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Note
to Readers
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Dear readers,
For various reasons, the TSR server was down four times
in the past couple days, and the inaccessibility delayed the issue of the weekly
report of January 31, 2016. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
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South
China Sea Disputes
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Kerry Off to Asia to Address Maritime Disputes (2016-01-25) (AP,
By Matthew Lee) U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is pressing for peaceful
resolutions to increasingly tense maritime disputes in Asia and urging mainland
China to take a firmer stand on North Korea's nuclear program after its recent
bomb test. US, China Spar Over North Korea, South China Sea (2016-01-28) (AP,
By Matthew Lee and Christopher Bodeen) The United States and mainland China
sparred on how to deal with North Korea's latest nuclear weapons test and ease
rising tensions over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
Ma Visits Taiping, Asserts Nation's Claim (2016-01-29) (China
Post) In a statement made on arrival, Ma outlined the four main reasons for his
visit to the island, including: visiting Coast Guard personnel stationed on the
island before the Lunar New Year, presenting a roadmap to his South China Sea
Peace Initiative, proposing how Taiping Island could serve peaceful purposes and
clarifying the island's legal status. President's Visit to Taiping Island Necessary:
Scholars (2016-01-28) (CNA)
During his tenure, Ma has to affirm that the island is an inherent part of the
territory of Taiwan, said Alexander Huang, an assistant professor at Tamkang
University's Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic
Studies. ROC Should 'Do More' on Taiping Issue: US Scholar (2016-01-29) (CNA)
"My hope is that Taiwan will turn its occupation of Taiping Island, by far the
largest of the contested Spratly features, into a model for peaceful cooperation
with its neighbors that will embarrass Beijing into converting its artificial
islands to similarly peaceful cooperation with its neighbors," Jerome Cohen
wrote in an online magazine forum last December. To Fix the South China Sea, Look to Taiwan (2016-01-31) (The
National Interest, By Michael Mazza) Taiwan has been treated not as a coequal
claimant, but as a complication, despite the fact that Ma is perhaps the only
leader to have put forth a thoughtful—if difficult to enact—peace plan for the
region’s troubled waters. Tsai Ing-wen Backs ROC Sovereignty Over Taiping (2016-01-30) (CNA)
President-elect Tsai Ing-wen said that she has consistently insisted on the
Republic of China's sovereignty over Taiping Island, and she asked all parties
involved in the dispute to maintain peace and stability in the
region.
DPP Says Declined Island Invite Out of
Respect (2016-01-30) (Taipei
Times) Tsai Ing-wen said Ma remains the president under the Constitution and
that Taiwan has sovereignty over the island and disputes must be settled
peacefully.
1st Spratlys 'Resident' Asserts ROC Claim (2016-01-31) (China
Post) Chu Mei-ling— the first Taiwanese citizen to register her residence in the
Spratly Islands — has asserted the Republic of China's claim in the South China
Sea, the Coast Guard Administration said.
US Acknowledge President Ma's Road Map for Peace
Initiative (2016-01-30) (CNA)
The United States said that it appreciates the road map President Ma Ying-jeou
has devised for his South China Sea peace initiative, which urges all parties
concerned to be included in a mechanism for talks regarding South China Sea
affairs and to cooperate on a variety of issues. Unplanned Encounters in the South China Sea: Under
Control? (2016-01-25) (The
Diplomat, By Ankit Panda) The so-called Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea
(CUES) between the United States and China, among other states, governs
communications protocols for naval crews and is a proving to be a useful
mechanism between the U.S. and Chinese navies–certainly in the South China
Sea. US Destroyer Sails Near Triton in South China Sea (2016-01-31) (Reuters)
A US Navy guided-missile destroyer yesterday sailed within 12 nautical miles of
an island claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam in the South China Sea, in an
operation the Pentagon said was aimed at challenging efforts to restrict freedom
of navigation. China Strongly Condemns US for Sending Warship Near
Island (2016-01-31) (AP)
China strongly condemned the United States after a U.S. warship deliberately
sailed near one of the Beijing-controlled islands in the hotly contested South
China Sea to exercise freedom of navigation and challenge China's vast
territorial claims.
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Japan
Policy
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Taiwan Elections: An Opportunity for Japan? (2016-01-29) (The
Diplomat, By Chen Yo-Jung) Tokyo’s new proactive attitude on the sensitive
Taiwan issue can be linked to the changing geopolitical situation in the East
China Sea and South China Sea, as well as with Taiwan’s own subtle
transformation in its attitude towards China.
