Review Taiwan

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

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

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

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

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

● corruption :

● TaiwanPlus, 2023-3-6: 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

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● medical : ● Taiwan ranks No. 249 in World's Best Hospitals by Newsweek and Statista in 2023 ● Bloomberg's CovID ranking: Taiwan's 3-month case-fatality rate ranks the last twice in 2021 ● Lancet / Measuring universal health coverage Taiwan is behind countries of Asia& Pacific like Japan, Singapore, S. Korea, Australia, NZ, Kuwait, Qatar ● Only one Taiwan's hospital was included and ranked No. 249 in Newsweek's top 250 "World's Best Hospitals" in 2023 ● Guardian (UK), 2022-5-9: The death of a two-year-old boy last month highlighted communication failures exacerbated by Taiwan’s entrenched bureaucracy. ● al jazeera, 2022-5-30: The fatalities have notably included the sudden deaths of several very young children, which many Taiwanese attribute to failures of the healthcare system. ● China Times, editorial, 2021-9-8: The government ignores human lives of high-risk older populations. Using vaccine to draw votes is "cold-blood", "losing their souls " chinatimes.com/opinion/20210907005525-262101?chdtv ●

Trump's new tariffs , Taiwan's chips, trade war
◆ Reuters, 2025-11-14	The U.S. Treasury and Taiwan said they agreed to continue close consultations on macroeconomic and foreign exchange rate matters and both pledged to avoid manipulating the value of their currencies to gain a competitive advantage.
◆ Economist, 2025-11-13	The island is envied for its manufacturing and exporting prowess, in chipmaking in particular. Taiwan's rise, and its astonishing current-account surplus (now at 16% of GDP, compared with a mere 3% for China), have been supported by its long-standing policy of keeping its currency weak. But while this has helped exporters, it makes imports more expensive and has deprived Taiwanese consumers of the fruits of growth. It is also storing up growing financial risks.
◆ Bloomberg, 2025-11-12	Taiwan doesn't want to weaponise semiconductors; But Taiwan said it is assessing the possibility of using chip export controls in its diplomatic efforts
◆ Reuters, 2025-11-10	Taiwan's chip industry strengthens Taiwan's defence in the face of threats, former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen told the Berlin Freedom Conference.
◆ CNN, 2025-10-30	Taiwan is not willing to concede to the US across the board. The island vowed to resist pressure from Washington to shift half of its chip production capacity to the United States, throwing down the gauntlet to the Trump administration just earlier this month. The subject is expected to continue as an active piece of the ongoing trade talks between the US and Taiwan.
◆ Washington Examiner, 2025-10-29	Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company produces roughly 60% of global semiconductors and over 90% of the most advanced chips. A Beijing takeover would give China control of the global semiconductor supply chain, affecting industries from AI to satellites and weapons systems.
◆ Economist, 2025-10-23	Taiwan has a “silicon shield”: it is home to the world's biggest producer of the semiconductors that are used by America's AI industry. Taiwan is confronting one of its deepest fears: what happens if America abandons it? Trump hinted at that by suggesting that such a deal (US-China) would be “great for unification and peace”, and he asked TSMC to move much of its production to America.
◆ Politico, 2025-10-20	president Trump wouldn't say if the independence of Taiwan will be a bargaining chip in his discussions with Xi on a trade deal in their upcoming meeting.
◆ Financial Times, 2025-10-16	Trump appears much more transactional than he already was during his first term. Certainly, what comes across as an attempt to compel firms like TSMC — to invest hundreds of billions of dollars into shift production to the United States...So that also creates divisions within Taiwan that are a little conducive to perceptions of continued American support. ft.com/content/4a49b180-4208-49de-8c39-6de95cb4c91d
◆ CBC, Radio-Canada, 2025-10-17	Making microchips is likely not a particularly useful tool for coercion, say analysts, as Taiwan does not design or sell the chips it makes. Nor does Taiwan have the ability to project its financial system internationally and impose export controls on items in the same way that the United States or China can. Taiwan should lean on diplomacy, rather than intimidation, to win more friends.
◆ Washington Examiner, 2025-10-8	Taiwan president Lai Ching-te said,“In trade negotiations, we must, of course, act in accordance with our national interests and the interests of our industries, while also safeguarding food security and the health of our people.”
◆ Bloomberg, 2025-10-1	Taiwan has pushed back on a US request to move chip production stateside to cover half of America's demand, underscoring the tensions complicating trade talks between the two sides.
◆ Wall Street Journal, 2025-10-1	Lombard Odier's expert said, 50-50 proposal requires the right combination of workforce, know-how and supply chain, and would take years. If a 50-50 division is implemented, that would be the end of an efficient, but centralized global model of chip-making, ushering in a high-cost but resilient decentralized model, TIER's expert said.
◆ CNN, 2025-10-1	Taiwan has vowed to resist pressure from Washington to shift half of its chip production capacity to the United States, throwing down the gauntlet to the Trump administration. A legislator of the opposition party KMT, blasted the US demand as an “outright plunder”, urging the government to reject the demand that she said amounts to “selling out the nation.”“If the US forces a division of TSMC's most advanced production capacity, the effectiveness of the ‘Silicon Shield’ will be weakened, and Taiwan's strategic security leverage will be completely lost".
◆ CNBC, 2025-9-30	The Trump administration is pushing Taipei to shift investment and chip production to the U.S. so that half of America's chips are manufactured domestically, in a move that could have implications for Taiwan's national defense. Taiwan's critical position in global chips production is believed to have assured the island nation's defense against direct military action from China, often referred to as the "Silicon Shield" theory. However, in his News Nation interview, Lutnick downplayed the "Silicon Shield," and argued that Taiwan would be safer with more balanced chip production between the U.S. and Taiwan.
◆ Benzinga, 2025-9-30	Trump and Lutnick demand: Half of America's chips must be made at home—Or Else—Taiwan will risk losing American defense guarantees. Lutnick has argued that Taiwan's control over advanced semiconductor fabrication exposes the U.S. economy to crisis and leaves Taiwan's own "silicon shield" dangerously fragile if the U.S. cannot guarantee access to chips that are essential for military industrial power.
◆ Quartz, 2025-9-30	Bloomberg calls it “a radical shift for the global semiconductor industry.” Transplanting a dense, highly contingent and interlinked supply chain to the U.S. involves persuading dozens and dozens of component and materials suppliers to relocate, not just the fabrication facilities themselves. As industry experts acknowledge, semiconductors are among the most complicated supply chains on earth. “Matching capacity of domestic chips with imports is a taller order than simply increasing domestic investments because overseas products are often cheaper, supply chains are difficult to tweak, and increasing U.S. supply takes time,” the WSJ reported.
◆ Bloomberg, 2025-9-29	Washington is demanding Taiwan move investment and chip production to the US so half of American demand is manufactured locally, outlining a radical shift for the global semiconductor industry
◆ arstechnica, 2025-9-29	The Trump administration is pressuring Taiwan to rapidly move 50 percent of its chip production into the US if it wants ensured protection against a threatened Chinese invasion.
◆ cryptopolitan, 2025-9-29	US pressures Taiwan to shift chip production amid push for 50% domestic supply.
◆ Tom's Hardware, 2025-9-28	US-Taiwan tariff deal coming soon — goal is to have 40% of chips made in America. Taiwan's government has already signaled resistance to transferring its most advanced technology abroad, saying that it will ensure TSMC will “keep its most advanced manufacturing processes in Taiwan” under the proposed N-1 policy.
◆ Bloomberg, 2025-9-25	Taiwan weaponizes chip sector to deter China on world stage. “By utilizing Taiwan's position in the global chip supply chain, this looks like Taipei's attempt at building an autonomous deterrent on the world stage,” said a fellow at the Atlantic Council. “Going forward, other governments will be looking at this example and considering not only Taiwan's carrots but also its potential sticks.”
◆ Tom's Hardware, 2025-9-26	U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business that he urged urgent action to distribute chip production across multiple friendly regions ( such as Japan or even nations in the Middle East.) to avoid a catastrophic collapse if disruptions occur. the current U.S. government seems to believe that encouraging chipmakers with a stick — such as a 100% import tariff, or the recently discussed 1:1 policy — is more efficient than Biden's encouragement using the CHIPS Act grants as a carrot.
◆ New York Times, 2025-9-22	Taiwan has long been the top provider of screws to the US. But Taiwan's screw makers are facing a "triple challenge" of competition from China, Mr. Trump's tariff, and an appreciating currency, a lawmaker said.
◆ Foreign Affairs, 2025-9-22	Even with major investments in plants in Germany, Japan, and the United States, TSMC's facilities in Taiwan still produce between 80 and 90 percent of the company's total chip output. There simply is no alternative anywhere in the world to the leading-edge chips that Taiwan's top companies produce.
◆ le Monde , France, 2025-9-18	A burst in the AI bubble could quickly deflate Taiwan's growth. That is why having a diversified economy is crucial. Taiwan's indicators showed that in nineteen out of the twenty-one manufacturing sectors in Taiwan, activity was down due to higher US tariffs and the overvalued Taiwanese dollar. lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2025/09/18/want-to-know-how-the-global-tech-industry-is-doing-follow-taiwan-s-gdp_6745507_23.html
◆ National Interest, 2025-9-16	What does Taiwan offer that would compel the United States and its allies to intervene in a crisis across the Strait? One potential answer lies in Taiwan's core position in the semiconductor industry, specifically its ability to fabricate artificial intelligence (AI) chips—drivers of economic growth and military strength. Taiwan should not give up its most advanced chip fabrication facilities.
◆ Taipei Times, 2025-9-21	Trump has repeatedly shifted positions, demanded sky-high concessions, and renegotiated after agreements — ranging from stacking reciprocal tariffs to the unsettled scope of Section 232 duties — while pressing global semiconductor industries to invest trillions of dollars in the US. For Taiwan, merely reacting to these moves would leave us boxed in
◆ Bloomberg, 2025-9-11	Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick signals optimism on trade with Taiwan.
◆ Washington Examiner, 2025-9-10	As world leaders line up to negotiate trade policy face-to-face with President Donald Trump, Taiwan's diplomats yearn for direct talks with Trump amid tariff negotiations; but the U.S. government's One-China policy means any formal meeting with Taiwan is virtually impossible.
◆ BBC, 2025-9-4	Beijing's military parade comes at a time when Xi seeks to project Beijing's power on the international stage - not just as the world's second-largest economy, but also as a counterweight to the United States as Trump's tariffs rock the global economic and political order.
◆ Reuters, 2025-9-3	Designed to project China's military might and diplomatic clout, it also comes as U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and volatile policymaking strain its relations with allies and rivals alike. "Today, mankind is faced with the choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum," Xi said in Beijing's parade speech.
◆ Fox Business, 2025-8-27	Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: We've ended up with is 99% of the advanced chips in the world are manufactured on the island of Taiwan. That's a national security risk like we haven't seen since the Arab oil embargo. We just have to de-risk several aspects of the U.S. economy. Trump is very solution-oriented. It’s inconceivable to me that administration after administration has just let these strategic risks sit around. President Trump believes that if we leave office in January of 2029 and we have not de-risked the U.S. economy, then we will have failed, and we're not going to fail.
◆ Foreign Policy, 2025-8-21	Trump Might Sell Out Taiwan—Taiwan could help ensure continued U.S. support with increased investment in the United States, particularly by TSMC, the world's top chipmaker...and would be to increase spending on defense, as Lai has pledged to do, to over 3 percent of GDP
◆ Barron's, 2025-8-22	TSMC Won't Be Forced to Give a Stake to the U.S. The U.S. government taking a stake in the company would have been controversial for the company's Taiwanese shareholders and the self-ruled island's politicians, who are seeking to ensure it doesn't transfer its most advanced technology abroad.
◆ Wall Street Journal, 2025-8-22	TSMC considers returning US subsidies if the Donald Trump administration seeks equity in the chipmaker
◆ Economist, 2025-8-21	Attempts to entice and bully tsmc to manufacture more chips outside Taiwan happen to align with the company's thinking. Increasingly, the firm seems too large for its island home.
◆ Hudson Institute, 2025-8-14	Taiwan's 20 percent reciprocal tariff rate for exports to the United States puts it at a slight cost disadvantage to neighboring countries such as Japan and South Korea. However, over 60 percent of Taiwan’s imports—such as smart phones and data processors—are currently exempt from tariffs. Despite suffering a higher tariff rate, the Lai Administration has not publicly committed to reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers for US exports, unlike other governments. Whether Taiwan can negotiate for a lower rate will become even more complicated as the US deficit with Taiwan continues to grow
