Review Taiwan

♦♦♦ Trump's tariffs ♦ Taiwan's Trump problem ♦♦♦ China-Taiwan 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

◆ 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.

◆◆ 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%).
　

◆ 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...

: ◆ 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.

◆ 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.

◆ 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.

◆ 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.

◆ 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.

◆ 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.

◆ 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.

◆ 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.

◆ 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.

◆ 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.

◆ 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.

◆ 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 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.

● 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

○

● 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

○

● 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

○

● 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: A poll has found that 85% of people in Taiwan think public prosecutors can be subject to political influence. A majority said they believed prosecutors engage in corruption behaviour when handling cases

● 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

●

● 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

●

● 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.

○
● 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

○
● 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

○

● 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

○

● 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

○

● 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 ...

○

● 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

○

● 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

○

● 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)

○

● 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. ● Seafood Source, 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.

Taiwan has a Trump problem
◆◆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.
◆◆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.

China - Taiwan War
◆◆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.
◆◆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 says new tariffs on computer chips, semiconductors are coming soon
◆ 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” ...

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.

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

House Prices/GDP per Capita in Taiwan compared to Asia 2022-10-2
The formula is: (Price per square metre / GDP per capita)*100

Adventure / The best countries to fulfill your wanderlust

Travel and Tourism Index by country in Asia

International tourism receipts / Asia-Pacific countries


Review Taiwan ★ Taiwan's Comprehensive Power ranks No.14 in Asia ★ world No. 1 in 2020~25, 2017~19, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2010~12 ★ Top since 1998 ★	fights for rights

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.

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/

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

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,

◆ 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/

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."

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

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

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/

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.

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)

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

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.

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.

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

House Prices/GDP per Capita in Taiwan compared to Asia 2022-10-2 The formula is: (Price per square metre / GDP per capita)*100

Adventure / The best countries to fulfill your wanderlust

Travel and Tourism Index by country in Asia

International tourism receipts / Asia-Pacific countries

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

House Prices/GDP per Capita in Taiwan compared to Asia 2022-10-2
The formula is: (Price per square metre / GDP per capita)*100

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.

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

◆ 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.

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

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

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'

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.

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.

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

♣ 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