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U.S.
“Pivot” to Asia and Sino-U.S. Engagement
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Obama's Asia Engagement Architecture: A Framework on Which to
Build (2016-01-28) (The
Diplomat, By Brian Harding) Presidential attention has contributed to
substantial gains for the United States in Asia during the Obama administration
– a successful conclusion to the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations,
agreements for military access in Southeast Asia and Oceania, a historic climate
agreement with China, and new guidelines to modernize the U.S.-Japan alliance,
among others. These accomplishments leave a substantial legacy on which the next
U.S. president can build even deeper ties with the region. Needed: A Long Telegram from Beijing (2016-01-28) (The
Diplomat, By Francis P. Sempa) The United States needs an intellectual policy
debate similar to the one spurred by Kennan’s analysis in the Long Telegram and
“X” article. China’s rise, Europe’s decline, Russia’s revival, the proliferation
of nuclear weapons and delivery systems, the spread of Islamic radicalism, and
the relative shift in power from Europe to Asia present a challenge to what
Walter Russell Mead has called the Anglo-American maritime world order that has
broadly organized the global geopolitical environment since the end of the
Napoleonic Wars.
Does China Think America Is in Decline? (2016-01-28) (The
National Interest, By Lyle J. Goldstein) There was a time during the Cold War
when Americans probably understood China much better than Chinese understood
America. That time is long past. Today, no one should be surprised that there is
significant disagreement among Chinese experts concerning the admittedly complex
question of America’s future development.
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DPP
Searches for New China Stance; Cross-Strait Issues
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Policy Toward Taiwan 'unchanged,' Say the Mainland
Authorities (2016-01-27) (China
Post) Mainland China's Taiwan Affairs Office stated that policy toward the
island would remain "unchanged" following national elections leading to a
resounding Democratic Progressive Party victory on Jan.
16. Beijing Policy Toward ROC Remains Unchanged: Mainland
Official (2016-01-31) (CNA)
Zhang Zhijun, head of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said he hoped that in the
new year, cross-Taiwan Strait relations will continue to move forward along the
path of peaceful development based on the common political foundation of the
"1992 Consensus." Academic Urges Tsai Not Pick 'Easy Way' in Dealing with
China (2016-01-26) (CNA)
DPP lawmaker Huang Wei-che said his party, its previous leaders and Tsai herself
have moved from a staunchly pro-independence stance toward a "centrist" or more
moderate position, though its bottom line remains unchanged — that Taiwan is a
"sovereign and independent country." Tsai Ing-wen and Cross-Strait Tensions (2016-01-29) (The
Diplomat, By Michael Mazza) Assuming that Xi has no appetite for a full-blown
crisis – one that could draw the United States and Taiwan closer together – the
Chinese president will eventually have to deal Tsai Ing-wen.
Vice Premier Urges Tsai to Back China Trade
Pact (2016-01-30) (Taipei
Times) Vice Premier and soon-to-be premier Simon Chang said that president-elect
Tsai Ing-wen’s attitude would determine whether the negotiation for a
cross-strait trade in goods agreement could continue, calling on Tsai to
“recognize” the results so far achieved by the negotiation
team.
Nation Still Trying to Contact Beijing Through Hotline: Acting
Premier (2016-01-30) (CNA)
The hotline connecting officials in Taiwan and mainland China in charge of
bilateral relations is still in place, and efforts continue to be made to reach
the head of the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing, Acting Premier Simon Chang
said.
Not Giving Chinese Students Health Coverage Uncivilized: President
Ma (2016-01-30) (CNA)
President Ma Ying-jeou said that exchanges of students between Taiwan and
mainland China contributed to peace in the area, and he lamented that mainland
students studying in Taiwan are still not covered under Taiwan's national health
insurance program. Number of Overseas Students Hits 110,000 Last Year:
MOE (2016-01-31) (CNA)
The number of foreign students rose by 16,537 last year to reach 110,182, and
the MOE attributed it mainly to an increase of 7,000 Chinese students in Taiwan
last year.