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Taiwan has a Trump problem ?!
◆ Financial Times, 2025-11-13	Japan and China spar over Taiwan as Donald Trump tilts global ‘chessboard’. Heavyweights clash as election of hawkish PM Sanae Takaichi and US policy unpredictability change calculus in region.
◆ National Interest, 2025-11-5	Things appear bleak for the embattled island democracy of Taiwan. First, the Trump administration blocked a $400 million military aid package intended to help bolster the besieged island's defense in the face of growing threats from Mainland China. Then, the island's second-largest political party, the KMT, nominated a fanatically pro-China politician to its leadership...
◆ East Asia Forum , 2025-11-4	As US-China tensions escalate, the Trump administration increasingly treats Taiwan not as a strategic partner, but as a bargaining chip to be traded away in broader diplomatic and economic negotiations.
◆ CNN, 2025-10-30	“Some stakeholders in Taipei have found it really jarring to be in this position where they're suddenly so unclear on whether the US president will support them,” said a senior fellow at the CSIS, adding they have found an “unwelcome surprise” in how challenging it has been to bolster the US-Taiwan relationship this year.
◆ Financial Times, 2025-10-27	Reports are swirling that the Pentagon is about to announce a major reorientation of US defence policy — concentrating on the western hemisphere at the expense of east Asia. The likelihood of complete American abandonment of Taiwan is still remote.
◆ Economist, 2025-10-23	Taiwan is confronting one of its deepest fears: what happens if America abandons it? Trump hinted at that in May by suggesting that such a deal would be “great for unification and peace”
◆ TIME, 2025-10-23	Few places are scrutinizing Trump's flip flops over U.S. backing for Ukraine with greater apprehension than Taiwan. Trump's recalcitrance regarding support for military action over Taiwan is broadly shared by its allies. Taiwan fears that the combination of Trump's diffidence toward alliances and global acclaim as a war-ending “man of peace” may embolden Xi into finally completing the revolution.
◆ Foreign Affairs, 2025-10-22	Trump's actions in the first year of his second term have already contributed to growing anxiety in Taipei about the durability of U.S. support. Concessions to Beijing would increase skepticism among the Taiwanese about the value of investing in deterrence and preparing for a potential crisis.
◆ Financial Times, 2025-10-16	There has long been talk of a grand bargain between China and the United States. From Taiwan's point of view, what's the nightmare? it would be something like a cessation of military sales, or perhaps a shift in the rhetorical position on Taiwan independence, maybe coming out against it explicitly rather than being ambiguous. But there is still a substantial segment of Taiwanese society that would absolutely refuse to be annexed by PRC.
◆ CBC, Radio-Canada, 2025-10-17	The key issue is whether the United States is going to come to Taiwan's rescue if Taiwan gets invaded; Taiwan's role is actually to serve as a critical component of the alliance built by the U.S. The U.S. has made it crystal clear that we're trying to recreate a supply chain free of China's influence.
◆ The Diplomat, 2025-10-4	The U.S. government is preparing for a military strategy that “does not demand too much from Americans.” The Trump administration has recently begun prioritizing the self-defense of Taiwan over an overt U.S. military intervention in the event of a Taiwan contingency. Trump seems to be in favor of "Taiwan itself take more responsibility for its own defense" , since he believes that Taiwan should increase its defense spending to 10 percent of its GDP. thediplomat.com/2025/10/trumps-approach-to-taiwan-is-taking-shape
◆ Wall Street Journal, 2025-9-29	Xi Is Chasing a Huge Concession From Trump: Opposing Taiwan Independence. Xi believes that he can entice a switch on Taiwan from Trump, who Beijing thinks is eager to secure an economic bargain.
◆ cryptopolitan, 2025-9-29	US pressures Taiwan to shift chip production amid push for 50% domestic supply.
◆ The Hill, 2025-9-25	The idea of a grand bargain with Beijing that trades Taiwan's autonomy for “stability” is seductive. It promises to defuse the Indo-Pacific's most volatile flash point before a crisis erupts. But it's a dangerous illusion. If Washington were to sacrifice Taiwan, allies would read it as a retreat from core commitments. The region would grow more brittle, not more peaceful.
◆ Foreign Affairs, 2025-9-22	Trump puts a higher priority on reaching a trade deal and improving relations with Beijing than on steadfast support for Taiwan. when Trump-Xi meet as planned this fall, Xi almost certainly will try to ask Trump for commitments to reduce arms sales to Taiwan or to make clear officially that the United States opposes Taiwan's independence and supports eventual unification—and Trump might be tempted to do so to get the deal he covets.
◆ The Guardian, 2025-9-20	In Trump's second term there has been a significant cooling on Taiwan. He has questioned the worth of US support, mused that Taiwan should pay for US “protection”, and spurned the security aid mechanism in favour of actual sales.
◆ Washington Post, 2025-9-19	Trump declined to approve more than $400 million in military aid to Taiwan this summer, as he tries to negotiate a trade deal and potential summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The decision on the aid package had not yet been finalized.
◆ New York Times, 2025-9-15	Trump so far appears wary of antagonizing Beijing over this issue; He must go further by strongly reaffirming that the United States does not support Taiwan independence, reimposing restrictions on diplomatic contact and stopping efforts to expand Taipei's participation in international organizations... could also remove U.S. military trainers from Taiwan and weapon systems in the region that provoke China as much as they deter it.
◆ Monocle (UK), 2025-9-11	Taiwan's broader cross-strait strategy ─ de-escalation is consistently preferred over confrontation. Against a formidable neighbour and with a long-term ally in the US that can no longer be fully relied upon – Taiwan must override its reflex to de-escalate.
◆ Washington Examiner, 2025-9-8	Taiwanese president says Trump is bolstering support for island amid China's expansionism.
◆ CBS News, 2025-8-29	Since Mr. Trump returned to the White House in January, there have been growing jitters in Taipei over the strength of the Taiwan-U.S. relationship and Washington's willingness to defend the island if China were to attack.
◆ BBC, 2025-8-26	Taiwan has been criticised for not taking national defence seriously and been urged to raise defence spending, even to as high as 10 per cent of GDP by Donald Trump and other US officials.That the government is unable to get such spending passed means it will continue to face pressure from the US.
◆ Washington Post, 2025-8-23	President Donald Trump is trying to cut another trade deal with China, fears that the United States might not assist Taiwan in the event of a war have deepened.
◆ Foreign Policy, 2025-8-21	The main concern is that Trump—seemingly desperate for a summit and trade deal with Xi—will be prepared to sell out Taiwan to get it.
◆ Brookings, 2025-8-11	U.S.-Taiwan political relations have also soured under Trump. Both The New York Times and The Washington Post linked the rejection of Lai Ching-te's visit to the Trump administration's desire to arrange a summit with PRC leader Xi Jinping.
◆ The Conversation, 2025-8-8	Trump appears increasingly reluctant to back Taiwan in ways that risk provoking Beijing
◆ Chicago Tribune, 2025-8-5	If Joe Biden as president had made a similar move (denied permission for Lai to stop in the US ) , the Taiwanese political and security establishment would have rested easy, knowing that U.S. support was unquestionable. but Trump's priorities are finalizing a comprehensive trade accord with China and pushing U.S. allies around the world to do more for themselves on the defense front.
◆ UNherd (UK), 2025-8-3	For the first time in nearly two decades, Washington issued a sharp and public rebuke to Taiwan. President Lai's recent rhetoric has added an unnecessary layer of tension to already fraught cross-Strait relations. Washington must act to restrain Taiwan's growing push toward formal nationhood and independence.
◆ New York Times, 2025-8-1	Mr. Trump previously said Taiwan had gained an unfair dominance in making semiconductors and had accused the country, which depends on the United States for political support against China's claims, of spending too little on its own security
◆ Fox News, 2025-7-30	A group of Senate Democratic leaders are accusing President Donald Trump of making "steep concessions to Beijing" by refusing to allow the Taiwanese president to come to the U.S. and allowing China to purchase Nvidia chips... "ceded leverage" in trade talks without gaining any "real breakthrough" in negotiations,
◆ New York Times, 2025-7-30	Matthew Pottinger criticized the apparent decision by American officials to “bend over backwards” in the face of Chinese objections to transit stops by the Taiwanese leader.
◆ The Guardian, 2025-7-30	the top Democrat on the house's China committee, called it “another example of the Trump administration caving to China in hopes of reaching a trade deal.”an expert called it “abnormal” for Washington not to agree when such stopovers are permitted under the Taiwan Relations Act.
◆ Foreign Affairs, 2025-8-1	In an April poll, we found that 50 percent of DPP supporters see the United States as a trustworthy or very trustworthy ally, whereas just three percent of KMT supporters and ten percent of TPP supporters think so.
◆◆Al Jazeera, 2025-7-31	there are deep currents of scepticism towards the US – known as yimeilun – running through Taiwanese society. A survey in April found that just 23.1 percent viewed the US as either a “trustworthy or very trustworthy” partner, down from 33.6 percent in June 2024.
◆ Financial Times, 2025-7-30	The US cancelled a meeting with Taiwan's defence minister in June, deepening concerns in Taipei
◆ Fox News, 2025-7-29	U.S.-Taiwan solidarity has long included symbolic gestures — but critics suggest that the Trump administration may be undermining that relationship in a bid to engage China on trade.
◆ Council on Foreign Relations, 2025-7-25	Trump is avowedly opposed to entering new wars and is eager to strike grand bargains. Would a grand bargain with Xi involve selling Taiwan down the river in exchange for trade or commercial concessions?
◆ Washington Post, 2025-7-23	Trump's views about Taiwan are unclear, ... Some fear that in trying to make a broad trade agreement with Xi, Trump could put Taiwan on the table.
◆ Taipei Times, 2025-7-14	The fear that Trump might launch a military response to a Chinese invasion — not out of alliance loyalty, but out of rage or opportunism — may be precisely the uncertainty that keeps Beijing at bay. taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2025/07/14/2003840240
◆ ekathimerini (Greece), 2025-7-3	Though the US Congress, the Pentagon, and much of Trump’s Ccabinet remain staunch China hawks, Chinese leaders see the president's isolationist tendencies and personal disinterest in Taiwan as a sign that US backlash to gray-zone moves may be muted. But Trump is nothing if not unpredictable...
◆◆NBC, 2025-5-30	Officials in Taipei have also been rattled by the collapse of U.S. support for Ukraine as well as the threat of steep tariffs on Taiwan's exports, which Trump has set at 32% in addition to a 10% baseline.
◆ New York Times, 2025-5-22	Some of President Trump's words and actions on Taiwan — raising tariffs, drastically raising military spending, and accusing Taiwan of stealing the U.S. lead in making semiconductors — have magnified doubts in Taiwan about whether the United States would step in if China attacked the island.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/world/asia/trump-china-taiwan-security.html
◆ New York Times, 2025-5-21	Taiwan's president has taken a tougher stance on China, raising criticism from some who say it's a risky position since a geopolitically fickle President Trump may not offer steadfast support for the island.
◆ Economist, 2025-5-1	Mr Trump's fickleness has made Taiwan's security seem more parlous
◆ The Hill, 2025-4-28	U.S. support is no longer a given. Taiwan risks becoming less a steadfast partner and more a bargaining chip in the U.S.-China rivalry — or worse, standing alone against China
◆◆TIME, 2025-4-26	If he won't take on costs and risks to help Ukraine repel Russian invaders, how confident can Taiwan be that Trump will commit U.S. troops and taxpayer funds to defend an “ally” thousands of miles from American shores?
◆◆The WEEK, 2025-4-15	Increasing economic dependence on the US "could placate Mr Trump", said The Spectator, but "experience shows that it could just become a way for Trump to exert more pressure in the future"
◆◆Newsweek, 2025-4-8	Would Donald Trump Defend Taiwan? Even as Pete Hegseth said that the U.S. priority is the Indo Pacific, the U.S. military is focused on the Middle East, and there have been reports that the U.S. THAAD battery in Seoul along with two Patriot missile batteries, deployed elsewhere, were moved to the Middle East.
◆◆The SUN (UK), 2025-4-8	Trump v Xi trade war makes world a scarier place – China could launch full scale invasion of Taiwan. Trump cares about the TSMC, but he has made it clear he really doesn't care about Taiwan as an independent democratic state or as a staunch Western ally. The word is, Trump has made it clear to China that if he reached some grand bargain with Beijing that was better for America, he'd stand aside and let it absorb Taiwan.
◆◆Wall Street Journal, 2025-3-17	Taiwan's military planners signal to Washington the desire for a stable relationship as anxieties simmer in Taipei about whether President Trump would send help to defend against a Chinese attack. Trump's recent suspension of U.S. support for Ukraine heightened those concerns in Taiwan.
◆◆Washington Post, 2025-3-21	The U.S. president's transactional approach has unnerved many in Taiwan. The long-standing U.S. policy of “strategic ambiguity”is now even more pronounced.
