Taiwan Security Research

Taiwan Has Little Time to Tackle New FTA Threat: Scholars
(CNA, May 16, 2012) Taiwan is facing a major economic threat and needs to speed up trade talks with its major trade partners to shield itself from a proposed free trade bloc comprising China, Japan and South Korea, scholars said.

Ma Vows to Resolve Beef Issue
(Taipei Times, May 16, 2012) President Ma Ying-jeou promised to resolve the issue surrounding US beef imports and expressed hope that Taiwan-US trade talks under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement platform would resume soon.

Beijing’s Taiwan Policy Still Focuses on Trade: MAC Report
(CNA, May 16, 2012) China's policy on Taiwan will continue to focus mainly on trade and economic exchanges this year while stressing stability at home and energy partnerships with other countries abroad, according to a report on China by the Mainland Affairs Council.

Former AIT Head Expects Taiwan-China Ties to Slow
(Taipei Times, May 16, 2012) Richard Bush said he believed the current momentum in Taiwan-China relations would “slow down” during President Ma Ying-jeou’s second term.

China and Japan Fall Out Over Uighurs
(Wall Street Journal, May 15, 2012) Signs of tension are returning to relations between Japan and China, casting shadows over accelerating efforts between the two East Asian powers to strengthen their economic ties.

Ma Alert to Possible Impact of 3-State FTA
(CNA, May 15, 2012) President Ma Ying-jeou is alert to the fact that China, Japan and South Korea are about to begin free-trade talks and has instructed the Cabinet to move quickly to prevent Taiwan from being marginalized in global trade.

Tsai Accuses President Ma of Heavy-handed Rule
(Taipei Times, May 15, 2012) Tsai said she had three questions for Ma on cross-strait relations: “Is Taiwan a nation? Are Taiwan and China the same nation? And is ‘one country, two areas’ a core principle for future cross-strait policy?”

McCain: US Should Seek Trade Pacts with Taiwan, India, Suspend All Myanmar Economic Sanctions (AP, May 14, 2012) Republican Sen. John McCain called for the Obama administration to ramp up its free trade agenda in Asia and suspend U.S. economic sanctions on Myanmar, although retain an arms embargo.

Tsai Says She Might Be an ‘Option’ for 2016
(Taipei Times, May 14, 2012) Former Democratic Progressive Party chairperson Tsai Ing-wen revealed her interest in running for the presidency again in 2016 for the first time since losing in January’s presidential election.

Macau Representative Office in Taiwan Opens
(CNA, May 14, 2012) Macau formally opened a representative office in Taipei, giving the special administrative region a greater presence in Taiwan that it expects will deepen trade, tourism, cultural and education ties with Taiwan.

Taiwan Should Speed Up Trade Talks amid New FTA Threat: Minister (CNA, May 14, 2012) Taiwan should speed up the progress of talks with its major trade partners, as China, Japan and South Korea have decided to launch talks on a proposed free trade bloc, Economics Minister Shih Yen-shiang said.

Asia Powers Agree on Free-Trade Negotiation
(Wall Street Journal, May 13, 2012) The leaders of China, Japan and South Korea agreed to begin free-trade negotiations this year, opening the possibility of an agreement that could rival the world's largest free-trade zones in size, although it is likely to be far less comprehensive or rigorous.

Taiwan Should Cooperate with China on South China Sea: Experts
(CNA, May 13, 2012) Taiwan should develop a long-term strategic plan to deal with ongoing territorial disputes over the South China Sea and cooperate with China to share natural resources in the area, Taiwanese scholars argued.

China Shoots Down War-Preparation Rumors
(Wall Street Journal, May 13, 2012) China's Defense Ministry, apparently responding to online rumors fueled by a standoff with the Philippines in the South China Sea, denied that it was making preparations for war.

Youth Will Not Fight for Taiwan: Poll
(Taipei Times, May 13, 2012) While most young people believe Taiwan is independent, 60% said they should have the right to refuse conscription if a declaration of independence led to war.

Cross-Strait Thaw Boost Taiwan-US Relations: MOFA
(Taipei Times, May 12, 2012) Relations between Taiwan and the US have strengthened over the past few years because of a thaw in cross-strait tension, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said.

Premier Reappointed As Cabinet Set for Reshuffle
(CNA, May 12, 2012) President Ma Ying-jeou has approved the resignation of Premier Sean Chen's Cabinet and reappointed him as premier as expected, Presidential Office spokesman Fan Chiang Tai-chi said.

