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| South
China Sea Disputes
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DPP's Stance on Sovereignty in S. China Sea
Unchanged (2016-03-31)
(CNA)
President Ma Ying-jeou told President-elect Tsai Ing-wen during their meeting
that his government has never worked with mainland China on the issue concerning
Taiping Island in South China Sea, while Tsai stressed no change in her party's
stance.
China Unlikely to Declare South China Sea Air Defense Zone:
Official (2016-04-01)
(CNA) Chances
are low that mainland China will declare an air defense identification zone in
the contested South China Sea in the near term, a Taiwanese official said
Thursday, noting that Beijing is still trying to build up its military
capabilities in the region.
US Planning Third Patrol Near Disputed Islands (2016-04-03)
(Reuters)
The US Navy plans to conduct another passage near disputed islands in the South
China Sea early this month, a source familiar with the plan said on Friday, the
third in a series of challenges that have drawn sharp rebukes from
China.
Patrolling Disputed Waters, U.S. and China Jockey for
Dominance (2016-03-30)
(New
York Times, By Helene Cooper) From Mischief Reef, where China is building a
military base in defiance of claims by Vietnam and the Philippines, to
Scarborough Shoal, where the Chinese are building and equipping outposts on
disputed territory far from the mainland, Chinese and U.S. naval forces are on
an almost continuous state of alert.
Saving the South China Sea without Starting World War
III (2016-03-30)
(The
National Interest, By Van Jackson) Greater operational transparency in the South
China Sea has become a strategic imperative, and the United States needs to
treat it as such by investing greater resources and political capital toward
increasing the shared maritime awareness of Southeast Asian states. It simply
will not happen without U.S. leadership.
One Envoy's Take on China's Hardball Diplomacy (2016-04-01)
(New
York Times, By Jane Perlez) The South China Sea islands are inconsequential in
military terms, but they are a potent reminder to Southeast Asia that “China is
a geographic fact whereas the U.S. presence in the South China Sea is the
consequence of a geopolitical calculation.”
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| East
China Sea Disputes and Japan Policy
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Japan Opens Radar Station 150km from Diaoyutai
Islands (2016-03-29)
(Reuters)
Japan switched on a radar station in the East China Sea, giving it a permanent
intelligence-gathering post close to Taiwan and a group of islands disputed by
Japan and China, drawing an angry response from Beijing.
Yonaguni Radar Station 'Targets China, Not
Taiwan' (2016-04-01)
(China
Post, By Joseph Yeh) Tsai Ming-yaw, head of the Association of East Asian
Relations in charge of Japanese affairs, indicated that he is not worried that
the move could jeopardize Taiwan's security, even though the radar system could
monitor military activities in Eastern Taiwan.
MOFA Calls on Tokyo Not to Misuse Military After New
Law (2016-03-30)
(China
Post, By Joseph Yeh) A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official expressed respect
for Japan's right to defend itself but urged Tokyo not to "misuse" its military
forces for the purpose of invasion as a new Japanese security law took effect
earlier in the same day, enabling its troops to fight overseas for the first
time since World War II.
Introducing 'Peak Japan' (And Why It Matters) (2016-03-31)
(The
National Interest, By Brad Glosserman) Little attention is being paid to
structural factors that conspire to limit Japan’s capacity to sustain a higher
and more expansive hard-security profile. Japan’s demographic trajectory and the
inability of Abenomics to gain traction mean that Tokyo’s international
influence is likely to be at its apogee, and will level off and eventually
decline. Tokyo won’t be irrelevant, but we may well be witnessing ‘Peak
Japan’.
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| U.S.
“Pivot” to Asia and Sino-U.S. Engagement
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Obama and President Xi of China Vow to Sign Paris Climate Accord
Promptly (2016-04-01)
(New
York Times, By Coral Davenport) President Obama and President Xi Jinping of
China said that they would sign the Paris Agreement on climate change on April
22, the first day the United Nations accord will be open for government
signatures.
Unwinding Taiwan's Cold War Legacy (2016-03-29)
(Foreign
Policy, By Daniel Blumenthal) There is no reason, legislative or otherwise, to
have such abnormal relations with the island. Instead, it is our own stubborn
refusal to reinterpret rules we authored unilaterally back when Jimmy Carter was
president.
The Two Faces of American Statecraft (2016-04-01)
(The
National Interest, By James Jay Carafano) Running a two-track security and
foreign economic policy would beeasier if the United States and its friends
competed from positions of greater economic strength.
Are We Entering a New Era of U.S. Grand Strategy? (2016-04-04)
(The
National Interest, By Rod Lyon) In the 25 years since the end of the Cold War,
US enthusiasm for alliances has wavered, bringing into question the degree of US
attachment to the winning formula of the twentieth century.
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| DPP
Searches for New China Stance; Cross-Strait Issues
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Beijing Pans Proposed Cross-Strait Bill (2016-03-31)
(Reuters)
The Chinese government warned Taiwan that the passage of a proposed new law
governing cross-strait relations could seriously damage the basis for talks, and
that Beijing opposed any obstacles to developing ties.
DPP Unveils Draft Bill on Cross-Strait Talks (2016-04-02)
(Taipei
Times) The DPP caucus released a draft bill on monitoring cross-strait
negotiations and agreements — without a clause that would let an agreement come
into effect automatically if the review process stalls.
DPP Pledges to Maintain Cross-Strait Stability (2016-04-03)
(CNA)
The DPP said it has taken note of a statement by the U.S. government encouraging
Taipei and Beijing to continue their efforts to maintain cross-strait peace and
stability.