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China - Taiwan War
◆ New York Times, 2025-11-13	Japanese PM Ms. Takaichi' comment broke with previous policy of avoiding any explicit mention of Taiwan in the context of “survival-threatening situations.”China says Japan repeated use of “the so-called ‘crisis of survival’ as a pretext to launch foreign aggression.
◆ CNN, 2025-11-12	Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily condemned Japanese PM Takaichi as “recklessly shooting her mouth off,” and warning: “No one should harbor any illusion that they can cross the line on the Taiwan issue without paying a price.”
◆ LA Times, 2025-11-10	Japan was involved in a war of words with China after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said a Chinese attack on Taiwan could constitute “a survival-threatening situation" for Japan requiring the use of force.
◆ National Interest, 2025-11-5	Taiwan's east coast defense strategy is void. And control of Taiwan's east coast affects how maritime and air forces (belonging to China, Taiwan, and other allied states) can operate in the Western Pacific.
◆ Fox News, 2025-10-27	Taiwan expects the PLA to continue its campaign of "hybrid warfare" or "gray-zone operations," a mix of nonmilitary and paramilitary actions designed to pressure and harass Taiwan without formally declaring war. He warned that the PLA seeks to "exhaust [Taiwan's] defense capability and blur the battlespace."
◆ Washington Examiner, 2025-10-8	China says Taiwan president is 'prostituting' himself, after Lai said Trump should get the Nobel Peace Prize if he could convince Chinese President Xi Jinping to abandon use of force against Taiwan. Such forceful and descriptive language is rarely seen in official Chinese Communist Party communications, suggesting that Lai's catering to Washington has touched a nerve.
◆ War on the Rocks, 2025-10-7	the exercise's most plausible hypothetical scenario. China launches precision strikes against Taiwan’s military infrastructure while simultaneously offering generous surrender terms: local autonomy, preservation of democratic institutions, and minimal mainland administrative presence. The message to Taipei is clear: accept reunification on favorable terms or face devastation. The message to Washington and the American public is equally clear: this is a Chinese civil matter, not worth American lives.
◆ New York Times, 2025-9-29	“If there is a Taiwan conflict, particularly if there's some level of U.S. involvement or the threat of U.S. involvement, then from the start it has a nuclear dimension,” said a senior fellow with the Stimson Center
◆ L.A. Times, 2025-9-29	China's “operational challenge” in Taiwan would be: suppress Taiwan's air defenses and land sufficient troops and equipment to be able to build up a force to defeat the Taiwanese military before it mobilizes. China could do that by airdropping armored vehicles on golf courses near Taiwanese ports and airfields which could allow air troops to clear a path for landing forces
◆ WEEK UK, 2025-9-30	in recent years China and Russia “military partnership has become more robust” as ties between Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have warmed, “raising alarm bells in Washington"
◆ Foreign Affairs, 2025-9-12	Even if China avoids a war of choice, a miscalculation could spark a war of chance. Careful coordination could prevent one in the Taiwan Strait.
◆ Monocle (UK), 2025-9-11	Deterrence will depend on more than slogans; it will require pay that competes, training that produces capable forces and a broader recruiting base that includes women and specialists.
◆ The Conversation, 2025-9-10	The Chinese military parade that had the world talking last week was more than just pageantry. It was a declaration that Chinese leader Xi Jinping sees himself in a race against time to secure his place in history. Unification with Taiwan is not just a policy aim; it is the crown jewel that would elevate him above Mao Zedong and cement his reputation as the greatest leader in modern Chinese history.
◆ The Diplomat, 2025-9-6	Washington has made clear that deterrence depends not only on U.S. commitments but also on Taiwan's own readiness. For U.S. policymakers, Taiwan cannot remain passive or ambiguous; If Lai pushes too openly for reform and mobilization, he risks triggering public anxiety, economic disruption, and further political erosion.
◆ New York Times, 2025-9-4	Beijing's V-Day parade was a message for the West about China's rise. On display were hypersonic missiles to sink ships and nuclear-capable ballistic missiles that could strike the continental U.S. New armored ground vehicles, which can be dropped from transport planes, and long-range rocket launchers magnified Beijing's threat to Taiwan. And the array of unmanned aircraft and undersea vehicles showed China's push toward drone warfare.
◆ TIME, 2025-9-4	The military parade, while ostensibly meant to honor military efforts and veterans in WWII, will certainly showcase China's military modernization and is meant as a display of Chinese power and strength, to both the U.S. and the West...
◆ The Associated Press, 2025-9-3	“The lack of public reaction to China's display of military might reflects both the limits of Beijing's intimidation campaign against Taiwan and the longstanding concern of Taiwanese people becoming desensitized by the constant military threat posed by China,” said a senior analyst for the International Crisis Group.
◆ BBC, 2025-8-26	[Citizens] have to acknowledge that China is a threat to Taiwan, and can use force, and that it is currently preparing to do so. And so national security officials and the military must first prepare for this.
◆ SKY News, Australia, 2025-8-26	Relations with China continue to be rocky, with official communication non-existent... the public has increasingly become less enthusiastic and more apprehensive about the government's stances. There are signs that younger Taiwanese people are becoming more open to mainland Chinese culture and apps.
◆ Financial Times, 2025-8-22	Taiwan raises defence spending by 23% under US pressure to counter China
◆ InkStick, 2025-8-20	Taiwanese service members in uniform are not adequately prepared for a war with China. Basic training is minimal, with draftees firing less than 100 rounds, as compared to  600  fired in the US Army's basic combat training. "compulsory military service in Taiwan was like summer camp". In wartime, many conscripts say they’ll be “cannon fodder.”
◆ WSJ, Bloomberg, CNN, NY Post, 2025-8-16	President Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping assured him the People's Republic will not invade Taiwan while Trump is in office.
◆ Quincy Institute, 2025-8-14	While Taiwan is a U.S. interest to a sufficient degree to merit security assistance, it is not a vital U.S. interest that warrants a war with China.
◆ Foundation for Defense of Democracies , 2025-8-11	Ukraine shows that energy is one of the fastest ways to undermine a country's will. Chinese attempt to throttle Taiwan's energy supply chain could still bring Taiwan to its knees. China can leverage its maritime dominance, its legal warfare and cyber tools to choke supply...
◆ BBC, 2025-8-6	China said Taiwanese TV show <Zero Day Attack> was "plunging Taiwan into the flames of war and using the Taiwan people as cannon fodder for 'Taiwan independence'." KMT lawmaker criticised the show as "selling dried mangoes", a Taiwanese euphemism that means stoking unnecessary fear about the destruction of one's country.
◆ CSIS, 2025-7-31	The “joint blockade campaign” (联合封锁战役) is discussed extensively in Chinese doctrinal writing, and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has signaled that it would consider such a campaign if it acts against Taiwan.
◆ USNI News 2025-7-29	Report to Congress on Taiwan Defense, Military Issues: the PLA is, or soon would be, able to execute a range of military campaigns against Taiwan, including missile strikes, seizures of Taiwan's small outlying islands, blockades, and—what would be the riskiest and most challenging campaign for the PLA—an amphibious landing and takeover of Taiwan's main island.
◆ Sky News, Australia, 2025-7-31	Taiwan deputy foreign minister: alone, Taiwan can never be ready ! "It's not possible, China is so big, so huge."
◆ The Telegraph, 2025-7-28	Britain 'ready to fight' over Taiwan, Defence Secretary suggests; Mr Healey, however, said he was speaking in “general terms”
◆ The New York Times, 2025-7-25	China may intensify its pressure on Mr. Lai by holding large-scale military exercises near the island in the coming weeks or months, to show its anger over the recall campaign, his speeches and his travels abroad
◆ Washington Post, 2025-7-23	The biggest danger might not be a “bolt out of the blue” attack but slow strangulation through a blockade, customs controls or other nonmilitary means — which might force the United States to act and begin a cycle of escalation. The rough consensus was that the United States should seek a combination of “reassurance and deterrence” with China
◆ BBC, 2025-7-17	While US officials have warned of an imminent threat from China, INDSR poll found that more than 60% of Taiwanese do not believe China will invade in the next five years. "There is just too big a difference in the strengths of China and Taiwan's militaries," said a citizen, "There is no use defending ourselves against an attack."
◆ Spectator (since 1828), 2025-7-19	Beijing has less risky possible strategies that are more obviously within its capabilities. One is a sudden lightning assault on the Taiwanese government. Another would be an escalation of the kind of ‘grey zone’ tactics –drills seemed to have practised how Taiwan would respond to Chinese vessels intruding its territorial watersspectator.com.au/2025/07/is-taiwan-ready-for-an-attack-by-china/
◆ Financial Times, 2025-7-15	experts said Taiwan's military would struggle to shake off a tradition of centralised command. “Decentralisation is a difficult thing for our armed forces”
◆ Reuters, 2025-7-17	China-linked hackers target Taiwan's chip industry with increasing attacks, researchers say
◆ iNews UK, 2025-7-15	expert at the London think-tank Chatham House said a two-front war co-ordinated between China and Russia “would be a world war", “It would risk nuclear Armageddon. Instead, in the event of a Taiwan conflict China would seek to avoid escalation beyond the region as far as possible, and likely only act once confident that the US would not intervene.”
◆ Fox News, 2025-7-15	Pentagon presses Japan, Australia on role in possible Taiwan conflict. Australia responded by stressing it would not commit troops in advance of any conflict. CSIS expert: "Japan is always critical, we can't win the war without them", "Their forces are important, but our ability to use our bases in Japan is critical". Whether Japan allows the U.S. to center its wartime operations on its territory would be a critical question certain to come up in preparations for a wartime contingency.
◆ the nightly, Australia, 2025-7-14	One military affairs expert of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, has put the odds of a war at 50 per cent in the next five years.
◆ Financial Times, 2025-7-12	Trump administration raises eyebrows by calling for commitments from Australia and Japan, that has frustrated the two most important American allies in the Indo-Pacific. “President Trump has not committed to defend Taiwan, so it is unrealistic for the US to insist on clear commitments from others.”
◆ Council on Foreign Relations, 2025-7-8	A U.S. official remarked that the PLA Navy and China's Coast Guard maintain a constant presence of approximately a dozen ships surrounding Taiwan, and that the PLA Navy could “move into a blockade posture . . . in a matter of hours.” The presence of Chinese warships and aircraft carriers in the waters around Taiwan is such that a full-scale Chinese air assault against Taiwan would also be possible without warning.
◆ New York Times, 2025-7-7	The close ties between the two economies have been seen in Taiwan as a deterrent against China's aggression, and a way for China to exert its influence over the island. The coupling cuts both ways.
◆ New York Times, 2025-6-30	Taiwan's president takes on China in speaking tour, critics say he is stoking divisions, and risking blowback from Beijing. “He is trying to fire up his base of support as much as possible in order to ensure the recalls are successful,” said Lev Nachman, a political scientist at NTU. “Lai's only weapon is his microphone. He is unable to pass policy, and the policy changes he can make are all very limited".
◆ New York Times, 2025-6-26	Trump's attacking Iran introduces another complication for China's leaders trying to fathom how he might handle conflict over Taiwan. A senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security says : “The U.S. couldn't just swoop in there with an exquisite capability and launch a limited number of strikes and win” .
◆ CNN, 2025-6-22	Retraining and equipping existing reservists to operate asymmetric platforms like drones and anti-air missiles will have an outsized impact on Taiwan's ability to deter conflict.
◆ Reuters, 2025-6-17	Taiwan completes first sea trial for domestically made submarine; Taiwan's armed forces are dwarfed by those of China, which has two operational aircraft carriers and ballistic missile submarines and is developing stealth fighter jets. Taiwan is modernisising its military to be able to fight "asymmetric warfare," using mobile and agile systems like submarines, drones and truck-mounted missiles to fend off its much-larger adversary China.
◆ Defense News, 2025-6-14	Taiwan's military reform is failing where it matters most. young conscripts in Taiwan refer to themselves as “cannon fodder,” it signals a crisis in trust that the government ...that equipment and instructor shortages have delayed plans to improve training for reserves. In 2024, only 6% of conscripts eligible for the one-year military service chose to enlist yahoo.com/news/taiwan-military-reform-failing-where-225030579.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
◆ Economist, 2025-6-10	When Mr Trump scorns Ukraine as a small country that foolishly imagines it can defy a larger neighbour, Taiwanese hear echoes of their own plight.
◆ Atlantic Council, 2025-6-9	China is carrying out ‘dress rehearsals’ to take Taiwan. the credibility of US deterrence depends on the visible presence of capable military forces west of the IDL and their ability to respond with sufficient force. Lethality and visible presence matter.
