US trade chief Katherine Tai met Taiwanese Minister Without Portfolio John Deng to discuss opportunities to deepen the nations’ economic relationship in the same week China’s top diplomat warned Washington it’s heading down the “wrong road” with its support for the island. Bloomberg
Tag: China
Is China buying cheap Russian oil a ‘dangerous situation’
Retired two-star Marine Corps Gen. Arnold Punaro argues ‘we ought to seriously look at blocking the oil that would go to China and basically not allow them to beef up their reserves.’
China seeks more island security pacts to boost clout in Pacific
China is intensifying its drive for influence in the Pacific by negotiating security deals with two additional island nations following a pact with the Solomon Islands, according to officials in the US and allied countries. FT
China Makes Unexpected Rate Cut as Growth Crumbles
China’s central bank cut a key interest rate while keeping another unchanged, an unexpected policy shift that economists said would likely help the country’s moribund housing market but bring only limited relief to its struggling economy. Wallstreet Journal
Majority of adults would take up arms if China invaded
More than half of the adults in Taiwan would be willing to take up arms if China attacked the country, a survey conducted and released by the Association of Chinese Elite Leadership (ACEL) suggested Friday. Focustaiwan.tv
Survey Results
61.4% Willing to take up arms to defend Taiwan
25.1% Would Not
The ACEL poll was conducted from May 18-, targeting individuals aged 20 or older.
The poll received 1,073 valid samples, with interviews conducted via telephone, and has a margin of error of 2.98 percent, with a 95 percent level of confidence.
A Fight Over Taiwan Could Go Nuclear
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has raised the specter of nuclear war, as Russian President Vladimir Putin has placed his nuclear forces at an elevated state of alert and has warned that any effort by outside parties to interfere in the war would result in “consequences you have never seen.” Such saber-rattling has understandably made headlines and drawn notice in Washington. But if China attempted to forcibly invade Taiwan and the United States came to Taipei’s aid, the threat of escalation could outstrip even the current nerve-wracking situation in Europe. Foreign Affairs
Why China will not abandon its zero-Covid policy any time soon
A tough decision to lock down Shanghai, China’s largest city, shocked the world. After six weeks, and despite a sharp decline in infections, Shanghai’s lockdown has imposed enormous costs on the city and its residents. South China Morning Post
Japan warns of increasing Chinese naval activity east of Taiwan
China’s dispatching of its aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, in the waters east of Taiwan is not only meant to establish a military presence in the area but also is a test to see how the U.S. and Japan respond to its military activities, Japanese military authorities have said. Taiwan News
NBA ‘quietly’ returns to China state TV after almost three years away
The NBA has made a “quiet” return to state-run TV in China for this year’s playoffs after being off-air there for roughly three years. NYPOST
China Insists Party Elites Shed Overseas Assets…
China’s Communist Party will block promotions for senior cadres whose spouses or children hold significant assets abroad, people familiar with the matter said, as Beijing seeks to insulate its top officials from the types of sanctions now being directed at Russia WallStreetJounal