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Weekly Report from Taiwan Security Research (Mar. 22, 2009)
For full text, click on the title or visit the TSR web page at taiwansecurity.org
The 'Impeccable' Incident
China to Send More Ships
to Assert S.China Sea Claim
(Reuters,
Mar. 18, 2009) China may convert more navy ships
into fishery vessels to patrol the South
China Sea, the China Daily reported, as Beijing seeks to extend its
reach over disputed islands that straddle key
Asian shipping lanes.
US Admiral Condemns
China’s ‘Aggressive’ Actions
(AP,
Mar. 19, 2009) A top U.S. commander says
China's "aggressive and
troublesome" run-in with an unarmed American
ship shows that Beijing is not yet ready to
behave acceptably.
China Not Boosting South
China Sea Naval Presence
(AP,
Mar. 20, 2009) China has no plans to beef up
its naval presence in the South China Sea
following a confrontation earlier this month
between Chinese boats and a U.S. Navy ship,
an official newspaper reported.
U.S. Policy
TRA Can’t Be Amended:
Ex-Cheney Assistant
(China
Post, Mar. 17, 2009) Although the United
States' Taiwan Relations Act was signed 30
years ago under dramatically different world
circumstances, there is little chance of
changing the act to suit present day issues,
said a U.S. former international affairs
analyst.
US Comfortable with
Détente: AIT
(Taipei
Times, Mar. 19, 2009) The US government feels
comfortable with the direction of
cross-strait relations and considers any
developments a matter for China and Taiwan, AIT Chairman Raymond Burghardt said in a
meeting with the press.
Cross-Strait Issues
TVBS Poll on ECFA and
National Identity
(TVBS Public
Opinion Pall Center, Mar. 13, 2009) A poll
conducted by TVBS on Taiwanese people’s
opinion on ECFA with China and national identity.
Expansion of Air
Service Next on Cross-Strait Agenda
(Taipei Times, Mar. 17, 2009)
Straits Exchange Foundation Deputy Chairman
Kao Koong-lian
said that the third round of cross-strait
negotiations with China would address issues
related to the right of airlines to provide
connecting flights and for passenger
flights to carry cargo.
Ma Willing to Listen,
But Determined That ECFA Will be Signed
(Taipei
Times, Mar. 21, 2009) President Ma Ying-jeou reiterated the
government’s determination to sign an
economic cooperation framework agreement
(ECFA) with China.
Ma’s Office Denies
Dual Diplomatic Recognition
(China Post, Mar. 22, 2009)
The Presidential Office denied that Taipei
had contacted Beijing over remarks made by
Taiwan's foreign minister that were taken
to imply the possibility of dual diplomatic
recognition.
Taiwan's Quadrannial
Defense Review
MND
to Continue Cutting Troops
(China Post, Mar. 16, 2009) The
Ministry of National Defense aims to continue slashing the number
of troops but will at the same time beef up the fighting power
with the procurement of more advanced defense hardware.
The
Road Ahead for ROC Military By Alexander Huang
(Taipei Times, Mar. 20, 2009) Taiwan’s first QDR has two main themes: prevention
and transformation. For prevention, the Ma administration does
not rely solely on modernizing and building up its forces, but
also strives for manageable cross-strait relations.
Taiwan
Army to be Cut by 20pc By Rowan Callick
(The Australian, Mar. 18, 2009)
Taiwan is slashing its army by about a fifth as relations warm
with China, its economy slumps and it switches from a conscripted
force to a professional army -- like that of the People's
Republic.
PLA, Military Balance and Arms Sales
China’s
Military After Taiwan By Ellis Joffe
(Far Eastern Economic Review,
Mar. 18, 2009) The Taiwan crisis of 1995/96 convinced the Chinese
that the U.S. would intervene if they attacked Taiwan and
confronted them with a new and urgent strategic threat that
became the impetus for a major force buildup and a focus for its
direction.
China
Military Trains First Public Relations Team
(AP, Mar. 20, 2009) China's
military is training propaganda teams for the first time to
explain its actions to the outside world, as the force engages
more with other countries' militaries and deploys its ships and
personnel abroad.