◆ National Interest, 2025-6-6	What's needed in Taiwan is for the island to prepare to wage a long-term, national insurgency against any possible Chinese invader. Instead, they're trying to make the Taiwanese Armed Forces into a miniature clone of the United States Army. It won't work.
◆ The Guardian, 2025-6-1	Were China to obstruct Taiwanese maritime traffic, launch covert cyber-attacks on Taiwan, or impose a full naval and aerial blockade that fell short of all-out invasion, it could force Trump into a humiliating climbdown.
◆ Wall Street Journal, 2025-6-3	The War of Revision Is Coming. Russia's invasion of Ukraine was the start. Taiwan could be the next battlefield.
◆◆New York Post, 2025-5-29	Taiwan fears outside the world will abandon it if China invades. deputy minister of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council: " in order to stay in power, Xi will have to possibly use force against Taiwan.”. Many experts or analysts think that maybe Xi Jinping and Putin already formed some agreement. nypost.com/2025/05/29/world-news/why-taiwan-fears-outside-world-will-abandon-it-if-china-invades/
◆◆NBC News, 2025-5-30	Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense: it is difficult for Taiwan to build a modern fighting force, in the face of “inherently disproportionate” threats from China. Even as it works with the U.S., Taiwan is unsure about the extent of the security commitment from Washington.
◆◆Financial Times, 2025-5-26	China has increased its ability to launch a sudden attack on Taiwan with faster-paced air and operations, new artillery systems and more alert amphibious and air assault units. the PLA appeared to have the greatest success was “in the development and integration of the joint firepower strike campaign”. But it is struggling..., particularly military leadership and decision making. ft.com/content/c82eb38e-87cb-4468-b013-0f7fce0fc54b
◆◆Lowy Institute, 2025-5-26	Conscription evasion remains widespread. Defence spending has increased but still falls short of the urgency implied by official rhetoric. Civic mobilisation is growing, but slowly. And public opinion remains ambivalent, supportive of autonomy, but unsure about confrontation.
◆◆New York Times, 2025-5-22	critics say that Taiwan's efforts to upgrade military preparations are too superficial and lag China's. Many U.S. officials and experts have urged Taiwan to shift more decisively to newer weapons, such as drones, which are less expensive and more mobilenytimes.com/2025/05/22/world/asia/trump-china-taiwan-security.html
◆ Foreign Affairs, 2025-5-20	U.S. provocations—official diplomatic interactions, references to Taiwan as a country, calls for a U.S.-Taiwanese alliance—could incentivize Beijing to undertake a cross-strait invasion. Washington should also highlight the aspects of Taiwan's military capacity that are linked to the United States, reassuring Beijing that the island cannot act alone.
◆ National Interest, 2025-5-20	Taiwan's hope and expectation is that the United States will enter the fray. Wargames point to costly fighting and losses if that happens, including the specter of potential escalation to nuclear war.
◆ PBS, 2025-5-20	Michael Swaine (Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft): If you put it that way, defending Taiwan to the point of going to war with China, I don't believe is a vital U.S. interest, no.
◆◆Newsweek, 2025-5-17	the former commander of the U.S. Army Pacific, told lawmakers that "the threat of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is no longer distant or theoretical."
◆◆Foreign Affairs, 2025-5-15	China's perception that Trump is not altogether willing to defend Taiwan may lead Beijing to consider still more escalatory actions against the island. Lai's political position is weak compared with that of his predecessor, Tsai. ... this weakness may make Lai bolder, as he might want to ramp up confrontation with China to try to win public support.
◆◆Wall Street Journal, 2025-5-14	Beijing's new ships can land on beaches and link to form massive mobile piers. Analysts say they're intended to rapidly offload military equipment, setting the stage for a D-Day-style invasion...	This could thin out Taiwan's defenses and make it harder to defend all the different places...
◆◆Wall Street Journal, 2025-5-10	Taiwan's leaders have embarked on an urgent overhaul of the island's defenses to prepare for what they see as the possibility of a Chinese invasion by 2027. The purpose: be able to hold on long enough for the U.S. to come to the rescue. the deputy foreign minister said: Taiwan will also need to know if U.S. forces will show up.
◆◆New York Times, 2025-5-6	China's military is now the world's largest armed force and rivals the United States in air, naval and missile power. Xi Can't Trust His Own Military. Taiwan should radically increase spending on weapons such as anti-ship cruise missiles, sea mines and drones. The US should deploy more long-range missiles...
◆◆Foreign Policy, 2025-5-1	Lai Ching-te gave several speeches that went significantly further than his predecessors in positioning Taiwan as a sovereign state that is separate from China. The Trump administration should rein in Lai before he mistakes Washington's passivity for approval and entangles the United States in a potentially calamitous war. Polls show that scarcely more than one-third of Americans would favor going to war for Taiwan. Taiwan must not assume the US will fight World War III on its behalf.
◆◆Economist, 2025-5-1	A blockade could provoke an American military response without forcing Taiwan to surrender. That is why a quarantine is more likely. Elbridge Colby has long argued that America should concentrate on containing China, not least by explicitly guaranteeing Taiwan's security. Now he says Taiwan is not an “existential” matter for America and suggests the island cannot be defended at acceptable cost. economist.com/briefing/2025/05/01/chinese-military-exercises-foreshadow-a-blockade-of-taiwan
◆◆Deutsche Welle (DW), 2025-5-5	Energy would be Beijing's first target in case of a blockade or invasion. The water supply is powered by electricity, communication is based on electricity and the military would not be able to function without it.
◆◆The Diplomat, 2025-4-29	Taiwan was not taking defense reform more seriously, and responding to calls for a dramatic increase in defense spending with a less than credible “counteroffer” to make incremental increases. PS: War on the Rocks, 2025-4-16: Taiwan's military remains a profoundly unserious organization. It is not ready to wage war.
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a divided, fractured Taiwan ♣ unprecedented recall effort in Taiwan's democratic history - failed
◆ AFP, 2025-11-1	Taiwan's new opposition (KMT) leader said "Taiwan isn't an ATM -- we really don't have that much money" , "We certainly have the determination to defend Taiwan, but it's not a blank cheque. " Taiwan president Lai Ching-te aims to boost defence spending to more than three percent of GDP next year and five percent by 2030.
◆ AP News, 2025-10-19	Taiwan's main opposition Nationalist Party chose a former lawmaker as its new chairperson in a competitive election clouded by allegations of China's meddling. Cheng Li-wun said:“We must not let Taiwan become a troublemaker. Second, we must not let Taiwan become the sacrifice of geopolitics”. The Nationalists, also known as the KMT, maintain strong political influence in Taiwan
◆ SKY News, Australia, 2025-8-26	the DPP's attempt to ramp up distrust of China has backfired in recent local and national elections. The DPP has even tried to hit back at criticism of Taiwan’s reliance on the US by framing this as “US scepticism” and Chinese disinformatioThis is inaccurate and insulting to the Taiwanese.
◆ Washington Post, 2025-8-23	Opposition lawmakers in Taiwan have survived recall votes, while a referendum to bring back nuclear power has failed.
◆ Chicago Tribune, 2025-8-5	The failure of recall means that Lai Ching-te will either be forced to work with the opposition to get anything passed in the legislature or spend the remainder of his term as a lame-duck leader
◆ Foreign Affairs, 2025-8-1	a fundamental challenge in Taiwan's politics: deep polarization. The divide over China has fueled polarization in Taiwan for decades. But it has grown worse over the last several years.
◆ Brookings, 2025-8-1	what lessons Beijing will draw from the recall campaign presently is unknowable. between now and the 2028 elections, China will not exert so much pressure that it alienates voters who might otherwise support the KMT. Thus, a calibrated, two-handed approach is most likely.
◆ Bloomberg, 2025-7-28	Failed bid to oust Taiwan opposition gives China new leverage; the opposition keeps its veto power over the president's key initiatives including his target of raising defense spending to over 3 per cent of GDP. the campaign's central theme – protecting Taiwan from China and communism – failed to resonate with most voters, who he said are more concerned about livelihood and economic issues.
◆ TIME, 2025-7-29	President William Lai's administration is engaged in recalls against opposition lawmakers, in a move widely seen as trying to gain more power.
◆ The New York Times, 2025-7-25	No national-level legislatures worldwide have faced a recall effort as extensive as Taiwan's. Widespread rejection of the recalls could hint at tepid support for Mr. Lai's party ahead of local and presidential elections, experts say.
◆ The Guardian, 2025-7-23	The campaign has set off a political storm across Taiwan, with arrests, assaults, and accusations of authoritarianism and collaboration, fuelling the island's already deep political divisions. Lev Nachman, a professor at National Taiwan University said “There's a difference between anti-DPP and pro-Beijing, but from the recallers' perspective these have become synonymous.”
◆ The Independent, 2025-7-23	the recallers accuse the KMT lawmakers of acting in line with China's interests and describe their campaign as an “anti-communist” movement. The KMT denies having a pro-China stance, maintaining that it's exercising its constitutional duty to scrutinise government policy and curb waste.
◆ Reuters, 2025-7-23	The recall groups accuse the KMT of selling out Taiwan by sending lawmakers to China, not supporting defence spending, and bringing chaos to parliament. The KMT rejects those accusations, denouncing Lai's "dictatorship" and "green terror" - the DPP's party colour. "The DPP uses its overwhelming propaganda network to bring up a sense of fear (about China) in Taiwan society," said Huang Kwei-bo, a professor at Taipei's National Chengchi University.
◆ The Jamestown Foundation, 2025-7-7	In a historic first for any democracy at the national level, mass recall campaigns in Taiwan are seeking to overturn the opposition's legislative majority that was elected in 2024. Beijing would prefer the recalls to fail, while Washington would find a DPP-dominated legislature easier to work with.
◆ ekathimerini (Greece), 2025-7-3	Lai's remarks are designed to whip up nationalist fervor and paint the KMT, which advocates for more conciliatory policies toward Beijing, as a fifth column working against Taiwan's best interests.
◆◆Financial Times, 2025-6-20	Taiwan recall votes threaten to upend opposition grip on parliament. Possible removal of up to 24 KMT legislators could open way for ruling DPP to strengthen defences against China ... The DPP has portrayed the mass recall campaign as a fight against politicians undermining Taiwan’s security from within.
◆◆Wall Street Journal, 2025- 6-9	Taiwan has embarked on a mission to purge any allies of Beijing from its civil service in an escalating battle against China's influence
◆◆SCMP, 2025- 6-1	The DPP has denied politically targeting the opposition, but the KMT has accused Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te of weaponising judicial and investigative powers to intimidate opposition lawmakers. expert: The Lai administration is using judicial probes to sweep through the KMT's local party apparatus.
◆◆Bloomberg, 2025-5-20	Lai's tougher stance may give Beijing more pretext to ramp up pressure on Taiwan. Nearly half of respondents think Taiwan is heading in the wrong direction, and Lai's approval rating has slipped to 32% — his lowest since taking office a year ago. Taiwan risks chipping away at its own civil liberties... Lai's policy may result in a tightening of free speech under the guise of national security ... it causes a kind of chilling effect — a form of self censorship. msn.com/en-us/news/world/taiwan-s-lai-toughens-china-stance-stoking-debate-on-democracy/ar-AA1F3Xlz?ocid=BingNewsVerp
◆◆AFP News, Eurasian Times, 2025- 5-19	the current dysfunction is distracting lawmakers and eroding public confidence, which benefits Beijing. Ryan Hass at Brookings: a divided, fractured Taiwan is incapable of addressing its own long-term requirements and vulnerabilities. Bonnie Glaser: The parties “spend a lot of their time thinking about how to weaken support and damage the reputation and the image of their political adversaries”. Lai's disapproval rating rose to the highest since he took office — the polling group linked to handling of US tariffs on Taiwan and the DPP's unprecedented recall campaign targeting the opposition. eurasiantimes.com/its-advantage-china-as-taiwans-president-who-vowed-to-stand-up-to-beijing-faces-political-turmoil-at-home/
◆◆Brookings, 2025-5-12	Taiwan's political system is in turmoil. Lai Ching-te's approval ratings have dropped. So, too, has public sentiment on Taiwan's future. Economist: about 30% say Taiwan will end up ‘being unified by mainland China’, 8% more than in 2020.
◆ ABC News Australia, 2025-5-10	The KMT has denounced the recall effort as a "witch hunt" and an attempt by the DPP to establish one-party rule. KMT chair E. Chu has accused Mr Lai of launching "a cultural revolution in Taiwan", referencing the bloody purges in China under Mao Zedong. Mr Lai has rejected characterisations as a dictator. A recent poll found 59.3 % of respondents oppose the DPP's recall campaign, with 33.8 % in support.
◆ The Diplomat, 2025-5-5	TPP chair Huang called for a new set of presidential elections to be held if a new set of legislative elections take place. Some KMT politicians have proposed a vote of no confidence in the Cabinet.
◆ 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.