Committee Cancels SEF Head's Final Trip to China (2016-04-03)
(Taipei
Times, By Peng Hsien-chun) Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Lin
Join-sane is to cancel his final trip to China in accordance with a Legislative
Yuan resolution, the foundation said.
‘Very Slight’ Chance of China Using Force on Taiwan:
Analyst (2016-03-30)
(Taipei
Times, By William Lowther) The chance of China using military force to seek
unification with Taiwan in the near to medium term is “very slight,” said
Jeffrey Bader, a Brookings Institution senior fellow and former US National
Security Council senior director for Asian affairs in the administration of US
President Barack Obama.
Goodwill's Place in Cross-Strait Ties (2016-04-01)
(Taipei
Times, By Shu Chin-chiang) It is clear that Tsai's stance will be based on the
ROC Constitution instead of the DPP charter’s Taiwan independence clause. From a
legal constitutional perspective, Taiwanese independence is also not feasible.
Hence, this is a gesture of goodwill to China on Tsai’s part and it sends an
even clearer message than the consensus-less “1992
consensus.”
Majority Says ‘Mainland China’ Should No Longer Be ROC Territory:
Survey (2016-04-03)
(Taipei
Times, By Loa Iok-sin) More than 60 percent of the respondents to a survey said
that “Mainland China” should no longer be designated as the nation’s territory
if the Republic of China Constitution is amended, the Taiwan Indicators Survey
Research said.
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| Taiwan's
Domestic Issues and Foreign Relations
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Taiwan Mood Barometer
Survey, Second Half of March 2016 (2016-03-31)
(TISR)
President Ma Ying-jeou's approval rating rose 1.3 percentage points over the
latter part of March, according to the latest Taiwan Mood
Barometer Survey (in
Chinese).
Ma, Tsai Meet Behind Closed Doors (2016-03-31)
(Taipei
Times, By Stacy Hsu) President Ma Ying-jeou yesterday met with president-elect
Tsai Ing-wen to exchange opinions on an array of national issues in their first
formal meeting since January’s presidential election, with both sides calling
for cooperation and a smooth transfer of power.
Past Spokesperson Urges Hung to Take Middle
Ground (2016-04-01)
(Taipei
Times, By Stacy Hsu) KMT chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu should move to the middle
ground if she intends to consolidate her leadership, her former campaign
spokesperson said.
Manufacturing Posts 1st Sales Drop in 3 Years (2016-04-03)
(CNA)
The local manufacturing sector suffered its first year-on-year sales drop in
three years in 2015 as many manufacturers' pricing power was hurt by falling
prices of international crude oil and steel products, according to the Ministry
of Economic Affairs.
Int'l Standards Should be Basis for Pork Policy, US
Official Says (2016-03-31)
(China
Post, By Joseph Yeh) A visiting U.S. senior economic official reiterated on
Wednesday his government's stance that the best way to resolve the long-standing
issue of U.S. pork imports containing ractopamine is to use international
standards as the scientific base in setting policy.
US Praises Taiwan Over Uranium Policy (2016-04-02)
(Taipei
Times, By William Lowther) Taiwan’s participation sends an important message to
Asia about the benefits of nuclear security, US Deputy National Security Adviser
Ben Rhodes said.
Taiwanese Want
America's Help Joining International Organizations More Than Weapons, TISR
Survey (2016-03-31)
(TISR)
The number one thing that the United States can do to help Taiwan increase its
strength and confidence is to help the country join international organizations,
say 51 percent of respondents to the latestTaiwan Mood
Barometer Survey (in
Chinese).
American Government
Attaches Importance to Taiwan Say Half of Taiwanese, TISR
Survey (2016-03-31)
(TISR)
Half of Taiwanese believe that the American government attaches importance to
Taiwan, according to the latest Taiwan Mood
Barometer Survey (in Chinese).
US Replaces China As Taiwan's Largest Debtor (2016-04-01)
(CNA)
The United States replaced China to become Taiwan's largest debtor as of the end
of the fourth quarter of last year on a direct risk basis, as Taiwanese banks'
exposure to China was on the decline, according to Taiwan's central
bank.
TECO in Myanmar Opens Doors in Yangon:
Ministry (2016-03-29)
(CNA)
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Myanmar opened in Yangon yesterday,
offering consular services, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
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| China's
Rise and Its Domestic Issues
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Anonymous Call for Xi to Quit Rattles Party Leaders in
China (2016-03-30)
(New
York Times, By Chris Buckley) Mr. Xi’s handlers have sought to give him an aura
of unshakable dominance. But the unusually severe response to what might be
nothing more than an outlandish Internet ruse suggests some anxiety about his
hold on power, including among security officials keen to show their loyalty and
avoid any hint of exposing him to danger, experts said.
New HK Party Denounced by Chinese Media (2016-03-31)
(AFP)
The Hong Kong National Party, which is primarily made up of younger people
seeking independence from China, was launched on Monday.
To Understand China's Economic Signals, Start with the Four
Comprehensives (2016-03-11)
(Asia
Unbound, By John Fei) While there has been a plethora of analyses regarding the
need for improved communication and greater independence of organizations such
as the PBOC, less has been said about how the recent spate of economic events
relates to the CCP’s leadership doctrine.
Does China Need Allies? (2016-03-31)
(The
National Interest, By Lyle J. Goldstein) Looking around the world since 1648,
there has never been another single great power that pursued a policy of
rejecting alliances.
Contact:
Dalton Lin, Executive Editor
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