|
| |
| Sunflower Movement--A Student-Led Anti Cross-Strait Service Pact Protest | |
|
| |
|
Anger Grows in Taiwan against Deal with China (2014-03-24)
(New York Times, By Austin Ramzy) Demonstrators who have occupied Taiwan’s legislature since last week expanded their protest of a trade deal with China evening by invading the government building nearby that houses the offices of the prime minister.
Students, end ‘Illegal’ Sit-in So Review Can Proceed: Ma (2014-03-24)
(Taipei Times) Branding the student-led protesters’ occupation of the legislature “illegal,” President Ma Ying-jeou urged the activists to end their sit-in, while calling for a legislative review of the cross-strait services trade pact that sparked the protest to be conducted as soon as possible.
Taiwan President Agrees to Meet Protestors (2014-03-25)
(Wall Street Journal, By Jenny W. Hsu and Aries Poon) Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said he agreed to meet with student protesters in a bid to resolve a weeklong standoff between the government and students occupying a government building over a controversial trade pact with China.
Taiwan Defends Use of Force against Protesters (2014-03-25)
(New York Times, By Austin Ramzy) Taiwan’s prime minister said that the government had been justified in using force to remove demonstrators from the cabinet building earlier in the day, as students continued to occupy the nearby legislature in a protest against a trade bill with China.US Stays Neutral on Pact, Laud Taiwan Democracy (2014-03-26)
(Taipei Times, By William Lowther) US Department of State spokeswoman Marie Harf said Washington supports Taiwan’s “vibrant democracy” and how it allows “robust political dialogue.”
Taiwan Protestors Call for Another Sit-In (2014-03-27)
(Wall Street Journal, By Jenny W. Hsu) Taiwanese student protesters and the government remain locked in a standoff as demonstrators said they wouldn't meet with President Ma Ying-jeou until their demands, including retracting a China trade deal, are met.Ma Won't Meet All Activists Demands (2014-03-30)
(China Post) President Ma Ying-jeou called for calm but refused to agree to all the demands of student-led protesters who have been occupying Legislature and are planning a major rally today in front of the Presidential Office in protest against the Cross-Strait Trade in Services Agreement.
PRC Downplays Student, Public Trade Pact Fears (2014-03-30)
(Taipei Times) China’s Taiwan Affairs Office earlier this week touted the possible upsides of the cross-strait service trade agreement, while playing down student protesters’ concerns that it will hurt Taiwan’s interests.Majority Supports Referendum on Trade Agreement: Survey (2014-03-29)
(Taipei Times) Most people favor resolving the ongoing dispute between the student activists occupying the legislative floor and the government over the cross-strait service trade agreement through a national referendum, a public opinion poll showed.
What Taipei's Protesters Know (2014-03-27)
(Wall Street Journal) The student-led occupation of Taiwan's legislature concerns much more than a pending Taiwan-China trade agreement. Six years of warming relations between Taipei and Beijing—and of relative calm across the explosive Taiwan Strait—may now be coming to an end.
Beijing Watches the Taiwan Protests (2014-03-27)
(The Diplomat, By Shannon Tiezzi) Popular protests in Taiwan over a trade agreement with China could alter Beijing’s approach to cross-strait relations. | |
| |
| Regional Issues | |
|
| |
|
Crimea's Demonstration Effect in Asia (2014-03-25)
(PacNet #22, Pacific Forum, CSIS, By Victor Cha) Crimea shows that power matters less than commitment. And as powerful as the United States is, it is not as committed to Crimea as Russia. The danger of Putin’s actions is the demonstration effect -- it sets a bad precedent for others to follow.
Why Crimea Matters to the US and Asia (2014-03-26)
(PacNet #23, Pacific Forum, CSIS, By Brad Glosserman) Contrary to some of the loudest voices in recent weeks, events involving the Crimea and Ukraine confirm core elements of US foreign policy; they don’t repudiate them.
Russia's Crimea Annexation: What It Means for East Asia (2014-03-27)
(PacNet #24, Pacific Forum, CSIS, By Euan Graham) Russia’s challenge to the international order has global ramifications that extend to East Asia. Implications for the region can be understood in terms of three broad categories: demonstration, distraction, and disruption. | |
| |
| U.S. Pivot to Asia and Sino-U.S. Engagement | |
|
| |
|
Obama, Xi Meet at Nuclear Security Summit (2014-03-25)
(The Diplomat, By Shannon Tiezzi) The leaders discussed North Korea, cybersecurity, maritime disputes, and Crimea – but not nuclear security.
US Lauds Cross-Strait Ties, Reaffirms Position on Taiwan (2014-03-30)
(CNA) A senior U.S. official commended Taipei and Beijing for “historic progress” made in improving relations across the Taiwan Strait and emphasized that Washington's policy on Taiwan has not changed, despite a recent “mischaracterization” by Beijing.On Visit to China, Michelle Obama Eases in Some Political Messages (2014-03-26)
(New York Times, By Jane Perlez and Mark Landler) Michelle Obama’s weeklong trip to China seemed to start as a spring break holiday with her mother and daughters but has turned out to include far more substance — and politics — than the cheerful advocate of fitness and healthful eating often displays at home. | |
| |
| Military Balance and Arms Sales | |
|
| |
|
Seek Low-Profile Arms: US Expert (2014-03-30)
(Taipei Times, By William Lowther) A new policy analysis from the Washington-based Wilson Center concludes that Taiwan should not seek “big-ticket military systems” such as advanced combat aircraft and submarines from the US. | |
| |
| China's Rise and Its Domestic Issues | |
|
| |
|
Editor Leaves Bloomberg, Citing China Coverage (2014-03-25)
(New York Times, By Ravi Somaiya) Ben Richardson, an editor at large in Asia at Bloomberg News, announced his resignation, citing the company’s handling of an investigative report in China late last year.
China's Goal for 2014 (2014-03-26)
(The Diplomat, By Shannon Tiezzi) The Diplomat speaks with Dr. Kenneth Lieberthal, a senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution, about China’s plans for economic reform, environmental clean-up, anti-corruption efforts and managing territorial disputes. | |
|
|
|
