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South
China Sea Disputes
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China Plotting Airstrip on S China Sea Island (2014-11-23) (Reuters)
Satellite images show China is building an island on a reef in the disputed
Spratly Islands large enough to accommodate what could be its first offshore
airstrip in the South China Sea.
Options for US
Policy toward the South China Sea (2014-11-20) (PacNet
#81, Pacific Forum, CSIS, By Michael McDevitt) US policy toward the South China
Sea is sensible, relatively comprehensive, and proportionate to the US interests
involved.
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U.S.
“Pivot” to Asia and Sino-U.S. Engagement
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US, Australia, Japan Confer on Asian Security
Issues (2014-11-17) (AFP)
US President Barack Obama held three-way talks with the leaders of Japan and
Australia, a day after stressing that US engagement in the Asia-Pacific region
is here to stay as China rises.
Obama's
Rebalance to Asia in His Own Words: Where Does It Stand? (2014-11-23) (PacNet
#82, Pacific Forum, CSIS, By Scott Snyder) The consistency of Obama’s two
speeches in Australia makes the case that the rebalance is real and credible.
But whether or not it is sustainable or sufficient will not depend only on the
Obama administration’s continued commitment to the policy. China, the New Indispensable Nation? (2014-11-14) (Washington
Post, By Steven Mufson) Now, while America still possesses unparalleled military
superiority and bears a unique burden in intervening in foreign conflicts or
humanitarian crises, China has grown into an indispensable nation on issues such
as climate change, trade, and peace and stability in the Asian Pacific.
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Cross-Strait
Issues
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Su Chi Book Implies Lien Chan Leaks (2014-11-20) (Taipei
Times) A DPP legislator is demanding a probe after the book recounted Lien Chan
transcribing Ma’s inaugural speech, for reasons Su said he ‘could not dare’ to
think about.
China ‘Worried’ Over Elections: Forum (2014-11-20) (Taipei
Times, By William Lowther) If the KMT were to suffer major losses, it could put
pressure on Ma Ying-jeou to ‘step aside’ and let others make the decisions, a US
academic said. The Invisible Candidate in Taiwan's Elections (2014-11-19) (Foreign
Policy, By Chris Fuchs) The Nov. 29 elections are more than just an exercise in
local politics. Beijing has actively cultivated relationships with local
Taiwanese officials in the lead up to the elections and will likely watch the
outcome closely. Close Cross-Strait Economic Ties Help China: US
Report (2014-11-21) (Taipei
Times, By William Lowther) There is growing public concern in Taiwan about the
nation’s vulnerability to Chinese influence and economic coercion, a report to
the US Congress says.
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PLA
and Military Balance
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China Can Damage US Power Grid: NSA (2014-11-22) (AP)
China and “one or two” other countries are capable of mounting cyberattacks that
would shut down the computer systems of US power utilities, aviation networks
and financial companies, the US director of the National Security Agency
said. China Military Buildup Affects US Options: Report (2014-11-22) (Taipei
Times, By William Lowther) China’s massive military buildup will “complicate” US
options should China attack Taiwan, US-China Economic and Security Review
Commission chairman Dennis Shea said.
NSB Warns of Rising China Cyberattacks (2014-11-21) (Taipei
Times) China has been escalating its cyberwarfare against Taiwan, using an army
of 180,000 cyberspies and more sophisticated methods to hack and steal
information from government agencies and industries.
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Taiwan's
Domestic Issues and Foreign Relations
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Taiwan Mood Barometer
Survey, First Half of November 2014 (2014-11-14) (TISR)
President Ma Ying-jeou's approval rating dropped 2 percentage points over the
first ten days of November, according to the latestTaiwan Mood
Barometer Survey (in
Chinese).
Experts in US Share Insights into Taiwan
Elections (2014-11-20) (CNA)
Shelley Rigger stressed that the coming local elections are “not a referendum on
national issues” and argued they are instead about local concerns and
“(President) Ma Ying-jeou is not on the ballot.”
Obama Lauds Taiwanese Democracy (2014-11-17) (Taipei
Times) The US president named Taiwan, Japan and South Korea as examples of
‘thriving democracies,’ while also acknowledging Hong Kong’s pro-democracy
protests.
Kerry Urges Taiwan to Step Up Market Reforms (2014-11-16) (CNA)
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry recently reiterated that Washington welcomes
Taipei's interests in joining the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership, but noted
that Taiwan needs to step up efforts on reforming its economy, according to the
American Institute in Taiwan.
US State Department Official to Visit Taiwan (2014-11-19) (China
Post) Kurt Tong, the principal deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of
Economic and Business Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, will today begin
his three-day visit to Taiwan. Trade Liberalization Not Fast Enough: President (2014-11-22) (Taipei
Times) US Official Kurt Tong said that Taiwan is an important economy and it is
important for it to improve its competitiveness and further open its
markets. Taiwan's Ability to Sign FTAs in Doubt: US (2014-11-22) (China
Post) Taiwan's efforts to establish FTA with other countries have stalled, with
the international community beginning to doubt Taiwan's ability to ratify
negotiated agreements following the public's strong opposition to the
cross-strait service trade pact, according to a U.S.-China Economic and Security
Review Commission statement.
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China's
Rise and Its Domestic Issues
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Hong Kong Protests Reach Crossroads As Support
Declines (2014-11-17) (Wall
Street Journal, By Isabella Steger) The seven-week-old pro-democracy protests in
Hong Kong are at a crucial juncture amid falling public support and rising
expectations police will clear the protest sites and arrest the
protesters.
China Caps Big Week of Diplomacy (2014-11-17) (Wall
Street Journal, By Chun Han Wong) President Xi Jinping capped a whirlwind week
for Chinese diplomacy that showed a Beijing comfortable seeking middle ground
with wary rivals and neighbors. China's Gift-Bearing Evokes Ancient Ritual (2014-11-18) (Wall
Street Journal, By Andrew Browne) What the U.S. now fears is that recent Chinese
pledges of bounty for neighbors is part of an elaborate ruse to push America out
of East Asia and return the region to an ancient order in which China played the
role of a gift-bestowing hegemon. Fourth Plenum: Implications for China's Approach to International
Law and Politics (2014-11-20) (China
Brief 14(22), Jamestown Foundation, By Timothy Heath) The Fourth Plenum decision
also makes clear that upholding of international law is strongly influence by
how much those laws serve China’s strategic objectives. As an increasingly
powerful nation, China is finding the possibility of employing and shaping
international laws and institutions an attractive option for maximizing its
interests.
Executive
Editor: Dalton Lin
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