Comments by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last week regarding the US' commitment to help Taiwan defend itself were nothing new. However, they came in the wake of regional tension over the nuclear test by North Korea and in response to questions over Taiwan's role in international efforts to deal with the crisis.
Most people in Taiwan do not see the nuclear test as something which will have an immediate effect on their lives. Nevertheless, if the crisis continues to escalate -- which at this point seems inevitable -- Taiwan cannot possibly stay clear out of it.
Leaving aside the immediate issue of potential environmental contamination caused by further nuclear tests or indeed a nuclear conflict, for the simple reason that China plays a key role in the North Korean crisis, any resulting shift or instability in the regional balance of power will inevitably affect the cross-strait relationship.
Since Taiwan is neither a member of the UN nor was invited to participate in the six-party talks on the issue, the nation is not expected to have a say on how the crisis should be managed. While many may decry the unfairness of this, it is a political reality that is not likely to change.
Under the circumstances, Rice's statement on the US' commitment to help Taiwan defend itself should help allay the sense of helplessness felt by some Taiwanese in the aftermath of the nuclear test.
On the other hand, it just so happens that Rice's comments were made at around the same time that the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission -- a US government advisory panel -- was getting ready to approve a report that highlights China's advanced military capabilities.
The report depicted Taiwan as becoming increasingly dependent on the US to deter Chinese aggression and to intervene should such aggression turn to use of force.
The situations described in the report are a cause for concern, especially in light of the fact that it also described a "window of vulnerability" from 2008 to 2015 in the military capability of Washington to intervene in the event of any cross-strait military crisis.
However, the politicians and people of Taiwan seemingly remain largely indifferent to world events -- not only with respect to the North Korean crisis but also to the implications of the US "window of vulnerability" and the increasing military threat posed by China.
Otherwise, it is hard to understand why pan-blue lawmakers, especially Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators, decided to break their promise -- which was made in a meeting organized by Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
The supplemental budget was the product of a compromise between the ruling and opposition camps to begin with, approving greatly reduced funds in comparison with the funding initially requested for the arms procurement program.
In light of these events, the arms bill is likely to remain a hostage of the deadlocked legislature. The likelihood of the nation becoming less reliant on US protection is remote.
In the event of a war with China, Taiwan has some surprisingly tough defenses that could make it as difficult to tackle as a porcupine: A shoreline dotted with swamps, rocks and concrete barriers; conscription for all adult men; highways and airports that are built to double as hardened combat facilities. This porcupine has a soft underbelly, though, and the war in Iran is exposing it: energy. About 39,000 ships dock at Taiwan’s ports each year, more than the 30,000 that transit the Strait of Hormuz. About one-fifth of their inbound tonnage is coal, oil, refined fuels and liquefied natural gas (LNG),
On Monday, the day before Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) departed on her visit to China, the party released a promotional video titled “Only with peace can we ‘lie flat’” to highlight its desire to have peace across the Taiwan Strait. However, its use of the expression “lie flat” (tang ping, 躺平) drew sarcastic comments, with critics saying it sounded as if the party was “bowing down” to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Amid the controversy over the opposition parties blocking proposed defense budgets, Cheng departed for China after receiving an invitation from the CCP, with a meeting with
To counter the CCP’s escalating threats, Taiwan must build a national consensus and demonstrate the capability and the will to fight. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) often leans on a seductive mantra to soften its threats, such as “Chinese do not kill Chinese.” The slogan is designed to frame territorial conquest (annexation) as a domestic family matter. A look at the historical ledger reveals a different truth. For the CCP, being labeled “family” has never been a guarantee of safety; it has been the primary prerequisite for state-sanctioned slaughter. From the forced starvation of 150,000 civilians at the Siege of Changchun
The two major opposition parties, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), jointly announced on Tuesday last week that former TPP lawmaker Chang Chi-kai (張啟楷) would be their joint candidate for Chiayi mayor, following polling conducted earlier this month. It is the first case of blue-white (KMT-TPP) cooperation in selecting a joint candidate under an agreement signed by their chairpersons last month. KMT and TPP supporters have blamed their 2024 presidential election loss on failing to decide on a joint candidate, which ended in a dramatic breakdown with participants pointing fingers, calling polls unfair, sobbing and walking
RSS