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Editorial Page
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A Stable Squeeze: How
Beijing Hopes to Exert Economic Pressure on Taiwan without Killing Trade
Ties
Beijing
may still believe that stable economic ties with Taiwan serve China’s grand
objective of unification, but that does not mean that Taiwan’s new
administration will experience smooth sailing on the economic front and will be
able to implement its economic policies unimpeded by Beijing. To the contrary,
there are at least two areas where the Chinese government is bound to squeeze
Taiwan economically in order to win political concessions from Taipei and
maintain China’s enormous economic leverage over Taiwan
－Kristian McGuire,
TSR Associate Editor
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| South
China Sea Disputes
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Europeans Push Back Against Beijing in the South China
Sea (2016-06-06)
(Foreign
Policy, By Keith Johnson and Dan de Luce) France has thrown its hat into the
acrimonious South China Sea debate, calling for more European naval patrols in a
contested waterway that is at the center of a growing dispute between China and
the United States and its Asian allies.
France Leads Europe's Changing Approach to Asian Security
Issues (2016-06-11)
(The
Diplomat, By Valérie Niquet) One of the major issues for the international
community, including the European Union, is China’s strongly asserted refusal of
any constraints resulting from the international agreements that Beijing has
ratified. This is the case with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
and the upcoming decision on the Philippine-China arbitration case. Admiral Sun
Jianguo’s claim that China will not bear with the arbitration rule is
particularly worrying.
Responding to Coast Guard Expansion in the South China
Sea (2016-06-09)
(Council
on Foreign Relations, By Aaron Picozzi and Lincoln Davidson) Lots of ink has
been spilled about how China’s reclamation activities “change facts on the
ground,” but Chinese Coast Guard activities do at least as much to alter the
reality in the South China Sea. When the Chinese Coast Guard threatens or
actually uses force to enforce Chinese law within areas that Zhongnanhai claims
are their waters, they are effecting functional control of the
region.
Taipei Would Not Comply With ADIZ, Minister
Says (2016-06-07)
(Taipei
Times/CNA) Over reports that Beijing plans to establish an air defense
identification zone (ADIZ) over the South China Sea, Minister of National
Defense Feng Shih-kuan said Taiwan would not recognize or comply with the ADIZ,
just as it does not recognize or comply with the ADIZ that China established
over the East China Sea, two years prior.
Ammunition Supplies Bound For Taiping (2016-06-07)
(China
Post, By Yuan-Ming Chiao) Defense Minister Feng Shih-kuan confirmed that 40,000
rounds of ammunition are bound for the R.O.C. administered Taiping Island in the
South China Sea. This re-supply will be facilitated by the Navy to the Coast
Guard units stationed on the island.
Taiwan Assures US That Defense Chief's Ammo Claim Is
Untrue (2016-06-09)
(China
Post, By Joseph Yeh) Foreign Minister David Lee assures that the R.O.C. has
contacted the U.S. to clear up concerns after National Defense Minister Feng
Shih-kuan stated that ammunitions would be sent to Taiwan-controlled Taiping
Island in the South China Sea. Minister Feng clarified his comments, saying the
ammunitions are actually bound for the Pratas Islands.
Gov't Dismisses Talk of Taiwan-Philippines Fishing Rights
Accord (2016-06-12)
(China
Post) The government has dismissed rumors that Taiwan and the Philippines have
struck an agreement to allow Taiwanese fishing boats to operate in Philippine
waters.
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| East
China Sea Disputes and Japan Policy
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Chinese Jets Intercept U.S. Spy Plane Over East China
Sea (2016-06-08)
(Wall
Street Journal, By Jeremy Page and Gordon Lubold) A Chinese jet fighter
conducted an “unsafe” intercept of a U.S. spy plane in international airspace
over the East China Sea, the U.S. Pacific Command said, in the second such
midair encounter in a month.
Japan Summons Chinese Envoy After Naval Ship Nears Disputed
Islands (2016-06-10)
(New
York Times, By Jonathan Soble) China sent a warship for the first time on
Thursday into disputed waters near a group of Japanese-controlled islands in the
East China Sea, the Japanese government said.
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| U.S.
“Pivot” to Asia and Sino-U.S. Engagement
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U.S. Says China's Industrial Glut Disrupts Global
Markets (2016-06-06)
(Wall
Street Journal, By Lingling Wei and Felicia Schwartz) High-level talks meant to
steady often fractious U.S.-China relations are instead showing the limits of
cooperation in one of the Obama administration’s last major negotiations with
Beijing.
