|

Regional Issues
U.S.-China
Engagement
People’s
Liberation Army (PLA)
Arms Sales & Military Balance
China’s Rise: China’s Economic and Social
Developments
‘One China,’
‘Status Quo,’ and ‘Taiwan Independence’
Taiwan’s Party
Politics
Chen’s Legacy
and Ma Era
Exchange Rates
and Internationalization of RMB
America’s Pacific
Century
North Korea Crisis
Chiang-Chen Talks
China’s Blue Water Navy
ECFA and FTAs
2012
Presidential Election
China’s Economic
Transition
[ News ] [ Papers ]

Cabinet Sets Hitlist of
Issues for 2012
(China
Post, Feb. 5, 2012) Premier-designate Sean Chen reiterated that the
government has not taken any stance concerning the controversies over U.S.
beef imports and taxation reform.
Provincial Groups from China
Resuming Visits
(Taipei Times, Feb. 5, 2012) Chinese
provincial purchasing groups are beginning to resume their visits to Taiwan
after more than six months’ absence.
Taiwan to Be Included in
U.S. Visa Waiver Plan in Months: KMT Envoy (CNA, Feb. 5, 2012) Washington
has made it clear that the visa waiver decision was not linked to Taiwan’s imports of beef from the United States.
However, the U.S. beef import issue is linked to trade talks between Taiwan
and the U.S.
Administration Denies Making
Promises to US on Beef
(Taipei Times, Feb. 4, 2012) The Presidential
Office dismissed allegations that President Ma Ying-jeou
had promised Washington he would handle the US
beef issue after his re-election, and insisted that there was no timetable in
dealing with the issue.
KMT Downplays Urgency of
China Talks
(CNA, Feb. 3, 2012) Although President Ma Ying-jeou's policies on cross strait relations were key to his
re-election, political talks with the mainland are not urgent at the moment,
especially as conditions are not right for such discussions, a ranking
official of the ruling Kuomintang said in the United States.
Solution to Beef Row to
Boost US Relations: Ma
(China Post, Feb. 2, 2012) President Ma Ying-jeou said yesterday said his government will adopt a “new
approach” to handling a dispute over U.S. beef imports.
Taiwan Places US$921m Order
for PAC-3 Missiles
(Taipei Times, Feb. 2, 2012) Taiwan has placed a
US$921 million order for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles as part
of its military program to strengthen its air defense capabilities, a
contract notification said.
US Reiterates Support for
Cross-Strait Ties
(Taipei Times, Feb. 1, 2012) Ben Rhodes, the
deputy US national security advisor for strategic communications, said the
administration of US President Barack Obama had always backed Ma’s pursuit of
better relations across the Taiwan Strait.
Japan Stands Firm on Islet
Naming Plan
(Taipei
Times, Feb. 1, 2012) Japan has taken a firm stance regarding its naming of
several islets belong to the Diaoyutai Islands,
despite repeated protests lodged by Taipei in recent months, an official of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
MOEA Trying to Resolve US
Beef Row: Officials
(CNA, Feb. 1, 2012) Mindful of the importance of
the “beef issue” to Uncle Sam, the MOEA is trying aggressively to resolve the
dispute between Taipei and Washington
over U.S. beef exports to Taiwan.
AIT Head Restates Neutral
Poll Stance, Hints Beef Action May Help TIFA (China Post, Jan. 31, 2012) Washington reportedly suspended
scheduled TIFA talks with Taiwan after the latter decided to remove some
American beef products that were found to contain the locally banned animal
feed additive ractopamine.
Tsai Refuses to Meet AIT
Chief As DPP Reiterates US Bias Claim
(AFP, Jan. 31, 2012) The China-skeptic DPP aired
the protest as its acting chairwoman and losing candidate Tsai Ing-wen declined to meet a visiting senior U.S. official,
citing a scheduling conflict.
New Cabinet’s Makeup Taking Shape
(Taipei Times, Jan. 31, 2012) President Ma Ying-jeou’s new administration came into shape with the near
confirmation of a number of appointments and confirmation that
premier-designate Sean Chen would preside over a handover ceremony on Monday.
DPP Soul-Searching on
Taiwan, ‘1992 Consensus’
(Taipei Times, Jan. 30, 2012) Some within the
party say accepting the ‘1992 consensus’ endorses the KMT’s
stance, while others say it could be used to improve dialogue with Beijing.