Taiwan
Gets 12 Orion ASW Aircraft By Wendell Minnick
(DefenseNews,
Mar. 15, 2009) With China holding $1.9 trillion in foreign
exchange reserves and Washington asking Beijing to buy even more
U.S. debt, there are concerns Obama's
pending Taiwan policy will favor no arms in the future.
Taiwan’s
Call to Arms By Richard D. Fisher Jr.
(Wall Street Journal, Mar. 18,
2009) Taiwan may be facing a reprise of the Clinton years, when
it was forced to rely on its own technologies and on brave allies
in the U.S. Congress who understood the need to defend Taiwan,
even in the face of Administration policy and defense cuts that
undermined U.S. security commitment.
Taiwan
Falls within Range of 1,300 China Missiles: MND
(CNA, Mar. 18, 2009) All of
Taiwan falls within the range of 1,300-plus ballistic missiles
deployed by China, but it remains uncertain whether those
missiles are targeted at Taiwan at the moment, a MND official said.
Taiwan's Domestic Issues and Foreign Relations
Wu
Admits Bookkeeper Gave Her Money from State Fund
(China Post, Mar. 18, 2009) Former first lady Wu Shu-chen admitted in court her husband's bookkeeper
Chen Chen-hui had given her part of the
“state affairs” fund but denied any private use of the funds.
Taiwan’s
Foreign Aid Fruitful: U.S. Charity
(China Post, Mar. 19, 2009) Robin G. Mahood, President of Food For the Poor (FFP),
praised Taiwan's International Cooperation and Development Fund
(ICDF) for its expertise in helping developing countries such as
Haiti and Nicaragua.
MOFA
to Follow ‘Paraguay’ Model to Keep El Salvador Ties
(China Post, Mar. 20, 2009)
Francisco Ou, minister of foreign
affairs, said he would follow the “Paraguay” formula to keep diplomatic relations
between Taipei and San
Salvador.
Uncertainty
Marks Future of Nation at World Health Body
(Taipei Times, Mar. 20, 2009) Taiwan will never agree to become an associate of China at the WHO, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Francisco Ou told the legislature’s
Foreign and National Defense Committee.
China's Rise and Domestic Issues
China
Gains Key Assets in Spate of Purchases By Ariana Eunjung
Cha (Washington Post,
Mar. 17, 2009) Chinese companies have been on a shopping spree
in the past month, snapping up tens of billions of dollars'
worth of key assets in Iran, Brazil, Russia, Venezuela,
Australia and France in a global fire sale set off by the
financial crisis.
Mixed
Signals from 11th National People’s Congress By Willy Lam
(China Brief,
Jamestown Foundation, Mar. 18, 2009) The clout of the military
and security forces, Beijing’s most reliable weapon for
muzzling dissent, has expanded. This has fed speculation that
the People’s Liberation Army will be getting even more
resources for the modernization of weaponry.
A
New Book Reveals Why China is Unhappy By Austin Ramzy
(Time, Mar. 20,
2009) That independent streak and willingness to break with the
Party is what makes nationalism such an unwieldy force for China's rulers. Nationalist sentiment can turn
against leaders who are seen as not pushing China's interests with sufficient force.
Regional Issues and Japan
Policy
India
Frets Over Obama’s Chinamania By M K Bhadrakumar
(Asia Times, Mar.
14, 2009) The intensity of US-China traffic is in sharp
contrast with the virtual absence of high-level political
exchanges between the Indian leadership and Obama.
China’s
Maturing Relationship with Latin America By Evan Ellis
(China Brief,
Jamestown Foundation, Mar. 18, 2009) When President Hu traveled to the region in November
2008 to attend the APEC summit in Lima, Peru, the trip
highlighted how far China’s relationship with Latin America
had evolved in only four years.
Japan,
China Must Get in Tune on Security Issues
(Editorial, Yomiuri
Shimbun, Mar. 22, 2009) Differing
perceptions between Japan and China on key East Asia security issues were
again all too obvious during talks between the defense
ministers of the two nations in Beijing. It is essential that both sides make
efforts to narrow these gaps through more frequent dialogues.
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