China’s Xi Calls For More Trust As Talks With US
Commence (2016-06-07)
(Taipei
Times/ AFP) Chinese President Xi Jinping called for greater trust between
Beijing and Washington, as the two countries kick off the US-China Strategic and
Economic Dialogue.
Can the US–China Strategic and Economic Dialogue do anything about
the South China Sea? (2016-06-09)
(The
Strategist, By Feng Zhang) That the SED hasn’t been able to achieve anything
over the South China Sea says less about the institution itself than about the
seriousness of US–China differences over maritime security in the Western
Pacific.
The Thucydides Trap: Are the U.S. and China Headed for
War? (2015-09-24)
(The
Atlantic, By Graham Allison) The preeminent geostrategic challenge of this era
is not violent Islamic extremists or a resurgent Russia. It is the impact that
China’s ascendance will have on the U.S.-led international order. As Singapore’s
late leader, Lee Kuan Yew, observed, “the size of China’s displacement of the
world balance is such that the world must find a new balance. It is not possible
to pretend that this is just another big player. This is the biggest player in
the history of the world.”
Remarks at U.S. Naval Academy Commencement As Delivered by
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, Annapolis, Maryland, May 27,
2016 (2016-05-27)
(DoD,
By Ash Carter) A model like that is out of step with where the region wants to
go, and it’s counterproductive – it’s far from a “win-win.” The result is that
China’s actions could erect a Great Wall of self-isolation, as countries across
the region – allies, partners, and the unaligned – are voicing concerns publicly
and privately, at the highest levels, in regional meetings, and global fora.
Such a model reflects the region’s distant past, rather than the principled
future we all want for the Asia-Pacific.
China's Perspective on the US-Vietnam
Rapprochement (2016-06-06)
(PacNet
#48A, Pacific Forum, CSIS, By Yun Sun) Beijing is generally concerned about the
deterioration of relations with Southeast Asian countries and identifies the US
rebalance strategy as a fundamental factor undermining these relations. However,
in the case of Vietnam, China’s assessment is more complicated. On the one hand,
China sees real reasons for worry about the development of US-Vietnam relations.
However, on the other hand, China sees a number of constraints to cooperation
between Washington and Hanoi.
Survey on America's Role in
the Asia-Pacific (2016-06-12)
The
United States Studies Center at the University of Sydney and its partner
institutions in the Asian Research Network have published their findings from a
survey of public perceptions in Asia of the role of the U.S. in the
region.
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| DPP
Searches for New China Stance; Cross-Strait Issues
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Bureau Suggests ‘Bridge of Mutual Trust’ with
China (2016-06-06)
(Taipei
Times/CNA) Taipei and Beijing, deadlocked over the so-called “1992 consensus,”
are testing each other’s bottom lines with regard to the political foundation of
their bilateral relations, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said, suggesting
that Taiwan should keep communicating with its rival and try to build a bridge
of mutual trust.
Actions Are What Count in Cross-strait Relations:
ARATS (2016-06-11)
(China
Post, By Yuan-Ming Chiao) The head of the mainland's semi-official Association
for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) stated Friday in Beijing that
observation of Taiwan's new government should focus on its actions rather merely
on its words.
"NT$3.4 billion loss" if Mainland Bars Students (2016-06-09)
(China
Post, By Christine Chou) Taiwan could lose nearly NT$3.4 billion every year if
Beijing bars mainland students from studying in local schools, Kuomintang (KMT)
lawmaker John Wu said Wednesday.
Beijing to Cut Taiwan-bound Tourists in 3 Stages (2016-06-11)
(China
Post) The Beijing authorities reportedly plan to reduce the number of
Taiwan-bound Chinese tourists in three stages by the end of the year, and the
total number of tourist arrivals from mainland China is estimated to fall to
under 2 million in 2016, down sharply from the 3.85 million arrivals recorded in
2015, the Chinese-language United Evening News reported on
Friday.
Caught Between China and Taiwan, and Leaning Toward
China (2016-06-08)
(New
York Times, By Michael Forsythe) These smaller islands are at a crossroads,
borne out by the complicated interplay among the locals, the government in the
Taiwanese capital, Taipei, and the mainland.