Taiwan already lost its China spy war
◆◆Washington Post, 2025-9-29	Beijing would give its “top intelligence priority” to organized-crime-linked groups given its numerous “more trusted and controllable” assets on Taiwan. Behind Taiwan's ‘unification’ party, Chinese espionage — and a criminal gang.
◆◆Inkstick, 2025-8-20	Senior Taiwan intelligence officials have estimated that China has “5,000 spies” on the island, integrated into all key government and military institutions, and recent cases include penetration of President Lai's personal security detail.
◆◆Strategy Page, 2025-7-20	both China and Taiwan have intelligence operatives in enemy territory. Both are also hobbled by corruption within the military and government. strategypage.com/qnd/china/articles/2025072005732.aspx#gsc.tab=0
◆◆Strategist (Australia), 2025-7-21	The activation of a fifth column to incite civil unrest across Taiwan could be highly effective. It could debilitate Taipei's ability to govern and maintain stability, potentially by exploiting existing fault lines in Taiwanese politics. This could provide Beijing with a pretext to deploy what it might call stabilisation forces. A fifth column could plausibly target critical infrastructure, disrupting power grids, railways, air traffic control and water treatment facilities. Bomb threats, arson attacks and incitement of riots would further destabilise society. Combined with Beijing's formidable cyber capabilities, China could sow chaos and division
◆◆Eurasian Times, 2025-7-5	Recent cases suggest that Taiwan's most sensitive political circles are now within Beijing's reach. “China is not only bribing retired and active military officers to leak intelligence,” President Lai warned, “but even supporting the creation of armed cells willing to turn against their own nation."
◆◆War On The Rocks, 2025-6-25	China might have a way to combine old tools — such as spies, fifth columns, and saboteurs — with newer capabilities pre-staged before the fighting starts — like drones and malware — to overwhelm and paralyze the country.
◆◆L.A. Times, 2025-5-22	Taiwan is worried about spying threats. That may mean deporting thousands of Chinese
◆◆Washington Post, 2025-3-28	Taiwanese soldiers guarding president's office were spying for China. This shows how severe China's infiltration is in Taiwan; Taiwan's sentencing on espionage activities has been too lenient. It is now even more uncertain whether Washington would come to Taiwan's aid. Taipei's latest crackdown on espionage helps show Washington that Taiwan is serious about plugging leaks
◆◆The Diplomat, 2025-4-1	the U.S. has called on Taiwan to do more for its own security, including taking action on frequent cases of defection or espionage
◆◆Washington Examiner, 2025-3-25	Taiwan has already lost its China spy war. Taiwan's defense and security structures are so deeply penetrated by Chinese spies that Beijing knows everything about its plans to deter aggression by the People's Liberation Army, including American defense and intelligence secrets. At this point, any secrets Washington shares with our Taiwanese partners stand a high chance of winding up in Chinese Communist hands.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/courage-strength-optimism/3357074/taiwan-has-already-lost-its-china-spy-war
◆◆Stanford Review, 2025-2-24	Taiwan's military is dilapidated. Reports of Chinese espionage and infiltration are commonplace throughout Taiwan's military and civil society.
◆◆Reuters, 2021-12-20	The repeated cases of the most senior level of Taiwan armed forces officers being convicted of espionage...Beijing has even penetrated the security detail assigned to protect Taiwan's President. Well-placed spies in the ranks of the Taiwan military could offer a priceless advantage to China if the two sides plunge into open conflict, according to Taiwanese and U.S. military analysts.

