The “magic mountain that protects the nation”. The mountain is not a sophisticated defensive fortification, nor a treaty with a big power. It is instead what Taiwanese call their $147bn semiconductor industry, equivalent to 15% of gdp. The Economist
Month: May 2022
Covid Surge Leaves Taiwan’s Insurers Struggling to Pay Out
Taiwan’s worst Covid outbreak has left the island’s insurers bracing for more than $1 billion in claims that the financial regulator is urging them to honor Bloomberg
Is Biden Being Machiavellian or Misguided on Taiwan?
But, you know, my biggest insight from teaching this course over the past decade is that Machiavelli was misunderstood. He was not as Machiavellian as people think. For example, he was a big believer in republican forms of government and thought that dictatorship was a fundamentally flawed system. Foreign Policy
Emergency meeting to revive China’s Covid-hit economy
China’s cabinet held an emergency meeting with more than 100,000 participants on Wednesday, according to state media, as top leaders urged new measures to stabilize an economy battered by the country’s stringent Covid-19 restrictions. CNN Business
Confidence in Tsai’s preparations if Taiwan attacked by China down 11%
In a new poll released on Tuesday (May 25), nearly half of respondents said that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has not done enough to prepare Taiwan for an invasion by China, and the proportion expressing confidence in her preparations has dropped by 11% since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. taiwannews.com.tw
Poll asked, Is the government fully prepared if China attacked Taiwan?
| 30.6% | Mostly Inadequate |
| 18.9% | Very Inadequate |
| 25.7% | Mostly Adequate |
| 7.1% | Very Adequate |
| 4.4% | No Opinion |
| 13.2% | Do not Know |
Mysterious South China Sea Missile Launch
Video has emerged on social media that is said to show an apparent launch of a missile, possibly from a submarine, as viewed from a Cathay Pacific Boeing 777 flying over the South China Sea. Unseen individuals can be heard in the clip talking about whether it is heading their way. TheDrive
Battle for the South China Sea
CNN takes a rare look at the disputed waters where China and the US are fighting for influence More From CNN
US Navy to recover Jet from South China Sea after crash landing
“I can confirm the aircraft impacted the flight deck during landing and subsequently fell to the water,” said Lieutenant Nicholas Lingo, spokesperson for the US 7th Fleet. SkyNews
‘Tension’ between China’s top two leaders
There have been reports of “tension” between China’s top two leaders President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang about the approach to the economy and it’s growth, says Sky News Business Editor Ross Greenwood. SkyNews
China provocations ‘destabilizing’ & Threat to Peace
“Beijing is engaged in increasingly provocative rhetoric and activity, like flying PLA [Chinese People’s Liberation Army] aircraft near Taiwan on an almost daily basis,” Blinken said in the 45-minute speech at George Washington University in Washington, during which he outlined the US administration’s policy toward China. Taipeitimes.com