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| South
China Sea Disputes
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Philippines Voices China Alarm As US War Games
Begin (2015-04-21)
(AP)
The Philippines voiced concerns about Chinese “aggressiveness” in disputed
regional waters as it launched giant war games with the US that were partly
aimed as a warning shot to Beijing.
Southeast Asia Divided on Response to Chinese Reclamation in South
China Sea (2015-04-26)
(Wall
Street Journal, By Ben Otto and Jason Ng) The Philippines pushed Southeast Asian
neighbors Sunday to take a stand against China’s expanding footprint in the
South China Sea, but Malaysia downplayed the urgency at a summit of the region’s
trade and security bloc.
Confirmed: Taiwan to Start New South China Sea
Patrols (2015-04-22)
(The
Diplomat, By Prashanth Parameswaran) On April 20, Taiwan’s defense ministry
reportedly confirmed for the first time that the country will dispatch P-3C
Orion maritime patrol aircraft on surveillance missions in its claimed territory
within the disputed South China Sea.
A Big Deal: China Reveals Its South China Sea
Strategy (2015-04-24)
(The
National Interest, By Bonnie S. Glaser) For the first time, the Chinese
government has officially acknowledged that its land reclamation activity is
intended at least in part for military purposes.
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| Diaoyutai
Disputes Resurface and Japan Policy
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Xi Jinping of China and Shinzo Abe of Japan Meet amid Slight Thaw
in Ties (2015-04-23)
(New
York Times, By Jane Perlez) China’s president, Xi Jinping, and Japan’s prime
minister, Shinzo Abe, met in Indonesia, a signal of a continued slight warming
in relations that still remain frosty between Asia’s two biggest
economies.
Japan Ministers Visit War Shrine (2015-04-24)
(AFP)
Just hours after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sat down for his first
substantial talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three of his Cabinet
ministers visited the war shrine that Beijing sees as a symbol of Tokyo’s
violent past.
The Japan Dilemma: Asia's Next Geopolitical
Nightmare? (2015-04-26)
(The
National Interests, By Ted Galen Carpenter) Washington may end up with a more
assertive ally that antagonizes China, South Korea, and perhaps other
neighboring states but continues to depend on the United States to achieve its
enhanced ambitions.
Where Does Obama Stand On Japan? (2015-04-27)
(Wall
Street Journal, By Michael Auslin) Washington has yet to think about how it can
both integrate its efforts into Japan’s and support Tokyo’s bid for regional
leadership.
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| U.S.
“Pivot” to Asia and Sino-U.S. Engagement
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The New US
Maritime Strategy--Implications for “Maritime Asia” (2015-04-14)
(PacNet
#24, Pacific Forum, CSIS, By Abjijit Singh) It is Washington’s willingness to
articulate a strategy that identifies Chinese assertiveness as a threat that is
most refreshing, especially since earlier documents sought to tip-toe around the
contentious subject.
Pentagon Announces New Strategy for
Cyberwarfare (2015-04-24)
(New
York Times, By David E. Sanger) The Pentagon took a major step designed to
instill a measure of fear in potential cyberadversaries, releasing a new
strategy that for the first time explicitly discusses the circumstances under
which cyberweapons could be used against an attacker, and naming the countries
it says present the greatest threat: China, Russia, Iran and North
Korea.
US Seeks Access to Philippine Bases As Part of Asia
‘Pivot’ (2015-04-27)
(Reuters)
The US has asked for access to Philippine military bases in eight locations to
rotate troops, aircraft and ships as Washington shifts its forces to Asia and
China expands its military presence in the South China Sea.
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| Military
Balance and Arms Sales
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The Harsh Reality That Taiwan Faces (2015-04-15)
(Strait
Times, By Hugh White) Taiwan and its friends and admirers everywhere have to
think very carefully about how to handle the dangerous period that lies ahead
and to consider what is ultimately in the best interest of the Taiwanese people,
as well as the rest of us. The conclusions will be uncomfortable, but
inescapable.
Don't Let China Swallow Taiwan (2015-04-23)
(The
National Interest, By J. Michael Cole) Luckily for Taiwan, the virtues and
defensibility of its democracy aren’t the only arguments in its favor. In the
Realists’ playbook, there is every reason for making sure that Taiwan does not
fall under Beijing’s—and PLA—control.
