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
Tag: Taiwan
leaked audio on alleged Taiwan invasion could be a CCP ploy
Audio recorded during an alleged May 14 Chinese military planning session seemingly revealing China’s invasion plans for Taiwan could be misinformation, according to multiple experts. bizpacreview.com
Taiwan crackdown on chip engineer-poaching
Taiwan authorities raided ten Chinese companies suspected of illegally poaching chip engineers and other tech talent this week, the island’s Investigation Bureau said on Thursday, the latest crackdown on Chinese firms to protect its chip supremacy. Reuters
Taiwan is worried about the security of its chip industry
Good thing then that Taiwan has huguo shenshan, or 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. It accounts for nearly 40% of its exports and is a pillar of the island’s economy. It is also a guarantor of its security. The Economist
The $147 Billion Mountain between China & Taiwan
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
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
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 |
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
Taiwan Reality Check
Biden saying the U.S. will help defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack does not make it more likely China would attack Taiwan. But it does make clearer the risks China faces if it acts as an aggressor. Politico