China Policy Institute Blog
Taiwan’s dispute with the Philippines (II): Domestic politics in command
May 20, 2013
By Michal Thim In my previous post, I examined the general nature of the current dispute between the Philippines and Taiwan and the foreign policy motivations on the Taiwan side. Yet, the behaviour of Taiwan’s government in the aftermath of the incident from May 9 that resulted in death of a Taiwanese fisherman after his …
Taiwan’s dispute with the Philippines (I): One international law, two interpretations
May 19, 2013
By Michal Thim A short time ago, I praised Taiwan for reaching an agreement with Japan on fishing in the area around Diaoyutai/Senkaku islands. It was a rare occasion on which two sides reached consensus on a highly disputed issue involving sovereignty claims and resource sharing. However, the seas of East and Southeast Asia offer plenty of …
Taiwan’s Anti-Media Monopoly Movement: Achievements and the future
May 2, 2013
Written by Chou Ya-Wei. The beginning of Taiwan’s anti-media monopoly youth movement dates back to July 31, 2012, when we started the first series of protests against the emerging media monopoly in Taiwan. We, mostly young Taiwanese, launched a movement called “I’m a student, I don’t want WantWant-China Times” (我是學生，我反旺中), with the clear message to say …
Economic Integration and Cultural Divergence: Obstacles to Political Integration Across the Taiwan Strait
April 25, 2013
Written by Jens Damm. One of the most intriguing features of the current cross-Strait policies of Ma Ying-jeou, especially since his re-election as President of the “Republic of China (on Taiwan)” in 2012, is the divergence between the expectations of many outside observers of a rapid rapprochement between the two sides in the political arena …
People to People interactions across the Taiwan Strait
April 19, 2013
Written by Chun-Yi Lee Since martial law was lifted in 1987, Taiwanese people have been visiting China for family reunions, tourism or business and investment purposes. According to the Chinese immigration agency, from November 1987 to November 2012, China welcomed more than 70 million Taiwanese residents. Nevertheless, Taiwan did not release restrictions on Chinese visitors until …
The Folly of a cross-Strait “China Dream”
April 11, 2013
Written by Russell Hsiao. The pace and scope of dialogue across the Taiwan Strait have expanded considerably since Ma Ying-jeou became the President of the Republic of China (ROC) in 2008. These dialogues, led by non-governmental organizations, business and cultural associations, and political parties, have served as the main channels through which the two governments on both …
Taiwan’s Defence Policy under Ma Ying-jeou
April 2, 2013
By Michal Thim. Since the 1990s each ROC President has played an important role in shaping Taiwan’s defence strategy, a process that reflects differences in their cross-Strait policies, the mind-set of other important policy makers, and the growing challenge from all branches of the Peoples Liberation Army. Lee Teng-hui’s administrations introduced the concept of “effective …
On an even-keel? Cross-Strait Relations in Ma’s Second Term
March 28, 2013
By Steve Tsang. In terms of cross-Strait relations, President Ma Ying-jeou’s second term did not really start last year when he assumed office. It has only just begun. The real change that drives the relationship does not happen in Taipei but in Beijing. The break came with Xi Jinping’s assumption of all three top offices …
The Nuclear Referendum Issue in Taiwan
March 27, 2013
By Dafydd Fell. In late February 2013 the KMT announced its decision to support a national referendum on whether to stop construction of the controversial Fourth Nuclear Power Station. This development came as a genuine surprise to this writer. The question of whether to complete construction of this power station has been the most salient environmental …
Social issues, Civil Society and the Quality of Democracy
March 26, 2013
By Ketty Chen. Last Thursday (March 21, 2013), residents of the Huaguang Community (華光社區) went to the Ministry of Justice to protest the forced demolition of their homes, bringing along shingle, bricks and lumber from some of the already destroyed houses in the community. The protesters clashed with police as they attempted to confiscate the …
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