few decades...for achievement of a long-held goal — to bring Taiwan back into China.  NY Times, 8-15-2020: Beijing continues to take a tough stance on Taiwan, but is dialing down its belligerence to avoid provocative moves that might give President Trump more opportunities to attack.  CNN, 8-14-2020: What Taiwan needs form the US is a strong stable marriage not a hot passionate romance ...  a long-term antagonistic relationship between the US and China wasn't sustainable after November... Taiwan needs to think about it.   Daily Express, 8-13-2020:  World War 3: China 'ready' for conflict with US over Taiwan row ... Peking University Bo: there could be parties with the US military aiming to create a small-scale and “controllable” conflict with their Chinese counterparts.  MirageNews (Australia), 8-11-2020:  Q:  red line for the U.S. in terms of us going in and defending Taiwan?   Pompeo: We thoroughly intend to uphold our obligations and commitments with respect to the historical understandings between the United States and China on Taiwan.   CNN, 8-11-2020 : Beijing's warplanes have only crossed  Taiwan Strait "median line" ( "the de facto cease-fire line") intentionally three times since 1999 (ps: Newsweek, 8-12-2020: since 1949) -- once in March 2019, in February of this year, and again on Monday (Azar met with Taiwan President Tsai).   full text

 aljazeera, 8-11-2020: Taiwan's top diplomat tells visiting US health secretary that Chinese pressure is making 'life increasingly difficult' .  The Week (UK) , Yahoo News , 8-9-2020 : (FT) isn't sure how serious President Trump is about supporting Taiwan and predicted he could back down if things with China really get heated, leaving the island vulnerable. "If I were Beijing, I would be asking myself: 'If the U.S. gives us a justification to attack Taiwan, what are the odds that he will change is pattern of cutting and running?"  New Zealand Herald, 8-9-2020: Tension reaching boiling point! Beijing mobilises invasion craft along coast,  satellite images reportedly show amphibious armoured vehicles and mobile missile launchers massing at military bases near the island nation...series of "combat readiness" exercises over the disputed South China Sea, with combat aircraft and naval vessels...   Foreign Policy 8-7-2020:  Some hawkish voices in Washington have even suggested arming Taiwan with nuclear weapons... Instead, the US should urgently provide additional conventional military aid to address the dangerous shift .  Washington Post, 8-6-2020:  Alex Azar’s trip to Taiwan is about refusing to appease China.  a fraught strategy and the stakes are high.  Telegraph, 8-6-2020:  China accused of deploying more amphibious weapons to eastern coast as tensions with Taiwan rise.   National Interest, 8-6-2020:  the odds are uncomfortably high that the U.S. forces would be defeated in a war with China over Taiwan. What’s worse, even achieving a tactical victory could result in a devastating strategic loss.  If China committed all-out to seize Taiwan, then it could accomplish its objective in a finite time period, measured in days to weeks.  Foreign Policy 8-4-2020:  CCP may be increasingly tempted to act against Taiwan. Helping to deter any such aggression doesn’t require nukes, but it should nonetheless be an urgent national security priority for Washington .   CNBC, 8-5-2020:  Taiwan is in a ‘delicate’ situation with China as military drills intensify...  in the near-term, they do not have the capacity to really ‘retake’ Taiwan, ... over the years ... not a scintilla of evidence of flexibility on these kinds of core interest questions, and that’s what makes Taiwan so dangerous.  CNN, 8-5-2020:  Taiwan has emerged as one of the focal points of the escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing. The Australian 8-4-2020:  Xi has made it clear that taking back Taiwan would be the crowning achievement in his vision to restore China’s place as a great power.   we tend to underestimate the importance the US puts on the defence of Taiwan.  Sunday Guardian 8-2-2020:  The Quad must strengthen and support Taiwan.  CNN 8-1-2020: Taiwan could become the next flashpoint in the global tech war.  Bloomberg 7-30-2020:  Now fears are growing that Xi wants to cement his place alongside Mao and Deng by conquering Taiwan,... Of the many US-China conflicts right now  —  none is more dangerous over the long haul than that involving Taiwan.  Express (UK), 7-29-2020:  Harvard prof.:  Unfortunately, there is possibility of an armed confrontation. Nobody wants it, and everybody would lose if a war erupts.    Morning Star (UK), 7-27-2020:  If you think China’s claims in the South China Sea are irrational, think again: the problem for Britain and the US is that the wrong side won the Chinese civil war.  We always have a righteous cause to defend... VICE 7-24-2020:   facing a CCP congress in 2022 that will determine the renewal of his chairmanship of the party—Taiwan could become a bargaining chip.    full text

