Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Monday, 21 December 2015

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2015-12-21 | NO.19(51) epaper |
South China Sea Disputes
U.S. Navy Commander Implies China Has Eroded Safety of South China Sea (2015-12-16)
(New York Times, By Jane Perlez) A senior American naval commander has implicitly accused China of creating “so-called military zones” close to artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea, declaring that such actions are eroding the security of one of the world’s busiest waterways.
Beijing Blasts US for Military ‘Prod’ (2015-12-20)
(AP) China accused the US of committing a “serious military provocation” by flying a US Air Force B-52 strategic bomber over a Chinese-controlled artificial island in the South China Sea.

Ma Taiping Visit Could Cause Tension: Former US Official (2015-12-18)
(China Post) "(The trip) will send the wrong signal to the region at the wrong time" and will set an "unhelpful precedent as the first leader of the claimants to visit an outpost in nearly a decade," Evan S. Medeiros, former senior director for Asian affairs under the White House's National Security Council, said.
Randall Schriver Praises President's Diplomatic Efforts (2015-12-16)
(CNA) Former US deputy assistant secretary of state for Asia Randall Schriver praised a fisheries agreement signed between Taiwan and the Philippines as a result of President Ma Ying-jeou’s “pragmatic and creative” diplomacy.
US Representatives Hail S China Sea Initiatives (2015-12-20)
(CNA) Six US House of Representatives members expressed support for Taiwan’s South China Sea initiatives, including a peace proposal and efforts to make Itu Aba Island a hub for humanitarian assistance and scientific research.
China Touts Week of War Games in South China Sea (2015-12-19)
(Reuters) China’s military carried out war games in the disputed South China Sea this week, with warships, submarines and fighter jets simulating cruise missile strikes on ships, the official People’s Liberation Army Daily said.
U.S. “Pivot” to Asia and Sino-U.S. Engagement
Singapore Calls for More Inclusive Asian Security Order Amid China's Rise (2015-12-17)
(The Diplomat, By Prashanth Parameswaran) Singapore’s defense minister told a forum in Washington, D.C. last week that a new accommodation needed to be found between the United States and other rising powers like China as part of a more inclusive security architecture for the Asia-Pacific.

An Insider's View of Chinese-Russian Relations: How China Sees Russia (2015-12-19)
(Foreign Affairs, By Fu Ying) The United States and its allies might interpret closer ties between China and Russia as evidence of a proto-alliance that intends to disrupt or challenge the U.S.-led world order. But from the Chinese perspective, the tripartite relationship should not be considered a game in which two players ally against a third. The sound development of Chinese-Russian relations is not intended to harm the United States, nor should Washington seek to influence it.
DPP Searches for New China Stance; Cross-Strait Issues
DPP Committed to Maintaining Stable Cross-Strait Ties, Says Tsai (2015-12-17)
(CNA) Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of the DPP and its presidential candidate, told a former U.S. White House official that the party is committed to economic development and stable cross-Taiwan Strait relations.
Taiwan's January 2016 Elections and Their Implications for Relations with China and the United States (2015-12-17)
(Brookings, By Richard C. Bush III) The main variable setting the level of tension and danger has repeatedly been presidential elections in Taiwan, because they produce new leaders, and often, new policies towards China.

Tsai, Chu Oppose SPIL Share Sale Plan
 (2015-12-16)
(Taipei Times) The presidential rivals agreed that allowing Chinese investment in Taiwan’s semiconductor industry would damage national interests and competitiveness.

China IC Investment Ban Proposed by DPP (2015-12-19)
(China Post) Triggered by concerns of mainland Chinese investment into local semiconductor industries, the Legislative Yuan proposed a resolution banning such actions indefinitely.
PLA, Military Balance and Arms Sales
China Criticizes Expected US Arms Sale to Taiwan (2015-12-16)
(AP) China has strongly criticized an expected U.S. arms sale to Taiwan, saying it should be canceled to avoid harming relations between Taipei and Beijing.

Arms Sale Threatens China Exchanges (2015-12-16)
(Taipei Times, By William Lowther) China might temporarily shut down or limit its military exchange program with the US if Washington announces new arms sales to Taiwan later this week, a media report said.

