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| South
China Sea Disputes and Other Regional Issues
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Threat to Spratlys Outposts ‘Growing’ (2014-12-26)
(Taipei
Times) The nation’s military outpost on the disputed Spratly Islands in the
South China Sea is being threatened by the latest deployment of mobile missiles
and artillery guns on nearby islands held by China and Vietnam, according to a
new report submitted to the Control Yuan.
New ‘Tuo Jiang’ Corvette Beefs Up Naval Firepower (2014-12-27)
(Taipei
Times) Senior naval officials hinted earlier this week that the new-generation
Tuo Jiang-class corvette could be dispatched to beef up security measures around
the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea if the need
arises.
Time to End the North Korean Threat (2014-12-23)
(Wall
Street Journal, By Richard N. Haass) What needs doing? The priority must be to
persuade China that the demise of North Korea need not be something to fear.
Washington and Beijing should convene talks about how they could manage
scenarios, including North Korean collapse and aggression.
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| Diaoyutai
Disputes Resurface
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China Building a Military Base near Diaoyutais (2014-12-23)
(Bloomberg)
Kyodo News reported that several landing strips have been paved on the main
Nanji Island, about 300km from the Diaoyutai Islands.
The China-Japan Detente Examined Through the Soviet
Prism (2014-12-26)
(The
Diplomat, By Miguel Oropeza De Cortéz-Caballero) Xi and his inner circle may
view last month’s shift not as stemming from the realities of economic
interdependence and skillful diplomacy but from a Japanese realization that
accommodations are needed for a rapidly growing China.
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| DPP
Searches for New China Stance; Cross-Strait Issues
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MAC Says No Big Changes in Cross-Strait Policy (2014-12-23)
(CNA)
The general direction for Taiwan's policies on China will remain unchanged
despite the ruling party's devastating loss in last month's elections, according
to the head of the Mainland Affairs Council.
Council Rebuts Ko's Criticism of ‘1992 Consensus’ (2014-12-25)
(Taipei
Times) MAC Minister Wang Yu-chi lashed out at Taipei mayor-elect Ko Wen-je for
saying that the “1992 consensus” is outdated and that new ideas are needed to
conduct cross-strait exchanges.
Ma Blames China for FTA Gap (2014-12-28)
(Taipei
Times) President Ma Ying-jeou attributed the nation’s lagging behind South Korea
and Singapore in signing free-trade agreements to obstruction from
China.
Loss by Taiwan's Governing Party Raises Fears That Ties with China
Will Sour (2014-12-27)
(New
York Times, By Austin Ramzy) A recent defeat of Taiwan’s pro-China governing
party in local elections has raised expectations that the pro-independence
opposition could win the next national election, increasing concerns about a
return to the bitterness that previously defined the cross-strait
relationship.
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| Military
Balance and Arms Sales
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New Corvette Joins the ROC Navy (2014-12-24)
(China
Post) Taiwan's defense minister announced that the R.O.C. Navy has entered a new
page in self-defense capability as it welcomes the nation's first locally built
stealth missile corvette, the Tuo Chiang.
US Moots ‘Guerrilla’ Defense Strategy (2014-12-24)
(Taipei
Times, By William Lowther) A Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments
report said the nation would be better served buying miniature submarines rather
than diesel-electric subs.
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| Taiwan's
Domestic Issues and Foreign Relations
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Taiwan Mood Barometer
Survey, Second Half of December 2014 (2014-12-26)
(TISR)
President Ma Ying-jeou's approval rating dropped 1.2 percentage points during
the second half of December, according to the latestTaiwan Mood
Barometer Survey (in
Chinese).
Chu Proposes Referendum on Constitution in
2016 (2014-12-22)
(CNA)
New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu reiterated a proposal that would put a possible
constitutional amendment on improving government accountability to a referendum
in 2016 in tandem with a national election.
Challenges
Ahead for All: Ko, the DPP, the KMT, the US, and China (2014-12-22)
(PacNet
#90, Pacific Forum, CSIS, By Bill Sharp) To capture the presidency in 2016, the
DPP not only needs to govern at the local level, but it also must create an
economic policy that will pump life back into the hollowed out Taiwan economy
created by the KMT.
US Praises Taiwan Success in '14 (2014-12-24)
(China
Post) The United States government praised Taiwan's major contributions to the
international community over the past year, adding that it is looking forward to
continued bilateral relations on various fronts in 2015.
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| China's
Rise and Its Domestic Issues
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China's Big Diplomacy Shift (2014-12-22)
(The
Diplomat, By Timothy Heath) China’s decision to elevate in priority its
relationship with its neighbors over that with the United States and other great
powers suggests that over time, China may grow even less tolerant of Western
interference in PRC interests and more confident in consolidating control of its
core interests and pressing demands to reform the international
order.
Party Opens an Inquiry into a Onetime Aide to China's
Ex-Leader (2014-12-23)
(New
York Times, By Andrew Jacobs, Chris Buckley, and Michael Forsythe) The Communist
Party has begun an investigation of a top aide to former President Hu Jintao,
demonstrating the lengths to which President Xi Jinping is willing to go in his
campaign to root out official corruption in China.
Executive
Editor: Dalton Lin
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