LOWY Institute 7-17-2020: Taiwan tiptoes in cross-strait relations. Tokyo Review (Japan), 7-25-2020: Taiwan is where Japan would have to draw the line .  Washington Post, 7-22-2020: Inside China, the government has faced growing calls from hawkish military pundits and nationalist commentators to grasp the current strategic window to seize Taiwan... in January 2019, Xi offered an ultimatum to Taiwan to come to the table for unification talks or face annexation by force...Taiwan would be an extremely convenient sacrificial lamb.  TIME, 7-22-2020: President Xi Jinping pursues an increasingly assertive foreign policy, leading to speculation he may attempt a military confrontation in the region.   Daily Mail, 7-22-2020: China has made several 'simulated' military attacks on Taiwan.    Daily Express (UK)  7-21-2020:  WAR will break out between China and the US in the South China Sea if Beijing violates the alliance agreement between America and Taiwan.   Bloomberg 7-20-2020:  Beijing is no doubt waiting to see the outcome of the U.S. presidential election before taking any more significant actions.  National Interest 7-18-2020:  This will be much more difficult and costly than Hong Kong has been, but make no mistake: for these (CCP) people, that cost is deemed as necessary and they will gladly pay it. Unless the United States binds itself to protect the independence of Taiwan on pain of war, Taiwan is next.   Asia Times, 7-20-2020:  US tech giants exposed if China takes Taiwan ... Even an unsuccessful invasion of Taiwan would cause a supply chain disruption.   Foreign Affairs, 7-8-2020: Given how little Beijing’s crackdown in Hong Kong has cost it to date, we are concerned that Beijing will draw the wrong conclusions about the costs of future coercion against Taiwan.   Washington Post  7-7-2020:  The Hong Kong security law could be China’s blueprint to deal with the ‘Taiwan problem'...China has arguably moved a step closer to preparing for war with the island democracy .     New York Times, 7-2-2020:  The possibility of a military conflict between China and Taiwan remains remote, experts say, because the costs for Beijing would be extraordinary, including significant casualties and damage to its international standing. Yet the two sides are moving farther and farther apart, with little appetite for compromise.    FoxNews  7-8-2020: The passage of a national security law on Hong Kong has put Taiwan on edge, with pro-democracy activists fearing that Beijing will soon have the self-ruled island in its crosshairs.  National Interest 7-6-2020:  China and Taiwan Could Be Headed Towards a Showdown...  USA Today 7-5-2020: Taiwan has never been more important to American interests.   LOWY institute 7-9-2020:  Xi isn’t such a realist when it comes to Taiwan. Beijing views Taiwan in largely political terms – preoccupied with “the great trend of history” towards unification.  New York Times, 6-26-2020:  When China views it is being challenged in these other sovereignty disputes in this era, it will respond with a very tough line, ...  American warships through the South China Sea and stepped up support for Taiwan and its military ... the possibility of confrontation would increase as the U.S. presidential campaign heated up.  New York Times, 6-21-2020:  It’s a quite deliberate Chinese strategy to try to maximize what they perceive as being a moment of distraction and the reduced capability of the United States to pressure neighbors... U.S. Warships Enter Disputed Waters of South China Sea as Tensions With China Escalate.  Foreign Affairs, 6-18-2020:  A strategic miscalculation might involve Chinese leaders choosing to blockade or attack Taiwan in the near term or midterm based on a set of strongly held beliefs about the United States as a declining power ... New York Times,  6-23-2020: Taiwan raps China for military activity, says it should fight virus instead.   Bloomberg 6-24-2020, John Bolton : Taiwan was right near the top of the list (to be abandoned), and would probably stay there as long as Trump remained President, not a happy prospect .   FoxNews, 6-23-2020: (US) Navy brings massive carrier power to Taiwan Strait, SCS .    Express (UK) 6-23-2020:  FEARS of a World War 3 have been ignited once again ... China: US warships have repeatedly trespassed into Chinese territorial and crossed the Taiwan Straits...  South China Morning Post  6-24-2020: Risk of military conflict between US and China higher than ever...  full text