US Holds Key to Taiwan's Role in RIMPAC:
Ministry (2015-04-21)
(Taipei
Times) A Ministry of Defense official said talks are under way between the navy
and its US counterpart on the use of the Code for Unplanned Encounters at
Sea.
China's Russian Missiles Will Not Deter US:
Analyst (2015-04-22)
(Taipei
Times, By William Lowther) Russia’s S-400 system is not enough to stop the US
from coming to Taiwan’s aid — if Washington makes that decision — and the US
already has classified countermeasures for dealing with it, Global Security
think tank director John Pike said.
Beijing ‘Too Passive’ Over Taiwan: Chinese
Analysts (2015-04-25)
(Taipei
Times, By William Lowther) Many Chinese foreign policy analysts now believe that
Beijing has been too “accommodating and passive” in dealing with US support for
Taiwan, a new Washington diplomatic study says.
Public Supports Compulsory Military Service:
Survey (2015-04-21)
(Taipei
Times) Most of the Taiwanese public favors a return to compulsory military
service, said a recent opinion poll conducted by the Academia Sinica.
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| Taiwan's
Domestic Issues and Foreign Relations
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Taiwan Mood Barometer
Survey, First Half of April 2015 (2015-04-13)
(TISR)
President Ma Ying-jeou's approval rating fell 1.6 percentage points over the
first ten days of April, according to the latest Taiwan Mood
Barometer Survey (in
Chinese).
Taiwan's Latest Bone of Contention: The Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank (2015-04-24)
(Foreign
Policy Research Institute, By Shelley Rigger) Remaining outside the AIIB was
likely not a viable choice for Taiwan, which seeks to participate in as many
regional and international organizations as possible. Still, the way the
decision was made and communicated reinforced the Ma administration’s reputation
for hasty, top-down decision-making.
US Won't Poke Around in Next Ballot: Advisor (2015-04-24)
(Taipei
Times, By William Lowther) It is “highly unlikely” that the US will favor a
candidate in Taiwan’s presidential election next year, senior adviser for Asia
at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Bonnie Glaser told a
Washington conference.
Students Query AIT Director on US Policy on
China (2015-04-23)
(Taipei
Times) AIT Director Christopher Marut reiterated Washington’s stand, but said
the younger generation should not be discouraged and should look forward because
“being part of the process of speaking out” brings about
changes.
US Backs Taiwan in Interpo: Official (2015-04-25)
(Taipei
Times) US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Daniel Russel said the US
supports observer status. He said it was too soon to talk about TPP phase
2.
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| China's
Rise and Its Domestic Issues
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At Global Economic Gathering, U.S. Primacy Is Seen As
Ebbing (2015-04-18)
(New
York Times, By Jonathan Weisman) Economists and political leaders see an
American government so bitterly divided that it is on the verge of deserting the
global economic stage it has commanded since the end of World War
II.
Japan Must Join China's Bank (2015-04-23)
(New
York Times, By Yoichi Funabashi) The case for Japan joining the A.I.I.B. is
simple and strong. By distributing financial assistance to states in the
Asia-Pacific, the bank will inevitably help shape the region’s future economic
architecture, as well as, implicitly, its security relations. Japan has a major
strategic interest in participating.
Nearly Half of
Taiwanese See China's Rise as Bad for Taiwan (2015-04-13)
(TISR)
Nearly half of Taiwanese believe that China becoming a world power would be bad
for the future of Taiwan's economy and for the country's future in general,
according to the latest Taiwan Mood
Barometer Survey (in
Chinese).
IBM Venture with China Stirs Concerns (2015-04-20)
(New
York Times, By Paul Mozur) IBM’s partnership with Teamsun, a Beijing company, to
provide key technologies is similar to ones it has made elsewhere, but it has
collided with political and trade issues.
Hong Kong Presents Plan for Elections, Offering Little to
Democrats (2015-04-23)
(New
York Times, By Chris Buckley and Alan Wong) The Hong Kong government offered
only minor changes to an election overhaul plan that set off months of
pro-democracy demonstrations last year.
Contact:
Dalton Lin, Executive Editor
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