Navy to Acquire ‘Listening
Sticks’
(Taipei
Times, Jan. 30, 2012) The Taiwanese Navy is purchasing hundreds of
specialized sonobuoys from the US to augment its
anti-submarine warfare capabilities, a US Department of Defense notice said.
AIT Chairman to Press for
Beef Breakthrough
(Taipei Times, Jan. 29, 2012) Sources close to Burghardt said the beef issue would “most likely” top his
agenda, while Ma was expected to concentrate on the possible future sale of F-16C/D aircraft and US help in acquiring
diesel-electric submarines.
Taiwan’s New Premier Named
(CNA, Jan. 27, 2012) President Ma Ying-jeou has decided to appoint incumbent Deputy Premier Sean
Chen as Taiwan's
new premier.
Academics Expect
Cross-Strait Relations to Deepen
(CNA, Jan. 27, 2012) If Xi Jinping
takes over leadership of the CCP later this year, as expected, he is likely
to be too busy with other issues to push a change of policy on Taiwan.
Free Trade Area to be Set Up
in South Taiwan
(AFP, Jan. 26, 2012) Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou said a free trade area would be set up soon in the
south, as the government begins moves to joining a trans-Pacific free trade
alliance.
Deadly Confrontation Spreads
in Tibetan Region of China
(New York Times, Jan. 25, 2012) Deadly showdowns
between Chinese security forces and Tibetans in a restive region of
western China spread
to a second town on Tuesday, outside advocacy groups reported.
China Leader-in-Waiting Xi
to Visit White House Next Month
(Reuters, Jan. 24, 2012) President Obama will
host China’s likely next leader, Vice President Xi Jinping,
at the White House on February 14, in a visit set to boost Xi’s credentials
as the man who will steer Beijing’s close but quarrelsome ties with
Washington.
DPP Prepares for Crucial
Election Review
(China Post, Jan. 24, 2012) The DPP is preparing
for a crucial meeting for a sweeping review of their defeat in the
presidential election after the Lunar New Year's holiday.
US to Keep All 11 Aircraft
Carriers As Show of Power
(AP, Jan. 23, 2012) US
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta told sailors aboard the country’s oldest
aircraft carrier that the US
was committed to maintaining a fleet of 11 of the formidable warships despite
budget pressures, in part to project sea power against Iran.

China’s Rise Poses
Challenges for Its African Peacekeeping Missions By Ivan Broadhead (VOA, Feb. 3, 2012)
China
has long adhered to a foreign policy of non-interventionism, where it tries
to appear neutral in disputes outside its borders. As the country becomes
more of a global power, however, it is less able to stay on the sidelines.
China’s Space White Paper: Increasing
Transparency… to a Degree By Kevin Pollpeter (China Brief 12(3), Jamestown Foundation Feb. 3, 2012) The
white paper, unfortunately, devotes much less time to Chinese policies
governing its activities in space and, as a result, will do little to alleviate
concerns over the country’s increasing national power.
Top Politician Looks Forward
By Cang Lide
(China Daily, Feb. 3, 2012) Even now, Kissinger
does not believe there's a need for a Cold War-like confrontation between China and the United
States although there is growing suspicion in Beijing over the new
military strategy that has the Pentagon shifting focus to the Asia-Pacific.
The Devil in the Deep Blue Detail
(Economist, Feb. 4, 2012) The disputes over the
South China Sea have persisted for decades without threatening global peace
and need not inevitably become the main focus of tension between China and America. There is a danger that
putting the sea in the same sentence as the cold war too often is
self-fulfilling.
Hunger Pains Test North
Korea’s Dynastic Succession By Shim Jae Hoon (YaleGlobal,
Feb. 1, 2012) North Korea
confronts dire grain shortages that could lead to a third of its population
going hungry. Collective leadership likely won’t last long in the rigid
state, but aid could delay regime collapse. The US, South Korea, China and Kim Jong
Un should prepare.
Return to Asia: It’s Not (All) about China
By Ralph Cossa and Brad Glosserman (PacNet #7, Pacific Forum, CSIS, Jan. 30, 2012)
America’s return to Asia is overblown; we never left. It’s not all about China and would be less about China than it is today if China would become more
transparent about its claims and intentions and military modernization plans
in the future.