　

  Express (UK), 6-10-2020:  South China Sea crisis: US sends drones and B-1B bombers over disputed waters as Taiwan invasion fears soar.  Pew Research , 6-10-2020:  In Taiwan and across the region, many support closer economic ties with both U.S. and mainland China...  (https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/06/10/in-taiwan-and-across-the-region-many-support-closer-economic-ties-with-both-u-s-and-mainland-china/)  L. A. Times, 6-8-2020:  China reins in nationalists clamoring for an invasion of Taiwan.  The only thing assured about a war between China and Taiwan, experts say, is heavy casualties.  Forbes, 6-7-2020:  China’s impressive array of new warships, and the expanding capabilities they bring, adds a lot to the credibility of the military scenario... but “Taking Taiwan would be the one of the most difficult amphibious operations in history...".   New York Times, 6-6-2020:  Voters in Taiwan Oust a Pro-China Mayor ... reflects a stunning reversal and a hardening of Taiwan’s attitude toward China.  NewsWeek 6-5-2020: If Washington does not act comprehensively and urgently, it could be Hong Kong today and Taiwan next.  The diplomat 6-3-2020:  the 3 flashpoints (Taiwan, HK, S. China Sea) that could turn a US-China cold war hot ... dangerously close to a tipping point where even a small action would serve as a catalyst  that lets slip the dogs of war.  Express (UK), 6-3-2020: South China Sea warning: All-out war fears erupt as Beijing rejects Taiwan peace plan.  Financial Times  6-3-2020 :   shrill rhetoric would make many believe that an assault on Taiwan could be imminent...  Washington Post, 5-30-2020:   The threat, China's vows to 'smash' any Taiwan independence move as Trump weighs sanctions, raised the prospect of a regional conflict that could draw in the United States...... the rapid deterioration in relations, already at their worst in decades.  Economist: 5-29-2020  How far will China go?  China has launched rule by fear not just over Hong Kong, but also over the South China Sea and Taiwan.   Epoch Times, 5-30-2020, S. Bannon:  there are forces in Washington DC pushing the United States to establish formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.   L.A. Times 5-20-2020: the ruling Democratic Progressive Party advocates Taiwan’s formal independence, something Beijing says it will use force to prevent.   Foreign Policy 5-20-2020:  Taiwan would reject being ruled by China in the same way Hong Kong is now.   The Guardian, 5-20-2020: Beijing also responded swiftly to Tsai’s speech and said China would never leave any room for “Taiwan independence separatist activities”.   Reuters 5-22-2020:  In the annual meeting of China’s parliament, there was no mention of the word  "peaceful" in front of “reunification”, departing from the standard expression Chinese leaders have used for at least four decades,  an apparent policy shift that comes as ties with Taipei continue on a downward spiral.   Washington Post,  5-21-20: As U.S.-China rhetoric grows harsher, new risks emerge with Taiwan drawn into the mix.   People's Daily (China), 5-24-2020 :  Chinese PLA will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.   Financial Times  5-19-2020 : Taiwan fears uptick in military threat from China in wake of coronavirus epidemic.    New York Times 5-19-2020: US is Using Taiwan as a Pressure Point  (TSMC in Arizona ...) in Tech Fight With China.   Nikkei news Japan ( Nihon keizai shinbun,  日本経済新聞 ) , 5-20-2020: TSMC to Arizona may weaken Taiwan's security.   New York Times, 5-12-2020, Pew Research Center:  (Taiwanese) 52% support closer economic ties with China, only 36% favor closer political ties.    Foreign Policy 5-15-2020:  Beijing were to interpret ...... coronavirus as a uniquely advantageous moment, a Chinese military strike on Taiwan at this moment is unlikely... ... but a low level of risk is not the same as zero risk.   National Review 5-13-2020 : The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission: China Has Increased Military Pressure on Taiwan during Pandemic  ( FP 5-15-2020 : dozens of PLAAF aircraft crossed the centerline twice).   New York Post, 4-15-2020:  the 12th time in the past three weeks that American military planes had been detected near the area (Taiwan’s airspace).  China Times, opinion, 5-9-2020: US B-1B flew near Taiwan 3 times.    CNN 2-19-2020:  TW president:  "Taiwan as an underdog facing down the growing might of Beijing" ...  Taiwan military   Sankei News (Japan)《産経新聞》5-18-2020, headline : 米中  台湾参加WHA対決 ,  WHO『新冷戦』の 舞台 ( a duel between the US and China for Taiwan's WHA participation ).    New York Times, 4-22-2020: The island is promoting itself as a model of democracy to try to undercut China’s own campaign to use the crisis to tout the strength of its authoritarian system.    New York Post  4-25-2020 : Taiwan deals with CovID-19 with "a lot more authoritarian.", "almost everyone is tracked." .   Le Monde (France), 4-30-2020: engrange peu à peu les dividendes géopolitiques de sa performance dans la lutte contre le coronavirus. (FP 5-15-2020 : Beijing is concerned Taiwan will benefit from the pandemic.)   CNN 2-19-2020: Taiwan president:  "Taiwan as an underdog facing down the growing might of Beijing" ...   DailyMail UK,  France 24 , 4-20-2020:  CoronaVirus: WHO chief hits back (by "Taiwan didn't report any human-to-human transmission," , "Taiwan's email was only seeking further information.") at Trump's claims (White House 4-15-2020: WHO kept Taiwan's lead from the public).  FOXnews 4-9-2020, CNBC 4-8-20:  WHO chief addresses death threats, racist insults from Taiwan.  The China Times, 4-10-2020 editorial : Taiwanese Cyber bullying notorious worldwide.   Reuters 2-26-2020:  Taiwan should continue to show goodwill to China during coronavirus outbreak and not give Beijing an excuse to attack the island as a way of relieving “internal pressure” ... Chinese public opinion believes people in Taiwan lack sympathy about China’s virus outbreak...  L.A. Times 1-10-2020 ~ 1-11-2020:  Taiwan election... a vote guided by anxiety about China ... Taiwan's president sweeps to reelection, setting the stage for chilly relations with China .    Bloomberg 1-9-2020: Slow income growth and aging society post challenge ahead, Taiwanese income-per-person, income per capita, lowest of Four Tigers.   Diplomat 1-3-2020:  Taiwan anti-infiltration act targets at curbing Chinese influence but critics say it threatens the country's democracy. (brief)    full text