KMT Vows to Keep Pushing for Peace in the Taiwan
Strait (2016-06-11)
(Taipei
Times, By Alison Hsiao) The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) will continue to be
a “second-track” mechanism for cross-strait peace, KMT Vice Chairman Hau
Lung-bin said yesterday as he attended the fifth Yunnan-Taiwan Economic and
Cultural Exchange Seminar in China.
Ma’s Planned Trip A ‘Difficult Issue’ (2016-06-07)
(Taipei
Times, By Stacy Hsu) Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Lin Cheng-yi
explained that the approval process regarding President Ma’s application is a
highly ‘difficult issue’ requiring political judgement. He also promised that
the application is being deliberated in accordance with the National Security
Information Protection Act.
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| Military
Balance and Arms Sales
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Increase Defense Budget to 3% of GDP: McCain (2016-06-06)
(China
Post) President Tsai Ing-wen received U.S. Senator John McCain on Sunday, with
the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee chairman suggesting that Taiwan
increase its national defense spending to 3 percent of the
GDP.
Boost to Defense Spending ‘Important’ (2016-06-11)
(Taipei
Times, By William Lowther) It is “very important” for Taiwan to increase its
defense spending, a key US Congressional staff member told a Heritage Foundation
discussion on Thursday.
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| Taiwan's
Domestic Issues and Foreign Relations
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Party Identification
in May 2016 (2016-06-09)
In
a poll conducted by Taiwan
Indicators Survey Research in
May 2016, 19.8% of respondents indicated support for the Kuomintang (KMT), while
29.5% of respondents indicated support for the Democratic Progressive Party
(DPP).
Survey Results on
Assessments of Major Political Parties (2016-06-10)
Survey
data from
Taiwan Indicators Survey Research tracks respondents' views of the Kuomintang
(KMT), Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
on a 0-100 scale. In the attached graph, blue represents the KMT, green
represents the DPP, and red represents the CCP. An average score above 50
represents a positive assessment, while an average score below 50 represents a
negative assessment.
Behind the US Pork Protest: What's Eating Taiwan's Swine
Industry (2016-06-06)
(China
Post, By Enru Lin) Even without a change to the ractopamine ban, Taiwan's pork
industry is struggling.
Stock Exchange Says It Supports Tsai government's 'New Southward
Policy' (2016-06-06)
(Taipei
Times/CNA) The Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE), which operates the local main
board, has showed its support for the government's "new southward policy,"
urging local enterprises to cultivate their own talent to explore the booming
Southeast Asian and Indian markets.
Government Considers Visa Privileges For Tourists From ASEAN
Countries (2016-06-11)
(Taipei
Times/CNA) Taiwan is considering visa entry privileges for tourists from eight
ASEAN members, in line with the government’s “New Southbound Policy,” the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
US Says Little About Tsai's Planned Transits For
Visit (2016-06-11)
(China
Post/CNA) A U.S. Department of State spokesman on Thursday reiterated
Washington's position on transits of Taiwan leaders in the United States as
President Tsai Ing-wen prepared to embark on her first overseas trip since
taking office on May 20.
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| China's
Rise and Its Domestic Issues
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European Firms Find ‘Increasingly Hostile’ Environment in
China (2016-06-07)
(Wall
Street Journal, By Mark Magnier) European companies say operating in China is
growing increasingly difficult as they battle loosely defined laws, perceived
protectionism and industrial overcapacity.
Lancôme Provokes Fury After Canceling a Concert in Hong
Kong (2016-06-08)
(New
York Times, By Amie Tsang and Alan Wong) The singer, Denise Ho, said the reason
was clear: Lancôme, the French cosmetics company owned by L’Oréal, wanted to
avoid upsetting the government of China, one of L’Oréal’s largest
markets.
A Steel Mill Lives Again, in a Setback for China (2016-06-10)
(New
York Times, By Michael Schuman) In the steel industry alone, Chinese leaders
announced plans this year to reduce the country’s steelmaking capacity by as
much as 150 million metric tons by 2020 – an amount larger than the entire
industry in Japan.But as Songting shows, closing even the most troubled plants
can prove problematic.
China Tries to Redistribute Education to the Poor, Igniting Class
Conflict (2016-06-12)
(New
York Times, By Javier C. Hernandez) Parents in at least two dozen Chinese cities
have taken to the streets in recent weeks to denounce a government effort to
expand access to higher education for students from less developed regions. The
unusually fierce backlash is testing the Communist Party’s ability to manage
class conflict, as well as the political acumen of its leader, Xi
Jinping.
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