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PLA
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Can China Copy the U.S. Marine Corps? (2016-01-29) (The
National Interest, By Grant Newsham and Koh Swee Lean Collin) In recent years
the PLAMC is not merely maintaining its readiness to mount an amphibious
invasion across the Taiwan Strait (or conduct other operations in the context of
the East and South China Sea disputes). Rather, it is bulking up in order to
give the Chinese political leadership another flexible tool for responding to
contingencies not just within China’s immediate East Asian region, but also
beyond.
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Taiwan's
Domestic Issues and Foreign Relations
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President Appoints Simon Chang New Premier (2016-01-26) (China
Post) President Ma Ying-jeou appointed Vice Premier Simon Chang to head the
Executive Yuan, more than a week after his predecessor Mao Chi-kuo resigned
following national elections on Jan. 16.
Respect New Caretaker Cabinet: Tsai (2016-01-27) (China
Post) Gearing up for the new legislative session next week, President-elect and
Democratic Progressive Party Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen called for respect of the
caretaker government and the outcome of the DPP's speakership election at a
party caucus meeting. New President Faces Big Economic Issues: Expert (2016-01-27) (Taipei
Times) An academic said the next president would face four major economic
difficulties: “adjustments to the industrial structure”; “regional economic
integration”; “development of domestic demand”; and “real-wage
increases.”
Local Economic Growth in 2015 Lowest in 6
Years (2016-01-30) (China
Post) On the back of worse-than-expected exports and domestic consumption, the
government tuned down Taiwan's 2015 GDP growth to 0.85 percent, the lowest
figure in six years. Gov't to Promote TPP Bid 'According to Schedule' (2016-01-30) (CNA)
Acting Premier Simon Chang said that government agencies must submit on schedule
by the end of March a first batch of legal amendments needed to facilitate
Taiwan's entry into the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership trade
bloc.
Senate Bill Urges Interpol Participation for
Taiwan (2016-01-30) (Taipei
Times, By William Lowther) The top Democrat in the US Senate committee called
for ‘quick’ action and said the Department of State backs Taiwan for observer
status.
US Envoy for Human and LGBTI Rights Set to Visit (2016-01-30) (CNA)
Randy Berry, the special United States envoy for the human rights of lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex persons, is scheduled to visit Taiwan
from Sunday, according to the American Institute in Taiwan.
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China's
Rise and Its Domestic Issues
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The Key to Understanding China's Economy: Its
Politics (2016-01-25) (The
National Interest, By Elizabeth C. Economy) None of this is to say that economic
reform in China won’t happen. But it will reflect all the messy and painful
politics that plague any country trying to overhaul its economy, and then
some.
Inquiry in China Adds to Doubt Over Reliability of Its Economic
Data (2016-01-27) (New
York Times, By Keith Bradsher) The veracity of China’s economic data has been
increasingly questioned as the slowing pace of the country’s growth has startled
the world. And a new investigation into the official who oversees the numbers is
unlikely to inspire confidence. The Dollars and Cents of China's Superpower
Fortunes (2016-01-31) (The
National Interest, By Kyle Churchman) Johns Hopkins sociology professor Ho-fang
Hung argues that China cannot escape this so-called “dollar trap” given its
equities in the current system, and thus will not seek to challenge the United
States geopolitically. Currency War: U.S. Hedge Funds Mount New Attacks on China's
Yuan (2016-01-31) (Wall
Street Journal, By Juliet Chung and Carolyn Cui) Some of the biggest names in
the hedge-fund industry are piling up bets against China’s currency, setting up
a showdown between Wall Street and the leaders of the world’s second-largest
economy.
In Book, Xi Jinping Taints Ousted Rivals with Talk of
Plots (2016-01-28) (New
York Times, By Didi Kirsten Tatlow) The reveal of a book containing the first
public and official declaration by President Xi Jinping of “political plot
activities” by senior Communist Party officials “to wreck and split the party” —
code words for a coup attempt, was a signal that the challenge was over, that
the party had agreed on what happened and that Mr. Xi wanted people to know that
he had overcome his adversaries. Memory and History: Forging China's Identity (2016-01-27) (The
Diplomat, By Mercy A. Kuo and Angelica O. Tang) China needs to think about what
the post-war experience meant in Asia. In large part, it was a period of
consolidation of nation-states. By supporting the development of a region of
strong, cooperative neighbors, China would be better able to create a regional
order that would serve its interests in peace and stability. Contact:
Dalton Lin, Executive Editor
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