　

News ~ 2019 :   New York Times, 11-25-2019: The US is the largest source of military equipment for Taiwan, Taiwan is the largest beneficiary of "trade diversion" in exports to the US (1st half yr. '19).   The Independent  (UK),11-25-2019:  Taiwan president Tsai's ruling party denounced “The enemy of democracy is China. At present Taiwan's most ambitious opponent, competitor, is also China”.    New York Times, 9-20-2019:  As Taiwan Loses Influence, China Gains Ground in Race With U.S.;   Washington Post , 9-25-2019: China’s growing dominance in the South Pacific is a defeat for an America in retreat.    WSJ , 9-20-2019: It’s clearly a big win for China having the two largest allies of Taiwan in the Pacific drop so quickly...  ;  WEF <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> of 2019 shows Taiwan had the sub-region's largest decline in competitiveness,  Taiwan ranks 10th in Asia, Taiwan's prioritization of travel & tourism ranks world No.75 ;   L. A. Times, 8-1-2019: The indefinite suspension (Chinese individual tourists to TW) is likely to prove a major economic hit to Taiwan, as well as a blow to cultural interplay.   New York Times 4-10-2019: The US considers Taiwan's political status to be undetermined ... Taiwan Relations Act. calls for Taiwan's status to be determined by peaceful means.  Bloomberg 7-15-2019: the island provides a vital link in a chain of American security partnerships in Western Pacific.  NEW YORK times 7-10-2019: Taiwan's ties with Washington under the Trump administration were the strongest since official diplomatic relations ended 40 years ago.   Washington Post, 3-28-2019: in Taiwan, it’s China that dominates every discussion. Beijing’s malign influence is apparent everywhere, while the United States is seen as largely absent.  Bloomberg news 3-14-2018:  Taiwan will suffer even more, as it gets caught  in the middle between a stronger China and a inward-looking US...   CNN 6-17-2019: mass protests (in Hong Kong) emboldened anti-China elements in Taiwan.   New York Times 4-1-2019: Taiwan protests China jets crossing center of Taiwan Strait, a provocation that seeks to alter the status quo ...  an intentional act.    Japan Times, 4-1-2019: China's move also comes less than a week after the U.S. sent ships through the strait ( mission was unusual) — the third time in as many months...those sailings have likely been interpreted by China as implicit support for self-ruled Taiwan.     Reuters 2-25-2019: US Navy ships ... riling China.  New York Times 1-19-2019:  Most of Taiwan’s 23 million people are in favor of maintaining the island’s de facto independence without taking any formal moves that might bring a military response from China.  Le Monde France 1-2-2019:  Le président chinois « n’exclut pas » la force pour récupérer Taïwan.    BBC UK 1-2-2019:  The US is by far Taiwan's only ally...most other countries seem happy to accept the current ambiguity...    New York Times 11-28-2018: Will Taiwan Be the First Domino to Fall to China?    New York Times, 11-23-2018:  China said the results (Taiwan votes in elections) reflected a desire of Taiwanese for better relations with the mainland.    New York Times 11-28-2018: Will Taiwan Be the First Domino to Fall to China?   Le Monde (France), 11-24-2018: A Taïwan, des élections sous influence chinoise.   