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

“Zero Day”- What if China invaded Taiwan? This TV drama paints a visceral picture
◆ Washington Post, , 2025-8-23	“Zero Day Attack” has gotten mixed reviews online. Some have lauded the show for its realistic depictions of how a war could play out. Others have said its creators didn't go far enough.
◆ The Guardian, 2025-6-1	A new Taiwanese TV drama, Zero Day, depicts the frightful impact of an invasion on an unprepared nation.
◆ Wall Street Journal, 2025-5-15	Is ‘Zero Day’ a Preview of Taiwan's Future? A Taiwanese realization: if we don't do something more for this country, we will not retain our democracy and our freedom.” Watching “Zero Day” may unsettle Taiwanese viewers enough to draw the same conclusion—and to act on it.
◆ Financial Review, Australia, 2025-5-14	Zero Day addresses the issue of divided loyalties in Taiwan head-on. It features portraits of people whose first instinct is to surrender, while others flee and some collaborate with the invaders.
◆ AFP, Eurasian Times, 2025-5-13	Zero Day! Taiwanese War Drama ‘Wake-Up Call’ To Chinese Invasion Threat As Next Battlefield Could Be Taiwan Strait. Taiwan would be outgunned in any conflict with China and would need the United States and other countries to come to its defence.
◆ Washington Post, Star and Strips, 2024-8-4	the “Zero Day” show's bleak assessment of Taiwanese readiness to fight touches upon a very real problem facing President Lai Ching-te, new programs have continued to face shortages of funding, instructors and equipment .

The Beiping model: coercion without violence
◆ TIME, 2025-7-29	On Taiwan, China just has to win the psychological war. And for that, it just needs the West to carry on ripping itself apart
◆ Brookings 2025-5-12	Beijing has been pursuing an unrelenting campaign of “coercion without violence.” Beijing is working to wear down the confidence of the people of Taiwan in their own future. These tactics include persistent visible military pressure, economic inducements and penalties, diplomatic pressure, covert operations, organized crime, cyber operations, and disinformation.brookings.edu/articles/can-the-us-and-taiwan-advance-a-shared-vision/
◆ Lowy Institute Australia, 2025-5-15	The Beiping model: Victory can be achieved through the slow erosion of political cohesion, economic independence, and societal confidence; The signs are already visible.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/beiping-model-how-china-could-absorb-taiwan-without-war
◆ Brookings, 2025-2-12	China's strategy of “coercion without violence” includes cyber intrusions, economic coercion, influence operations, organized crime, united front activities, and ceaseless and intensifying military pressure surrounding Taiwan. In other words, Beijing is taking a full spectrum of actions...