US-India Relations: Pivot
Problems By David Karl
(PacNet #7A, Pacific Forum, CSIS, Jan. 31, 2012)
There is a conundrum at the heart of the Obama administration’s “pivot”
toward Asia, at least as it relates to India.
Residents Vote in Chinese
Village at Center of Protest By Andrew Jacobs (New York Times, Feb. 2, 2012) Thousands of people in the
southern Chinese village of Wukan did something that
many once thought unimaginable: They cast ostensibly independent ballots in
the first step to determine the leadership of their seaside village in Guangdong Province.
China’s Real Rise—in Wukan’s
Village Election
(Christian Science Monitor, Jan. 31, 2012) Wukan’s newfound freedom has inspired other villages to
wonder if they can be next. With the help of the Internet, a rice-roots
movement could easily spread as more Chinese throw off the self-limiting
notion that they are not ready for the rough-and-tumble of open politics, as
in Taiwan.
Kidnappings of Workers Put
Pressure on China By Andrew Jacobs and Jeffrey Gettleman (New York Times, Feb. 1, 2012) The kidnappings have challenged
Beijing’s traditional noninterference approach to foreign affairs and
increased pressure, much of it expressed online, to protect its citizens more
aggressively abroad.
Japan Hopes China Bond
Buying Speeds Market Reforms By Tatsuo Ito (Wall Street Journal, Jan. 31, 2012) There's more to the plan by
Japan to buy up to $10 billion of Chinese bonds than meets the eye, some
Japanese officials say, adding that it's in fact a reflection of their
frustration with the unilateral and aggressive purchases of Japanese
government bonds by China.
Yuriko Koike: China’s
Soft-Power Offensive in Taiwan
(Strait Times, Jan. 31, 2012) China's behaviour during the recent presidential election in
Taiwan demonstrates that its leaders have learned some lessons, if only the
hard way.
Heartland Return for Chinese
Leader By Jeremy Page and Mark Peters (Wall Street
Journal, Jan. 31, 2012) Xi Jinping's planned trip
to Muscatine, Iowa, later this month sheds light on how the man expected to
become China's top leader this fall differs from the nation's prior leaders.
Australia Defense Report
Urges Northward Shift By Enda
Curran
(Wall Street Journal, Jan. 31, 2012) China's growing military power through the
Pacific and Australia's
development of vast natural-resource projects along its northwestern seaboard
has pushed the country's defense planners to rethink strategy.
Flaying ‘Flowers’: An
Example of Western Media’s Bias against China By Yiyi
Lu (China Real Time Report, Jan. 31, 2012) The
accusation of Western media’s bias in their China coverage does not seem
entirely unfounded. A case in point: Western media’s treatment of Zhang Yimou’s Nanjing
massacre film “The Flowers of War.”
China Courts the Middle East By Dilip
Hiro
(YaleGlobal, Jan. 30,
2012) As a rising global power, China favors the region’s status quo,
gambling it can continue to fulfill its growing hydrocarbon needs
from the Middle East, acquiring a larger footprint there
while spurning the West's pressure to join its
anti-Iran drive.
Philippines Sends ‘Wrong
Signal’ By Chi Haipei
(China Daily, Jan. 30, 2012) By allowing more US
troops on its soil, the Philippines has sent the wrong signal, experts said,
and the decision will cause more tension in the South China Sea.
Chinese Crackdown Seals off
Ethnic Unrest By Michael Wines
(New York Times, Jan. 29, 2012) Faced with the
largest outbreak of Tibetan unrest since riots in Lhasa and elsewhere in
2008, the government is taking no chances that the turmoil — which has
included Chinese forces firing on and killing some demonstrators — will
spread.
All Roads to Myanmar
By Zha Daojiong
(PacNet #6A, Pacific Forum, CSIS, Jan. 25, 2012) One
after another, Western dignitaries are traveling to Myanmar. A standard
interpretation of the change in attitude is that Myanmar
is finally demonstrating the courage and means to break away from China.
But was Myanmar
in the Chinese “geopolitical grip” in the first place?
China in 2012: The Politics
and Policy of Leadership Succession By Bruce Gilley (China Breif 12(2), Jamestown
Foundation, Jan. 20, 2012) The political challenges facing Xi Jinping concern both policy and government reform. Key
benchmarks can be used to trace the implications of each of these three
political stories of 2012—succession, policy and government—giving signs
about the future direction of politics and leadership in China.