Annual Report to US Congress ( Military and Security Developments Involving the PRC ), 8-17-2018:  Much of Beijing’s defense budget is focused on developing the capability to unify Taiwan by force;  CBS News 11-14-2018:  If the United States had to fight China in a war over Taiwan, Americans could face a decisive military defeat. /  National Defense Strategy Commission  ;  New York Times at  6-12-2018:  US  unveils an office (AIT) in Taiwan, but sends no top officials ... to avoid bigger clash with China;   USA Today 5-18-2018: Xi JinPing has signaled that China will seek to reclaim its historical properties by 2049.   Freebeacon 5-17-2018 :   2020—the deadline that [Chinese supreme leader] Xi Jinping has given the [People's Liberation Army] to be ready to invade Taiwan.   The US subcommittee hearing (4-17-2018) Rep. Ted Soho,  Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific: Seems likely Xi will force the issue (unification) in his life time.  Bloomberg 3-14-2018: Trump's "Taiwan card" (to annoy China when needed) is China's real worry.     Deutsche Welle 3-17-2018: China has reacted angrily to the bill (Trump signed <Taiwan Travel Act> which pave way for official exchanges with Taiwan, and identifies indirectly (?) Taiwan as a country ― "visits to a country by United States cabinet members ...". ).    Bloomberg news 3-14-2018:  Taiwan will suffer even more, as it gets caught  in the middle between a stronger China and a inward-looking US...    Washington Post at 10-18-2017: "Mr. Xi’s biggest applause line was a vow to 'never allow anyone. . . at any time or in any form, to separate any part of Chinese territory from China.'  That would include...Taiwan." (in 19th CPC Speech).   FreeBeacon at 10-19-2017 : "China’s Xi Jinping Slams the Door on Taiwanese Appeals for Independence.".    Spiegel Germany, 1-9-2017, Global Times of China: "There is no room for negotiations" ("Es gibt keinen Raum für Verhandlungen").   Le Monde group of France, Mai 2016, depicted Taiwan as a trembling sweating rat (click for details !!), turning its back on an approaching huge cat (China), lifting high the banner "$O$" .  New York Times at  11-4-2017, the Pentagon report, May 2017: China’s military modernization has “eroded or negated many of Taiwan’s historical advantages (geography and the US support) ” in deterring a potential attack.    full text

　

　

PS:  among top rankings on the net !!★

　

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pic: This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword 
"review Taiwan"  on US Bing, 3-8-2019, 1-1-2019, 11-2-2018, 8-1-2018, 6-18-2018, 5-17-2018, 2-14-2018,
11-28-2017, 9-6-2017  ("comment Taiwan", "understand Taiwan" both rank No.1 too)

 

　

　

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pic: This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword
"comment Taiwan" on US Google at 10-15-2018, 1-11-2018, 12-4-2016,

1-14-2017,  5-29-2017,  9-5-2017, 12-2-2017

No.1 on US Bing, Yahoo search engine, 6-18-2018

　

●  Facebook in Taiwan

　

This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword
  "Understand Taiwan" on Google,  10-15-2018, 1-11-2018, 9-5-2017,  5-5-2017,
1-6-2017, 5-29-2017 , 12-2-2017

images' ranks - No.1, 2, 3

　

No.1 on US Bing, Yahoo search engine, 6-18-2018  

　

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a survey to find political persecutions in Taiwan

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a survey since years ago  (in various versions)

　

To all the people:

　

According to Amnesty Int'l report years ago, "over half the world's government continue to use torture against their own citizens"

　

Is Taiwan a country which should be ranked latter half of the world ?