Taiwan's Han Kuang exercise, the largest and longest one so far
◆ Asia Times, 2025-7-23	Critics pointed to weaknesses in logistics, communication, and execution—saying that appearances had improved, but fundamentals remained shaky. The US says it stands with Taiwan, but the real structure to fight together still doesn't exist.
◆ Spectator (since 1828), 2025-7-19	A full-scale invasion is the most extreme scenario the drills covered. This starts with defending possible landing beaches, but also other scenarios like protecting the main international airport and key bridges on the approach to Taipei.
◆ Financial Times, 2025-7-15	Taiwan's armed forces have taken the annual Han Kuang training exercise to civilians' doorsteps. At least three accidents involving military vehicles highlighted the complexity of Taiwan's urban terrain. “It would be a nightmare for an attacker,”“It really is very defensible"
◆ The War Zone, 2025-7-14	Taiwanese troops train to use subway to their advantage during Chinese invasion of Taipei. Camouflage, concealment, and deception tactics are already aspects of Taiwanese training for urban warfare. In addition to being transit nodes, Taipei Metro stations might be convertible to other uses, including acting as command posts or field hospitals.
◆ Reuters, 2025-7-9	The exercises start with simulated attacks on its command systems and infrastructure ahead of a Chinese invasion, and will focus on testing how Taiwan's military can decentralise command in the event of a crippling communications attack. We are learning from the situation in Ukraine ... Cyber attacks and misinformation campaigns are seen by Taiwan as high-intensity "grey zone" actions that are likely to precede a broader Chinese assault.
◆ BBC, 2025-7-9	Like last year, the drills will be unscripted to test troops' response to a surprise attack. This change appears to have been made in response to criticism over the years that previous drills appeared to be more of a public relations exercise instead of an actual military exercise. Taiwan's military and defence has come under criticism both domestically and externally in recent years. One survey last year showing only 47.5% have confidence in their defence capabilities.
◆ AFP, 2025-7-9	Twenty-two thousand reservists -- the largest ever call-up -- are participating in this year's drills. Commanders at all levels need to be able to decide what to do based on their understanding of their superior's intent.
◆ The Telegraph, 2025-7-9	Taiwan, a country of 23 million people, has 180,000 soldiers and as many as 1.67 million reservists. China has more than two million active soldiers and 1.2 million reservists. Some of Taiwan's most sophisticated technology will also be on display, including the US Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (Himars), TOW 2B anti-tank missiles, new unmanned aviation vehicles (UAVs), and a domestically built version of the Sky Sword II missile. But China's PLA significantly exceeds Taiwan across every metric. China has more than six times the number of tanks and aircraft than Taiwan, and nearly five times more artillery. War game simulations have shown that if Taiwan faces Beijing alone, or if the country surrenders before the U.S. is able to assist, it would be overwhelmed in a very short time.
◆ Newsweek 2025-7-10	With the HIMARS and Abrams tanks, the Taiwanese military can strike potential PLA landing forces from greater distances and with more precise firepower, gradually wearing down enemy troops and deploying in dispersed positions to avoid destruction by China's long-range rockets and similar weapons. A particular focus during the first three days will be on the potential for Chinese forces to escalate gray zone activities into an invasion, it will enter the "full-scale combat" phase July 13-18, drills focused on protracted warfare will round out the final three days.
What did China say ?	♦ Reuters, 2025-7-9: Taiwan's "attempt to seek independence through force or relying on foreign (actors) will never succeed". Taiwan's Han Kuang military exercises were "nothing but a bluff". "No matter what weapons are used, Taiwan can't resist China's sharp sword against independence" . ♦ AFP, 2025-7-9: China specialists at risk analysis firm Eurasia Group said Beijing was "likely" to carry out more military exercises at the end of July. ♦ Newsweek 2025-7-10: the Democratic Progressive Party-led government attempts to "tie the Taiwan people to the chariot of Taiwan independence." This would be a "dead end" that would lead to Taiwan's destruction, vowing that those efforts "will not be able to stop the general historical trend of the inevitable reunification of the motherland."

China-Taiwan war (2)
◆◆Brookings, 2025-4-25	Only 37.5% of respondents in Taiwan believed in March 2025 that it is “likely” or “very likely” that the United States would intervene in a military conflict. Across almost all measures on the survey, the United States is seen as a less reliable partner, Taiwan and South Korea both feel less confident that the United States will assist them in the event of a conflict with their respective authoritarian neighbor.brookings.edu/articles/the-trump-effect-on-public-attitudes-toward-america-in-taiwan-and-south-korea/
◆◆TIME, 2025-4-26	Why China-Taiwan relations are getting so tense? Lai Ching-te's DPP lacks a parliamentary majority, and he can't be sure the Trump Administration has his back. Whatever his political intent, Lai has become more strident on cross-Taiwan Strait questions in recent weeks.
◆◆Reuters, 2025-4-18	the Republican Senator Pete Ricketts said that although administrations change, the bipartisan support for Taiwan in Congress continued; The US will keep helping Taiwan in its self-defence.
◆◆The Hill, 2025-4-19	The commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, gave testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee: In 2024, the People's Liberation Party demonstrated growing capabilities through persistent pressure operations with military pressure against Taiwan increasing by 300%”, “China's increasingly aggressive actions near Taiwan are not just exercises, they are rehearsals”.
◆◆The Insider, 2025-4-19	The commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command: China could stop US airpower from achieving air superiority in the first island chain, China's fighter fleet, bombers, and missiles are enough to cause problems. "their advanced long-range air-to-air missiles also present a tremendous threat.". Researchers have said that China could more easily devastate American airpower than the other way around.
◆◆PBS, 2025-4-7	Taiwan's financial systems, energy and communications are vulnerable to Chinese blockade and cyberattack, and critics worry Taiwan isn't doing enough to prepare for social and economic disruption. On paper, Taiwan's reserves appear large. But these men say military training is insufficient, Many young people today are reluctant to join the armed forces. There's also a general lack of awareness among civilians about the importance of national defense.
◆◆Washington Post, 2025-3-21	“We are moving toward conflict escalation with China, that's for sure,” said a professor at National Chengchi University.
◆◆Wall Street Journal, 2025-3-17	Taiwan envisions Chinese assaults on the island to potentially come by land, sea, air and space as well as through cyberattacks, among others. China could launch a rapid invasion or blockade Taiwan to try to pressure it into submission.


◆◆Associated Press, 2025-3-18	China conducts air and sea drills (an unusually large number of Chinese military ships, planes and drones entered airspace and waters surrounding Taiwan ) in response to US and Taiwanese statements. Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te said that Taiwan law designates mainland China as a “foreign hostile force” and said tougher measures... The United States deleted the literal expression that reflected the one-China principle and that did not support Taiwan independence on the website of the U.S. Department of State.
◆ Brookings, 2025-3-13	In surveys (2021, 2022), Taiwanese people were asked how likely they are to be willing to fight against an invasion by China on a one-to-five scale. After observing the invasion, more respondents gravitated to extreme options. A research in 2022 indicated that the more Taiwanese citizens believe the United States will assist Taiwan, the higher their willingness to engage in self-defense becomes. Additionally, a 2024 study by Ronan Tse-min Fu and colleagues found that when Taiwanese individuals perceive that Taiwan and U.S. interests align, they are more likely to trust that the United States will provide assistance, thereby strengthening their resolve for self-defense.
◆ Fox News, 2025-3-2	most Taiwanese aren't willing to make the sacrifices required for victory in war. Migrant workers serving as essentially mercenaries would only highlight how few of our citizens are willing to fight . Taiwanese expert says: I understand the logic behind the U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity, but I fear far too many Taiwanese people – especially younger people – are counting on a rescue from Uncle Sam"
◆ Wall Street Journal, 2025-2-22	Taiwan must "adopt a new military culture" akin to that of Israel, turning itself into a warrior-state. the DPP has flirted with sovereignty and self-determination, it has always been careful to stop short of provoking China with any outright declaration of independence —— that has kept Taiwan and China from falling into war.
◆ Brookings, 2025-2-12	China's strategy of “coercion without violence” includes cyber intrusions, economic coercion, influence operations, bribery, organized crime, united front activities, and ceaseless and intensifying military pressure surrounding Taiwan. In other words, Beijing is taking a full spectrum of actions...
◆ Economist, 2025-2-6	China is infiltrating Taiwan's armed forces. Most of the prosecuted cases have been uncovered through internal reporting, showing that anti-spy education is working.
◆ New York Post, 2025-1-23	Trump says he can strike deals that would keep China out of Taiwan. “We have a pot of gold.”,“We have one very big power over China and that's tariffs”.
◆ Washington Post, 2025-1-17	Taiwan is entering a period of political upheaval that could hinder its combat readiness; The two parties (KMT, TPP) that hold the majority in parliament are calling for substantial cuts, including to defense spending; Debates over defense — “whether to increase the military budget or pay a ‘protection fee’ to Trump” — are being “turned into battlegrounds for partisan conflict”. Trump has declined to give Biden's promise, instead calling for Taipei to pay for U.S. protection.
◆ Council on Foreign Relations, 2025-1-15	A top concern among U.S. security analysts is that China's growing military capabilities and assertiveness, as well as the deterioration in cross-strait relations, could spark a conflict that leads to a U.S.-China confrontation.
◆ Financial Times, 2025-1-13	Taiwan's long stretches of the coast comprise cliffs, reefs and rocks, while the flatter western seaboard is lined with mudflats. China building new mobile piers could help possible Taiwan invasion; But military experts said a Chinese invasion force would still struggle to advance through Taiwan's western plains, which are densely packed with paddy fields, fish ponds and urban sprawl, with wide roads often hard to reach from shore.
◆ Bloomberg, 2025-1-14	Taiwan's military is not prepared for a Trumpian World; With the former president soon back in the White House, Taipei needs to rethink its defense strategy.
◆ The Hill, 2025-1-7	a professor at Brown University said the cost of a war with China is “incalculable” and would at the very least sow mass destruction in Taiwan and the South China Sea region; the U.S. should avoid a war over Taiwan, arguing it amounts to a civil war dispute and, for the U.S., a moral conundrum more than a national security risk.
◆ Financial Times, 2025-1-5	Taiwan suspects a Chinese-owned ship of cutting a subsea cable off its northern coast. Taipei is concerned that such “greyzone” operations, below the threshold of war, will make it harder to defend against aggression that could eventually escalate to an outright attack. ps: Politico Europe (2025-1-5): Taiwan has experienced several dozen incidents of damage to its underwater telecom cables in recent years, without being able to definitively identify the source of the attacks, and has appealed to the European Union for help.
◆ Wall Street Journal, 2025-1-3	In addition to unleashing its full military power, Beijing would be expected to use a variety of economic strategies in a showdown over Taiwan. A 2023 study by Rhodium Group and the Atlantic Council concluded that Beijing has been more systematic in preparing such defenses than Russia was to counter Western sanctions.
◆ Washington Post, 2025-1-1	Xi's New Year speech: "No one can sever our blood ties, and no one can stop the historical trend of the reunification of the motherland!"
◆ Washington Examiner, 2025-1-1	The quantity and quality of munitions to deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan has fallen as they have been diverted to Ukraine. The sooner the war in Ukraine ends, the sooner American forces can rearm in the Pacific. While Taiwan's 2.5% of GDP spent on defense is impressive compared to many European nations, it is nowhere near what is needed in a nation at the front line of conflict.
◆ New York Times, 2024-12-31	Without a plan, a Taiwan crisis risks undermining the foundations of American prosperity and security. As a report from a House panel concluded last year: "The United States lacks a contingency plan for the economic and financial impacts of conflict" with China. Imposing sweeping sanctions on China would undermine the international economic system that the United States is uniquely positioned to protect.
◆ USNI News, 2024-12-19	The Pentagon's report recognizes that China has “both the will and capability to alter the international order in its favor”; but Xi Jinping's goal of having his military ready to carry out a “short, sharp invasion” of Taiwan by 2027 “is not possible right now”; the force has not yet demonstrated the type and scale of sophisticated urban warfare or long-distance logistic capabilities that would likely be required for operations against Taiwan or major contingencies overseas”.
◆ Financial Times, 2024-12-13	US nuclear build-up would not help deter China from using atomic weapons in Taiwan, war game finds; Unclassified exercise by CSIS and MIT suggests Washington should not go beyond current modernisation plans... only five of 15 iterations of the nuclear game ended with a withdrawal of the PLA.
◆ Economist, 2024-12-5	American military officials have long worried about a “window of vulnerability” before new weapons enter into service in the 2030s. But corruption in the PLA is changing the calculations of analysts; China's economic woes and social discontent mean that Mr Xi is turning inward. The views (the period of greatest danger has probably been pushed out for several years) are not universally shared, in or out of government. “Xi has his foot firmly on the accelerator and a full tank of gas".
◆ VOX, 2024-12-16	a majority of Taiwanese and US national security experts do not believe China currently has the capability to carry out an amphibious invasion of Taiwan, most do believe China could currently enact either a blockade or a quarantine of the island. And such an operation may prove just as effective while carrying far less risk for Beijing.
◆ Breaking Defense, 2024-12-6	The head of the Defense Intelligence Agency: China did appear to be on track to meet Xi's 2027 preparedness goal. House intel's Himes: You could implement a blockade. You know, what? If you invade Taiwan, what happens? A. You may lose. B. You may reduce the place to smoking rubble, what have you really achieved economically?
◆ Newsweek, 2024-11-20	U.S. Pacific Commander Samuel Paparo: a cross-strait invasion executed by the Chinese military would be "exceedingly difficult" given the advantages of the U.S. and allies.
◆ Washington Examiner, 2024-12-4	Chinese leaders have said they want their military to be prepared to invade Taiwan by 2027, though U.S. defense leaders have said the date does not guarantee a decision to carry out such an operation has been made. War with China would exhaust munition stockpiles "very rapidly", national security adviser J. Sullivan acknowledged that China has "the single biggest advantage", "God forbid we end up in a full-scale war with the PRC" .