US Approves New Taiwan Arms Sale Package Worth $1.83 Billion (2015-12-17)
(The Diplomat, By Prashanth Parameswaran) Today, the Obama administration notified Congress of a new $1.83 billion arms sale package for Taiwan.
US Arms Sale Proves Good Ties: Ministry (2015-12-18)
(CNA) Taiwan has welcomed the latest arms sales package announced by the US, with both the Presidential Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying that it highlights the fact that Taiwan-US relations have never been better.
Parties Welcome Arms Sale (2015-12-18)
(Taipei Times) Both the KMT and the DPP welcomed the US’ announcement on arms sales to Taiwan.
Newest Arms Sales Reflect US Trust in Taiwan, Says Analysts (2015-12-18)
(CNA) Taiwanese defense analysts said Thursday that the new package of U.S. arms sales reflect that the U.S. administration trusts Taiwan, because the highly sensitive Stinger shoulder fired missiles, once under strict export restrictions, were included.
China Protests Sale of U.S. Arms to Taiwan (2015-12-18)
(New York Times, By Michael Forsythe) Evan S. Medeiros, who until this year was the top official overseeing Asia at the National Security Council, said that the timing of the sale, coming before next month’s presidential elections in Taiwan, helped to reduce the diplomatic fallout.
On Taiwan Arms Sales, China's Bark May Be Worse Than Its Bite (2015-12-20)
(The Diplomat, By Shannon Tiezzi) The proposed sanctions on U.S. companies are interesting, as it provides a new lever for Beijing to pull when responding to these arms sales. But Beijing has made the sanctions threat before and not followed through.
The Mind Games Behind Obama Arming Taiwan (2015-12-18)
(The National Interest, By Patrick M. Cronin and Harry Krejsa) If Taiwan's next administration is able to demonstrate that Taiwan is committed to the difficult choices necessary to protect everything their experiment in culturally Chinese democracy has built, they will continue to find a stalwart partner in the United States.
Ministry Confirms PLAN Maneuvers around Taiwan (2015-12-17)
(Taipei Times) Ministry of National Defense officials confirmed that a Chinese naval fleet, which in recent days has been training in the South China Sea, traveled through the Miyako Strait, off Okinawa, then headed south through international waters to the east of Taiwan.
Understanding PLA Reforms (2015-12-15)
(PacNet #85, Pacific Forum, CSIS, By Loro Horta) Chinese state media has been replete with articles reporting resistance from the military to the reforms. The fact that state-controlled media has reported this dissatisfaction suggests significant resistance from the PLA. Why is Xi so determined to carry out these reforms?
At U.N., China Tries to Influence Fight Over Internet Control (2015-12-17)
(New York Times, By Dan Levin) In China’s view, Internet sovereignty justifies the tangle of controls used to monitor its more than 640 million Internet users and restrict what they see and say online with a system known as the Great Firewall that blocks thousands of foreign websites.
Xi Jinping Calls for ‘United Front’ to Control Cyberspace (2015-12-17)
(Reuters) Chinese President Xi Jinping laid out his vision for the Internet, calling for a new “status quo” where Internet sovereignty rests in the hands of nations controlling the flow of information.
Use By Iraqi Military May Be a Boon for China-Made Drones (2015-12-18)
(New York Times, By Patrick Boehler and Gerry Doyle) According to footage released by the Iraqi armed forces, soldiers used the Chinese drone on Dec. 6 to destroy an ISIS position amid efforts to retake the city of Ramadi.
China Deploys First Nuclear Deterrence Patrol (2015-12-19)
(The Diplomat, By Benjamin David Baker) According to IHS Jane’s, U.S. military officials confirmed that the People’s Liberation Army Navy has deployed a Type-094 Jin-class nuclear-powered ballistic submarine on a nuclear deterrence patrol.
Taiwan's Domestic Issues and Foreign Relations
Central Bank Cuts Interest Rates to Boost Economy (2015-12-18)
(China Post) In a bid to add momentum to the nation's economy, Taiwan's Central Bank decided on Thursday to lower interest rates by 0.125 percentage points.

Diplomatic Access: Taiwan (2015-12-17)
(The Diplomat) In this interview, His Excellency Lyushun Shen, Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S., discusses Taiwan’s role in the world and the Asia-Pacific, and its relations with the United States and mainland China.
China's Rise and Its Domestic Issues
Inclusion of Yuan in SDR Matters (2015-12-19)
(Project Syndicate, By Zhang Jun) China’s leaders anticipate that, in the longer term, the yuan’s inclusion in the SDR basket would help to bring about the currency’s steady appreciation and, by serving as a kind of certification of credibility, support its continued internationalization.

Contact: Dalton Lin, Executive Editor
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