Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Weekly Report from Taiwan Security Research (Aug. 29, 2010)

For full text, click on the title or visit the TSR web page at taiwansecurity.org

Pentagon Report on PRC's Military Power 2010--Reviews and Reactions

Testing Time for US Arms Report on China By Peter J Brown(Asia Times, Aug. 25, 2010) China does share an interest in averting an overt arms race and potential miscalculation. Within that space, this report provides a realistic context for further engagement.
Living with a Modernized PLA By Dean Cheng(Taipei Times, Aug. 27, 2010) In light of the all-round expansion of Chinese military capabilities, as outlined in the report, the administration of US President Barack Obama needs to maintain the credibility of its own presence in the Western Pacific.
Taiwanese Must Heed Report on PRC Power By Nat Bellocchi(Taipei Times, Aug. 27, 2010) If Taiwan does want to keep all its options for the future open, then the public and the government need to make it clear to China and the rest of the world that progress in the economic arena needs to be accompanied by clear steps by Beijing renouncing the use of force.

Wen Brought up Political Reform

PRC Must Pursue Political Reform, Wen Jiabao Says
(Reuters, Aug. 23, 2010) China has to pursue political reform to safeguard its economic health, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said during a visit to the booming town of Shenzhen, Xinhua news agency reported.

Change You Can Believe in?
(The Economist, Aug. 26, 2010) During a visit to a southern boomtown Premier Wen Jiabao declared that economic gains could yet be lost without reforms to the political system. One official newspaper called his speech one of “extraordinary importance”, but skeptics abound.
Wen Jiabao Puts Political Reform on China’s Agenda By Peter Beaumont (Guardian, Aug. 29, 2010) What is true is that his comments already have created some room for calls for a "new generation of reformers" in some state-controlled media, while others have carefully avoided parsing his remarks. Watch this space.
China Builds Political System Reform on Courage and Soap Boxes By Cheng Yunjie (Xinhua, Aug. 29, 2010) Rather than copying the prevalent multi-party system in the West, China aims to blaze a different trail by expanding democracy and autonomy for its 1.3 billion people based on existing political framework.   

ECFA and Cross-Strait Issues

ARATS Deputy Head Makes 1st Taiwan Visit Since Signing of ECFA
(CNA, Aug. 24, 2010) The deputy chief of China's quasi-official Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait is currently on a visit in Taiwan to assess the response on the ground to a recently signed cross-strait pact, sources said.

Chinese Official Meets with Farmers in Southern Taiwan
(CNA, Aug. 25, 2010) China's second-highest-ranking envoy to Taiwan met farmers in southern Taiwan's Tainan County to promote the direct sale of locally grown agricultural products to China.

China May Notify WTO of Taiwan Trade Agreement: Official
(CNA, Aug. 27, 2010) During recent talks with Taiwan, China did not rule out the possibility of notifying the World Trade Organization of a recent trade pact with Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said.

Gov’t to Counter Trade Agreement among China, Japan, S. Korea
(CNA, Aug. 28, 2010) Taiwan should prioritize several industries in follow-up talks with China under the framework trade pact the two signed in late June to counter a possible East Asian free trade zone, the Bureau of Foreign Trade said.

Welcoming Chinese Is the Ultimate Diplomacy By Tom Walk(Taipei Times, Aug. 24, 2010) Cutting off the lines of communication is not an option, while the reverse is beneficial for both sides. Of course, exchanges should be managed. However, opposing the entry of Chinese into the education system or workplace based on fear is tantamount to shooting oneself in the foot.

Arms Sales

US to Supply Taiwan Air Force Radar Equipment
(AP, Aug. 26, 2010) The United States said it will supply radar equipment to Taiwan's air force, an approval of a relatively marginal item less likely to anger China than the F-16 fighter jets the island's president urged Washington to provide last week.

China Warns US against Selling Taiwan Radars
(AP, Aug. 28, 2010) China objected to a U.S. plan to supply radar equipment to Taiwan's air force, even though the sale was far short of the F-16 fighter jets the island's president urged Washington to provide last week.

Taiwan's Domestic Issues

Doubts Over Ma’s Tough Cure for Corruption By Jens Kastner(Asia Times, Aug. 26, 2010) Under public pressure, President Ma Ying-jeou has talked tough on the matter and vowed not to allow a few corrupt officials tarnish the reputation of the public sector and the government.

China's Rise and Domestic Issues

The China Syndrome By Joel Kotkin(Forbes, Aug. 24, 2010) The U.S. has a decent chance of remaining the world's pre-eminent economy not only over the next decade or two and even by mid-century. There are five key reasons for this contrarian conclusion.

Regional Issues

FTA Pushes ASEAN Ties By Zheng Anguang(Xinhua, Aug. 24, 2010) Washington's intention to sow discord between China and Southeast Asian countries will be in vain. China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are beginning to harvest tangible economic benefits two decades after a dialogue mechanism between the two was initiated.

Beijing Claims to Plant Flag under South China Sea
(Reuters, Aug. 27, 2010) China said it had used a small, manned submarine to plant the national flag deep beneath the South China Sea, where Beijing has tussled with Washington and Southeast Asian nations over territorial disputes.

Chinese Navy to Hold Drills in Yellow Sea
(AP, Aug. 29, 2010) China said its navy will stage live-ammunition drills in the Yellow Sea this week, after Beijing condemned recent and planned U.S.-South Korean joint naval exercises there and vowed to respond in kind.

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