Former Close Aide to Obama to Attend Ma’s Inauguration
(CNA, May 11, 2012) Former White House Chief of Staff William Daley will visit Taiwan for President Ma Ying-jeou's inauguration ceremony on May 20, the Washington Headquarters of the American Institute in Taiwan announced.

China Maintains Tough Line on Philippines
(Wall Street Journal, May 11, 2012) Anti-China demonstrations in Manila that had alarmed Beijing largely fizzled, but China continued its rhetoric against the Philippines over a standoff in the South China Sea.

Survey Reflects Ma’s Falling Popularity
(Taipei Times, May 11, 2012) In a poll conducted by the Taiwan Indicator Survey Research, 57.4 percent of respondents said the president was not trustworthy and 67.5 percent disapproving of his performance.

Lawmakers Visit Dongsha Islands to Highlight Taiwan Sovereignty Claims (CNA, May 11, 2012) Seven legislators from across the political spectrum flew to Dongsha Islands in the South China Sea as part of efforts to highlight Taiwan's sovereignty amid growing tensions in the disputed area.

Taiwan Will Not Side with China: Expert
(CNA, May 11, 2012) Taiwan will not align itself with China on issues related to territorial disputes under President Ma Ying-jeou’s administration, a Taiwanese visiting scholar at the Brookings Institute in Washington said.

Beijing Urges Philippines to Protect Chinese Citizens
(Wall Street Journal, May 10, 2012) China demanded that the Philippines protect its citizens in the country ahead of planned anti-China protests. Adding to a sense of crisis, China's main military newspaper warned that the armed forces were prepared to defend the Scarborough Shoal.

China-Philippines Dispute Over Island Gets More Heated
(New York Times, May 10, 2012) China escalated its quarrel with the Philippines over an island in the South China Sea, halting Filipino bananas at customs for longer inspections.

Taiwan Monitors Chinese Naval Moves
(Taipei Times, May 10, 2012) In exercises that could threaten Taiwan as much as the Philippines, five Chinese warships passed through the Taiwan Strait before heading for the Pacific.

Cross-Strait Relations to See Further Improvement: SEF
(CNA, May 10, 2012) Taiwan will continue improving its relations with China based on a “three unchanged, four increases” principle, Kao Koong-lian, deputy chairman of the Taipei-based Straits Exchange Foundation, said.

Ma’s Approval Rating Stands at 19.5%: Survey
(Taipei Times, May 10, 2012) President Ma Ying-jeou’s latest approval rate stood at 19.5 percent, according to the latest opinion poll released by Wealth Magazine.

MND Urged to Continue IDF Jet Upgrades
(China Post, May 10, 2012) Taiwan's military was urged to speed up the process to build its own fighter jets instead of relying on imported ones that will not begin service for local forces for another decade.

Government Welcomes Appointment of Marut
(Taipei Times, May 9, 2012) The government welcomed the appointment of Christopher Marut as the successor to American Institute of Taiwan Director William Stanton.

Rhetoric Rises on South China Sea Standoff
(Wall Street Journal, May 8, 2012) China said it was pessimistic about resolving a standoff with the Philippines in the resource-rich South China Sea and was prepared for tensions there to escalate further.

Philippine, China Firms Discuss South China Sea Gas Project
(Reuters, May 9, 2012) The Philippines' Philex Petroleum Corp said it has discussed a possible partnership with Chinese offshore oil producer CNOOC to develop a natural gas prospect in the disputed South China Sea, a deal that may help ease tension between the two sides.

S. Korea, Japan Step Up Talks on First Military Accord
(AFP, May 8, 2012) South Korea said it is close to signing agreements on military cooperation with Japan, the first such accords since Tokyo's brutal colonial rule over Korea ended in 1945.

Military Helping CGA Fortify Dongsha
(Taipei Times, May 8, 2012) The MND said the military was helping the Coast Guard Administration strengthen its defense capabilities on islands in the South China Sea, adding that whether it would deploy marines to the area depended on instructions from the National Security Council.

AIT Calls for Ractopamine Residue Limits
(China Post, May 8, 2012) The AIT urged local authorities to “move forward” by establishing maximum residue levels for ractopamine after a Cabinet bill to allow controlled levels of the feed additive in U.S. beef products was voted down in a legislative committee earlier the same day.

Abandon F-16s, Seek F-35s: Senior Military Officials
(Taipei Times, May 8, 2012) Senior military officers may be considering abandoning a long-stalled bid to procure F-16C/D aircraft from the US because of rising costs and could instead reserve budgets for an eventual F-35B bid, reports said.

