During six days in China, Michelle Bachelet went to the Xinjiang region where the U.S. says genocide is being committed against Uighurs and other minorities.
China denies this, despite mounting evidence. Al Jazeera
Day: May 29, 2022
UN raises ‘concerns’ over treatment of Uyghur people
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet says she has raised “questions and concerns” with Chinese authorities over the treatment of Uyghur people. SkyNews
Taiwan military to double recruitment next year
Taiwan’s military said recently that it will start recruiting twice the annual number of special reservists next year, as part of a reform project to create a more reliable backup force for the country’s regular troops, amid China’s growing military threats. focustaiwan.tw
Was Excluding Taiwan from Indo-Pacific Framework a mistake
A slew of business groups, and many in Congress, think Biden has it wrong. They’re calling on the administration to get behind enforceable market access commitments. The Hill
Should the United States Treat Taiwan Differently Than Ukraine?
The policy of strategic ambiguity does technically give the United States a way of staying out of any war between China and Taiwan, but the reality, even before Biden’s several comments, is that the world was already expecting the United States to send military forces into any China-Taiwan fray, thus risking nuclear escalation. NationalInterest.org
China aims to take out Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites
Chinese state researchers are calling for the development of anti-satellite capabilities against Elon Musk’s SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet constellation, citing the broadband system’s potential military applications and threat to China’s national security. Asia Times
From strategic ambiguity to strategic incoherence
Washington now faces a serious dilemma. It is concerned that strategic ambiguity may no longer be sufficient to deter China from invading Taiwan, particularly in the face of China’s increasingly assertive talk of “resolving” the Taiwan issue through reunification. This could imply that the US needs to clarify and strengthen its security commitments. Asia Times
Taiwan ranks No. 1 worldwide for IQ
On May 16, Finnish enterprise Wiqtcom Inc. released the results of its Worldwide IQ test for 2022. Coming in first place out of over 100 countries was Taiwan, with an average IQ of 116.07. taiwannews.com.tw
Top Ten List according to worldwide-iq-test.com
| # | Country | Average IQ | Standard Deviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Taiwan | 116.07 | 14.26 |
| 2. | Japan | 112.69 | 12.16 |
| 3. | Hungary | 111.42 | 15.03 |
| 4. | South Korea | 111.36 | 14.09 |
| 5. | Iran | 111.33 | 14.13 |
| 6. | Hong Kong | 111.01 | 12.74 |
| 7. | Serbia | 110.09 | 16.69 |
| 8. | Italy | 110.87 | 15.93 |
| 9. | Vietnam | 109.37 | 12.49 |
| 10. | Finland | 109.02 | 18.22 |
Keeping it in the family: Wayne Chiang to run for Taipei mayor
The great grandson of the late Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai-shek has been selected as the party’s candidate to become the next mayor of Taipei.
But Wayne Chiang Wan-an, a KMT legislator in Taiwan’s parliament, still faces a long battle and will need to beat some formidable foes. South China Morning Post
Is US of turning Taiwan Strait into powder keg?
The Chinese-owned Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post published the diplomat’s article Thursday (May 26) as observers were awaiting Blinken’s speech, which is being seen as a major clarification of U.S. policies toward China. taiwannews.com.tw