Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Sunday 19 January 2014

epaper_image
2014-01-19 | NO.18(3) epaper |
Diaoyutai Disputes Resurface and Japan Policy
Japanese Leader's Yasukuni Shrine Visit ‘Puzzles’ Ma (2014-01-13)
(Taipei Times) President Ma Ying-jeou said he is not only disappointed, but also puzzled by the “Japanese leader’s” recent visit to the Yasukuni Shrine. 

ADIZ Disputants Should Negotiate: Ma  (2014-01-15)
(China Post) President Ma Ying-jeou said that all countries that have overlapping ADIZs with mainland China over the East China Sea should engage in negotiations in order to prevent the risk of future confrontation.

Beijing Urges Cross-Strait Ties to Dispute Japan's Dioyutais Claims (2014-01-16)
(CNA) A Chinese official called on Taipei to join hands with Beijing against Japan on the territorial dispute over the Diaoyutai Islands.

Ex-U.S. Officials Praises Taiwan's Conflict Resolution (2014-01-17)
(Taipei Times, By William Lowther) Two former senior US officials on Asia praised Taiwan on Wednesday for dealing responsibly with regional conflicts. 
U.S. Pivot to Asia and Sino-U.S. Engagement
Republicans Block Shift in IMF Power to Emerging Market Nations (2014-01-14)
(Wall Street Journal, By Ian Talley) U.S. lawmakers refused to allow the IMF to shift power within the organization to emerging market nations, a move that frustrates an effort to give countries like China, Brazil and India greater say in the emergency lender's operations. 

US Congress Takes Hard-Line Stance on China's Maritime Disputes (2014-01-16)
(The Diplomat, By Shannon Tiezzi) Though we should take congressional hearings on foreign policy issues with a grain of salt, it’s worth noting that (on this issue at least) the legislative branch isn’t that far removed from the executive branch.

(Re)Defining the “New Type of Major Country Relations” between the United States and China (2014-01-13)
(PacNet #4, Pacific Forum, CSIS, By Ely Ratner) Although the slogan “a new type of major country relationship” is here to stay (for now), still to be determined are the ways in which it will shape the behaviors of China, the United States, and the region. 
DPP Searches for New China Stance; Cross-Strait Issues
Ex-Premier Criticizes DPP's Cross-Strait Relations Policy (2014-01-13)
(China Post) Former Premier Frank Hsieh criticized the Democratic Progressive Party's recent policies regarding cross-strait relations, saying that they avoided the points he was trying to make. 

DPP Chairman Reiterates Taiwan Policy (2014-01-15)
(Taipei Times) “A man on a beach should learn how to watch a seagull and appreciate its beauty from a distance. If he tried to catch it, it would fly away,” Su said, adding that China should not stand in Taiwan’s way if it was serious about winning over Taiwanese hearts.

DPP's Cross-Strait Policy Has “Failed”: Frank Hsieh (2014-01-16)
(Taipei Times) The former premier said the party had to stop excluding the KMT’s opinions from its China policy, which it must change to return to power.

Resolution Limits MAC Boss' Acts during China Trip (2014-01-15)
(Taipei Times) The legislature adopted a resolution to cover MAC Minister Wang Yu-chi’s upcoming trip to China that drew a red line in defense of the nation’s sovereignty and right to self-determination.

Cross-Strait Trade Swells to US$197.2 Bil. (2014-01-17)
(China Daily) Trade volume between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan reached US$197.2 billion last year amid closer cross-Strait ties, a year-on-year increase of 16.7 percent, a mainland spokesman said.

China Benefiting More from Improved Ties: Survey (2014-01-15)
(Taipei Times) More than half of Taiwanese feel closer cross-strait engagement and Taiwanese investment in China have benefited China more than Taiwan, a TISR opinion poll (in Chinese) released yesterday found.
PLA, Military Balance and Arms Sales
China Tests Hypersonic Missile Vehicle (2014-01-14)
(The Diplomat, By Ankit Panda) The Chinese military successfully concluded the first test flight of a hypersonic missile vehicle, which is intended to deliver warheads through U.S. missile defenses.

Taiwan Unveils ‘Wan Chien’ Air-to-Ground Cruise Missile
 (2014-01-17)
(The Diplomat, By J. Michael Cole) The Taiwanese Air Force on January 16 unveiled a new air-to-ground cruise missile that could play a major role in any military confrontation with China. 

Richard Bush Warns on PRC Coercion (2014-01-16)
(Taipei Times, By William Lowther) The greatest danger was not military attack but rather that Beijing might exploit its growing power to “intimidate Taiwan into submission” on China’s terms, Richard Bush said.
Taiwan's Foreign Relations
Legislative Cross-Strait Panel Dropped (2014-01-14)
(Taipei Times) MAC Minister Wang Yu-chi dismissed Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng’s proposal that a “cross-strait affairs panel” be established to report to the legislature to strengthen its supervision of the government, saying that this could lead to a constitutional dispute. 

Ma Cannot Hide Behind a Vincent Siew Shield  (2014-01-19)
(Taipei Times, By Julian Kuo) Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng has pointed out that before trade talks can begin, Congress must first authorize talks, and representatives of both Congress and the Senate will participate in the talks and report back to Congress, which makes for a smooth review process. That was why Wang called for the establishment of a legislative task force for handling cross-strait affairs.

Taiwan to End Ban on Bone-In Canadian Beef (2014-01-18)
(CNA) “As Canada is also a member of the TPP, our move is like telling the world that 'we are serious (about entering the TPP),' and we want to secure a place in the partnership's second round of negotiations,” said MOEA Minister.

Taiwan and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (2013-12-11)
(Brookings, By Richard C. Bush III) What was illuminating about the presentations at the Brookings' November 20th symposium was the degree to which Taiwan, which is not yet within the circle of economies negotiating TPP, is already preparing for the day that it will be inside the circle.

Taiwan in Tough Fight to Join Regional Trade Blocs (2014-01-14)
(VOA, By Ralph Jennings) Taiwan is mounting a campaign to join two key Asia-Pacific trade blocs, the TPP and RCEP. However, Taiwan’s old rival, China, is likely to forbid membership in both. 
Regional Issues
Why Does China Coddle North Korea? (2014-01-13)
(New York Times, By Jonathan D. Pollack) The failures of policy on the Korean Peninsula are not those of China alone, but Beijing’s risk aversion bespeaks a larger absence of will and imagination on China’s part. 
China's Rise and Its Domestic Issues
Robert Gates Worries about China's Growing Military (2014-01-16)
(The Diplomat, By Shannon Tiezzi) Gates seems convinced that, now, with Xi firmly in control, it’s more apparent that provocative moves are approved by top leadership, and thus part of China’s long-term strategy. 
Previous