　

Taiwan had numerous lousy records of fooling Taiwanese and even the world, e.g., murdering American journalist 江南, making Taiwan white terror again, the latest one is trying to hide minor news about birds-flu at 1-2-2018 (BBC '12 reported this) not to mention big issues.

　

This website is much better in credibility, reliability and objective degree than the mouthpiece of the government.

 

To accelerate Taiwan's reform, please provide with what you saw, knew or experienced about attacks or persecutions on someone in the way of demonization,  setup/conspiracy (e.g., giving dog a name and hang it), high-tech tortures, Orwellian terror, murders ...... by the state apparatus - if any.

　

Scary political climate for many years has made Taiwanese very obedient, hope some may speak out this time.

　

　

　

　

　

　

To the state apparatus:

　

Any rats doing cat's job, or cats with rat's genes in state apparatus should be completely revealed and eradicated ! (if any)

"Police" should be open as the day, not hiding at dark corner underground, doing & speaking things sneaky and lousy like a crime.

Bring everything to light ! No keeping people mis-informed or half informed (worse than a lie) any more.   No waiting until media dig dirt one after another.

Obscurantism and avoiding admitting mistakes only prove rats' intention of repeating mistakes, as US Obama said.

　

　

　

  ps: straight-forward words pls. to avoid any mis-interpretations

  Below is a Chinese-version survey

　

　
　

Survey for catching rats or cats with rat-genes

　

 

　

◆ 致台灣百姓

　

根據近年來國內外研究與報告，台灣是個 '惡名昭彰' 的國家 !

台灣 是否還隱藏諸多施加人民之惡，尚未被揭露??

　

intlHumanRights.com網站群，  中英文"評論台灣"排名國際第一 (click  排名第一)， 經Google, Bing, Yahoo, Metager, Baidu,  Facebook, Twitter...遍傳全球百國，公正、 客觀與可信度非 '為官喉舌'力能企及，

為加速台灣改革、除惡務盡，敬請仗義「直」言 ，如您經歷或知悉 如有羶犬奸吏 謀害、戕傷人權、Orwellian terror, 散播耳語(常備有晃子,藉口)妖魔化攻擊特定對象 等等情事，請惠予提供 具體合法證據，以便全球清譽機構及研究單位， 紀錄國家行徑、分析真相全貌、 發現包藏之禍心 (請直白文字以免誤譯或解讀錯誤)；

　

「國家機器」不應再利用人民長年被迫養成的「謹小慎微」，台灣人的名字不 應再叫「順民」 !!

　

　

本survey只針對公共議題政治迫害，不包括一般 刑民犯 罪， 多年來且將繼續  隨機選擇政府機構、跨國知名企業、以及個人，挖掘可能之犯行。

　

　

◆ 致國家機器:

法國媒體le monde diplomatic將台灣畫成發抖 躲貓的耗鼠(click !)。 「國家機器」如 真有黑幕掩護之 白色恐怖，應主動"棄暗投明"，別做偷偷摸摸、行不由徑 的碩鼠， 或老鼠基因的貓 !! 如美國Obama所說, 公開認錯 才代表不貳過。

　

　

　

CourageZu@gmail.com

　

　

　

　

　

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pic: This websites-group was ranked No.1
by keyword  "review Taiwan" 
on US Google, 9-27-2017, 12-2-2017, 1-20-2018

214,000,000 results
　

　

　

　

　

pic: This websites-group was ranked No.1
by keyword "review Taiwan" 
on US Google , 1-11-2018, 9-19-2017, 5-13-2018
　

　

　


pic: This websites-group was ranked No.2 by keyword "review Taiwan"  on US Google,
2-2-2020, 1-31-2020,1-17-2020

　

　

　

pic: This websites-group was ranked No.1 by keyword "review Taiwan"  on Baidu of China, 2-2-2020

　
　

　

     a survey to find political crimes in Taiwan