Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Sunday, 1 May 2011

Weekly Report from Taiwan Security Research (May 1, 2011)

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

Bulletin: Dr. Philip Yang, the founder of TSR, has been appinted as the new Minister of the Government Information Office, R.O.C.!

Cross-Strait Issues

China to Allow Taiwanese Law Firms More Access to Mainland
(China Post, Apr. 25, 2011) China plans to accelerate its plan for the reciprocal opening of legal practices on both sides of the Taiwan Strait under the economic cooperation framework agreement signed between China and

Taiwan

Taiwan, China Banking Watchdogs Set for Talks
(China Post, Apr. 25, 2011) Taiwan's financial institutions expressed hope of gaining more preferential treatment in the vast Chinese market, including offering renminbi currency services at an earlier date and faster expansion to inner regions in China.

Deeper China Ties Spark Autonomy Concerns, Poll Shows
(Taipei Times, Apr. 27, 2011) Sixty-two percent of respondents are concerned about a crisis of political autonomy and increased difficulty maintaining the “status quo” because of deeper economic exchanges with China, according to a recent public opinion survey published by the Academia Sinica Institute of Sociology.

U.S.-China Engagement

Chinese Military Chief to Visit U.S. in May
(Xinhua, Apr. 27, 2011) Chen Bingde, chief of the general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, will visit the United States in May, China's Ministry of Defense said.

Bleak Outlook for U.S.-China Talks on Human Rights By Andrew Jacobs (New York Times, Apr. 28, 2011) The Chinese government has been in no mood to discuss its heavy-handed behavior, warning the

United States

this week that it would brook no interference in its domestic affairs.

Eyeing the White House After Service in China By Michael Wines(New York Times, May 1, 2011) Getting China fully engaged — and persuading it to temper the suspicion and resentment that has marked even warm periods in its relationship with the United States — is the Obama administration’s strategic goal and, by all accounts, Mr. Huntsman’s passion.

Military Balance

Taiwan Missile Can Hit Beijing: Ex-Minister
(China Post, Apr. 28, 2011) A former minister of national defense recently revealed in his memoir published recently that Taiwan-made intermediate-range cruise missile can reach as far as some Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang and Chengdu.

2012 Presidential Election, Taiwan's Domestic Issues and Foreign Relations

Survey on President Ma Ying-jeou’s Approval Rating and People’s Views on the Unification-Independence Issue (GVSRC, Apr. 25, 2011) 32.9 percent of the respondents were satisfied with President Ma Ying-jeou’s performance; meanwhile, with respect to cross-strait relations, 53.5 percent preferred to maintain the status quo.

Opposition Chief Taiwan’s First Female Presidential Candidate
(CNA, Apr. 27, 2011) Tsai Ing-wen, head of the opposition DPP , is set to become Taiwan's first female presidential candidate in history when she represents the DPP in the country's presidential election to be held in January 2012.

China Warns Party As It Picks Presidential Nominee
(Reuters, Apr. 28, 2011)

China

’s Taiwan Affairs Office warned the Democratic Progressive Party that it risked serious problems if it pressed for independence.

Tsai, Ma Running Neck-to-Neck: Polls
(China Post, Apr. 29, 2011) Polls conducted by several media groups, including China Times, TVBS, and UDN, indicated a tie of within 1% difference in the support of Tsai Ing-wen of DPP and Ma Ying-jeou of KMT except for the Apple Daily survey, which indicated a great lead on Tsai's part.

ECFA—a Step towards East Asia Economic Integration: VP
(CNA, Apr. 30, 2011) The signing of the ECFA between Taiwan and mainland China last June is "the right thing to do" and can be seen as another step toward East Asia's, Vice President Vincent Siew said.

China's Rise and Domestic Issues

China’s Future: Growing Old Before Growing Rich By Mark Mackinnon and Carolynne Wheeler (Globe and Mail, Apr. 29, 2011) Figures released Thursday from China’s once-a-decade census show a population of nearly 1.34 billion people, but one that is aging quickly.

Regional Issues

China Embraces ASEAN for ‘Asian Century’
(Jakarta Post, May 1, 2011) Wen said cooperation among countries in East Asia could grow well only if ASEAN was the dominant player, a statement seemingly aimed at fending off the idea of using the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as a nucleus of wider Asia-Pacific cooperation.

Limits of Chinese Power in Southeast Asia By Evelyn Goh(YaleGlobal, Apr. 26, 2011) A growing economy does not necessarily translate into political influence. Beijing sways economic choices of members of the Association of South East Asian Nations through trade but less so in security matters.

Amidst Cooperation, “Normalcy” Returns to Northeast Asia By Jeffrey Hornung (PacNet #25, Pacific Forum, CSIS, Apr. 28,2011) It is wishful thinking to believe that March 11 provided the Northeast Asian states an opportunity to move beyond historical disputes. Yet, disaster relief cooperation could have laid the groundwork for a greater paradigm shift in relations.