Trump's tariff (2)
◆ Brookings, 2025-8-11	the US would impose a 20% tariff on imports from Taiwan—higher than Japan or South Korea (both at 15%). The administration also floated a proposal to tax semiconductors—Taiwan's most important export—at 100%. The suggestion that semiconductor firms that build manufacturing plants in the United States might be excused from the tax helped lift the value of TSMC stock, but it did little to calm fears in Taiwan.
◆ New York Times, 2025-8-8	The 20 percent tariffs on Taiwan, add to the mounting political and economic pressure facing Taiwan's president. Lai Ching-te is facing an intensifying confrontation with opposition lawmakers able to effectively stymie his policies. And Taiwan's currency has appreciated sharply this year against the U.S. dollar — a hindrance for an economy so heavily dependent on exports.
◆ Chicago Tribune, 2025-8-5	While it's likely Washington and Taipei will eventually strike an agreement lessening the tariff rate, it's going to take significant concessions on the Taiwanese side to move past the finish line. Even then, it might not mollify Trump; whenever he talks about Taiwan, Trump never ceases to remind people about how the island “stole” America's chip-making business.
◆ New York Times, 2025-8-1	Taiwan had not led to a trade deal like the ones struck by Japan and South Korea. And a bigger threat still loomed, as the United States weighed the possibility of putting damaging tariffs on semiconductors, Taiwan's main exports.
◆ Reuters, 2025-8-1	Taiwan says 20% U.S tariff rate is temporary, and the government expects to negotiate a lower figure; specific rates for Taiwanese semiconductors, electronics, as well as information and communication technology are still to be worked out. Those items, which form the backbone of Taiwan's economy and are key to the U.S. efforts to maintain its tech lead over China
◆ POLITICO, 2025-7-31	Trade negotiators for Taiwan have been pursuing a two-pronged strategy of trade talks backed by pledges to ramp up purchases of U.S. products including agricultural commodities, liquified natural gas and weapons.
◆ Bloomberg, 2025-7-23	Lai is treading a fine line in negotiations with the US, needing to maintain good relations with the country that provides key security guarantees without angering domestic constituencies, including the farming sector. Taiwan's growing reliance on sales to the US market has intensified its need to bring down tariffs.
◆ New York Times, 2025-7-7	The sale of tech equipment to China is likely to be a continuing source of friction, and negotiation, for Taiwan in its dealings with the Trump administration.
◆◆Bloomberg, 2025-6-19	Taiwan is likely to hold its benchmark interest rate for the fifth straight quarter as it considers worries about tariffs
◆◆Wall Street Journal, 2025-6-9	Taiwan exports growth nears 15-Year high on likely frontloading as tariff uncertainty continues. Taiwan expects exports to contract in the second half, citing “escalating trade protectionism and heightened policy uncertainty.”
◆◆Bloomberg, 2025-5-30	Trump is planning to ramp up weapons sales to Taiwan to a level exceeding the pace set during his first term, Reuters reported, a move that risks escalating military tensions with China at a time the two nations are already locked in difficult talks over tariffs. Reuters (2025-5-30): the US is pressing Taiwan's opposition parties not to oppose the government's efforts to increase defense spending; "We're messaging pretty hard (in Taipei) to the opposition. Don't get in the way of this. This isn't a Taiwanese partisan question. This is a Taiwanese survival question".
◆◆NBC News, 2025-5-30	Officials in Taipei have also been rattled by the collapse of U.S. support for Ukraine as well as the threat of steep tariffs on Taiwan's exports, which Trump has set at 32% in addition to a 10% baseline.
◆ Foreign Affairs, 2025-5-20	instead of hampering China's military, the trade war could make a shooting war seem more appealing to Beijing.foreignaffairs.com/taiwan/taiwan-tightrope
◆ Financial Times, 2025-5-14	Maybe the exporter...worried that the US would put pressure on Taiwan to strengthen its currency as part of the coming negotiation. A stronger Taiwan dollar would make investment in the US chip industry more attractive, even in the absence of subsidies and tariffs. But the lags between a currency move, an investment decision and the actual production of chips are long; in the short-run the US would still need to import Taiwanese-made chips.ft.com/content/d71c34a0-4ded-4cba-be1c-82384915a8fd
◆ Reuters, 2025-5-13	"They've agreed to open China, fully open China, and I think it's going to be fantastic for China, I think it's going to be fantastic for us, and I think it's going to be great for unification and peace," Trump said, without mentioning Taiwan. AIT (a de facto embassy): "It's clear President Trump was speaking in the context of the U.S.-China trade relationship"

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

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

China holds large-scale drills around Taiwan after president Lai announced measures to counter China's influence and espionage
◆◆New York Times, 2025-4-1	Chinese land, navy, air and missile forces would “approach close” to Taiwan and practice “seizure of overall control, etc. The exercises appeared intended to intimidate Taiwan, without tipping over into a wider confrontation or crisis. They likely want to persuade the Trump administration that Lai is a troublemaker and to deter the U.S. from maintaining high levels of support to Taiwan.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/world/asia/china-taiwan-military-drills.html
◆◆CNN, 2025-4-1	China's armed forces will “close in” on the self-governing island from “multiple directions”, testing US resolve. US defense chief Pete Hegseth vowed to counter “China's aggression” on his first visit to Asia days ago. Taiwan's government officials and experts view the Chinese drills as a signal to the Trump administration. China also released a series of propaganda videos, including one that depicts president Lai as a green cartoon bug and calls him a “parasite” hollowing out the island.
◆◆Washington Post, 2025-4-1	China targets Taiwan's president with military drills and personal attacks. Taiwanese expert: "we should call it a pre-invasion operation.” By specifically targeting Taiwan and blaming Lai, China is engaging in “cognitive warfare” that is gradually making Taiwanese numb to the real threats they face. The gradual ratcheting up of activity in frequency and complexity raises the possibility that “drills could escalate into actual conflict”.

China fumes at Trump after the State Department drops website wording on not supporting Taiwan independence
♣ Washington Post, 2025-7-23	The rough consensus was that the United States should seek a combination of “reassurance and deterrence” with China; That could include affirming to China that the U.S. opposes Taiwan's independence — but also strengthening U.S. military power in Asia
♣ 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.

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,

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

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.