China in 2012: Foreign
Affairs a Secondary Priority but Salient Challenges Ahead By Robert Sutter (China Breif 12(2), Jamestown
Foundation, Jan. 20, 2012) China’s main problems in foreign affairs in
2012 relate to Chinese leaders’ difficulty in sustaining an effective and
unified approach to foreign affairs amid challenges along China’s periphery in Asia.
China in 2012: Political
Challenges in China’s Economic Governance By Willy Lam (China Breif 12(2), Jamestown
Foundation, Jan. 20, 2012) Despite the obsession with stability and the
penchant for sticking with time-tested means to re-inflate the economy, this
year could be a watershed in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
administration’s long-standing effort to restructure the economy.
China in 2012: Shifting
Perspectives-Assessing the PLA from the Ground Up By Dennis J. Glasko (China Breif 12(2), Jamestown Foundation, Jan. 20, 2012) Assessing
senior-level leadership changes is important, but in order to judge the
degree of improvement in People’s Liberation Army operational capabilities,
many other factors need to be examined.
Taiwan’s Presidential and
Legislative Elections: Implications for Taiwan, the United States, and
Cross-strait Relations By Richard C. Bush (Luncheon
address, CSIS-Brookings Symposium,
Jan. 17, 2012) It is unlikely that President Ma will accelerate the process of reconciliation
with China, moving towards negotiations on political and security issues. The
smartest thing for Beijing and Taipei to do in Ma’s
second term may be to consolidate the gains of the first one. How to Size Up Taiwan’s 2012 Election—Dr. Yun-han
Chu’s presentation in this CSIS-Brookings Symposium
FDI Focus Continues to Shift
By Ding Qingfen
(China Daily, Jan. 27, 2012) Chinese officials
believe that the structure of China's FDI is changing with a move away from
low-end manufacturing toward those sectors that could help China transform
its economic growth model, including services, high-tech, new-energy and
high-end manufacturing.
Philippines May Allow
Greater U.S. Military Presence in Reaction to China’s Rise By Crag Whitlock (Washington Post, Jan. 26, 2012) Two decades after evicting U.S.
forces from their biggest base in the Pacific, the Philippines is in talks
with the Obama administration about expanding the American military presence
in the island nation, the latest in a series of strategic moves aimed at
China.
China’s Hidden Wealth Feeds
an Income Gap By Didi
Kirsten Tatlow
(New York Times, Jan. 26, 2012) The rich were hiding
their wealth, and society was far more unequal than the government was
admitting — a politically sensitive subject.
The End of Win-Win World
By Gideon Rachman
(Foreign Policy, Jan. 24, 2012) The rise of
zero-sum logic is the common thread, tying together seemingly disparate
strands in international politics: the crisis inside the European Union,
deteriorating U.S.-Chinese relations, and the deadlock in global governance.
China Says Tibetan Monks
Rioted, Provoking Deadly Confrontation By Keith Bradsher (New York Times,
Jan. 24, 2012) The official version and the version put forward by overseas
Tibetan groups both seemed to suggest that the confrontation may have been
the most violent since a series of large-scale protests rocked
Tibetan-populated regions in early 2008.
Year of the Water Dragon: 12
Chinese Maritime Developments to Look for in 2012 By Andrew Erickson and Gabe
Collins (China Real Time Report, Jan. 23, 2012) Beginning with the major potential newsmakers,
here are 12 key maritime developments to watch for and what they mean.
Taiwan Offers Baby Bonus to
Fix Plummeting Birth Rate By Tania Branigan (Guardian, Jan. 23,
2012) The island's plummeting birth rate is one of the lowest in the world,
experts say, prompting a warning from the president himself, Ma Ying-jeou, that it is "a serious national security
threat".
SUBSCRIPTION
Subscribe for "Weekly
Report" (Your name, Institution, position, and e-mail
address)

TSR
received a favorable review by the Foreign
Affairs (July/Aug 2000).
TSR
was given the Best of Asia-Pacific Web Award!
 TSR
was honored with a Four-Star rating by the Asian
Studies WWW Virtual Library.
This page will remain in a constant state
of renovation. The author welcomes your suggestions. This page's link to any
given Web site does not constitute an endorsement of that site by the National Taiwan University,
the Department of Political
Science, or the editor.
All rights reserved by the author.
Support for Taiwan
Security Research is provided by Social Science Research Center,
National Science Council (Taiwan)

|