Difficult Choices Faced on F-16 Deals
(Taipei Times, May 7, 2012) Questions emerged at the weekend as to whether Taiwan could afford both a multibillion-dollar upgrade program for its F-16A/B combat aircraft and new F-16C/Ds, amid claims that the price for the upgrade had been inflated since the deal was announced last year.

Su Tseng-chang Blasted in 2nd DPP Debate
(China Post, May 7, 2012) Hsu Hsin-liang Hsu, meanwhile, said Su Tseng-chang had never proposed a China policy that was meaty and meaningful.

Taiwan’s Democracy Will Influence China: US Academic By William Lowther (Taipei Times, May 16, 2012) Larry Diamond said that Chinese tourist visits to the pluralistic society of Taiwan would be one of the most subversive factors driving change in China.

Chinese Anger at US Base in Australia By Malcolm Moore
(Telegraph, May 16, 2012) China has criticized a new permanent American military base in Australia, accusing the two countries of having a “Cold War mentality.”

China and Philippines Play the Green Card in Sea Dispute By James Hookway (Southeast Asia Real Time, May 15, 2012) The removal of the fishing nets is interpreted in some quarters as a novel means of de-escalating a tense standoff at Scarborough Shoal. With fish off-limits because of the ban, there is no reason for vessels to congregate in the area and both sides could withdraw without losing face.

Scandal Not Affecting China’s Political Calendar By Ian Johnson
(New York Times, May 15, 2012) Despite a spectacular political scandal and swirling rumors of high-level infighting, signs are that China’s once-in-a-decade leadership change is still on track for this autumn, according to party insiders and observers.

Welcome to the New World Disorder By Ian Bremmer
(Foreign Policy, May 14, 2012) The answers to two crucial questions will define the post-G-Zero balance of power. First, will the problems generated by the leadership vacuum force the United States and China to act as partners, or will those problems push them toward confrontation? Second, will China and the United States dominate geopolitics, or will global power instead be broadly divided among several established and emerging states?

Diplomats and Dissidents By Bill Keller
(New York Times, May 14, 2012) The case of the blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng is a good occasion to contemplate the perennial tension between our respect for human rights and our need to deal with undemocratic regimes.

Is China about to Get Its Military Jet Engine Program off the Ground? By Gabe Collins and Andrew Erickson (China Real Time Report, May 14, 2012) China’s high-performance jet engine programs are nearing takeoff but they, and China’s development of a more competitive precision manufacturing sector, appear to still have some additional runway ahead of them.

Does the Law Matter in China? By Nicholas Bequelin
(New York Times, May 14, 2012) The rule of law has become a central demand of the Chinese citizenry, and grievances are increasingly framed in the language of rights. The law matters.

Taiwan into South China Sea of Trouble By Lin Cheng-yi
(Taipei Times, May 13, 2012) The best solution is to develop a defense deployment strategy largely based on Taiwan’s national army, with the coast guard operating as backup.

Exploring Constitutional Reform in the Wake of the Bo Xilai Affair By Keith Hand (China Brief 12(10), Jamestown Foundation, May 11, 2012) recent events raise the possibility that China’s leaders could explore political-legal reforms to bolster CCP legitimacy and public confidence in their rule of law narrative.

Picking Apart Nationalist Rhetoric around China’s New Oil Rig By Tom Orlik (China Real Time Report, May 11, 2012) The decision by China National Offshore Oil Corporation to start drilling in Chinese waters off the coast off Hong Kong wouldn’t normally spark controversy. But coming at a time of heightened tensions over disputed territory in the South China Sea, and with pointed comments from CNOOC Chairman Wang Yilin, it has attracted considerable attention.

China’s Growth Slows, and Its Political Model Shows Limits By Edward Wong (New York Times, May 11, 2012) With the recent political upheavals, and a growing number of influential voices demanding a resurrection of freer economic policies, it appears that China’s sense of triumphalism was, at best, premature, and perhaps seriously misguided.

U.S., China Discuss Cybersecurity As Tension Mount
(AP, May 7, 2012) Asserting that cyberattacks against the U.S. don't come only from China, the U.S. and Chinese defense ministers said they agreed to work together on cyber issues to avoid miscalculations that could lead to future crises.

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China Leadership Monitor, Hoover Institution, Stanford University

PacNet Newsletter, Center for Strategic & International Studies

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