The discussions referred to as the “2+2 talks” are usually meetings between two military allies or countries with similar political philosophies, each sending foreign affairs and defense ministers to address cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Such sensitive meetings usually garner international attention.
In the past year, many countries have been holding such talks, and they all have one thing in common: a focus on security in the Taiwan Strait and the threat posed by China. This phenomenon shows that Taiwan has become an essential concern for the international community.
On Sept. 16, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held the 31st US-Australia 2+2 Talks in Washington with visiting Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marise Payne and Australian Minister for Defense Peter Dutton.
In a joint statement after the meeting, the two countries emphasized the important role Taiwan plays in the Indo-Pacific region, and said that the US and Australia plan to strengthen their relationship with Taiwan and support its meaningful participation in international affairs.
At the US-Japan 2+2 talks in Tokyo on March 16, the two countries signed a joint document that, among other things, recognized the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
At the US-Korea 2+2 talks in Seoul on March 18, Blinken publicly condemned China’s provocative actions in the Indo-Pacific region and said that the US would increase countermeasures against China.
On March 31, Japan and Indonesia held 2+2 talks in Tokyo, during which the two countries agreed to strengthen security cooperation to contain China’s attempts to expand its maritime activities.
It is not surprising that Australia, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, the US and other countries would hold these meetings, but similar talks among Germany, France and other EU nations have deeper strategic implications.
They are an indication that Europe is also willing to stand up for Taiwan and take part in the “joint resistance” against China.
For example, on April 13, Germany and Japan held their first 2+2 talks via videoconference. Both sides expressed serious concern about China’s movements in the East China Sea and South China Sea over the past few years, and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces are to conduct joint drills with German frigates.
On Aug. 30, France and Australia held 2+2 talks, also by videoconference, for the first time mentioning the Taiwan issue, and expressing support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations to bolster global cooperation.
Taiwan’s strategic position is important, and the more unstable the situation becomes in the Taiwan Strait, the more forcefully the global community is likely to act to maintain security in the western Pacific.
Additionally, Taiwan can take the initiative to set up direct communication channels with countries around the world to reinforce regional military and security cooperation.
The first “quasi-2+2 talks” between the ruling parties of Taiwan and Japan on Aug. 28 was an example that could serve as a model for such initiatives.
Taiwan should promote talks on strategic cooperation that contribute to regional stability and security, and enhance international visibility of its issues.
Yao Chung-yuan is a professor and former deputy director of the Ministry of National Defense’s strategic planning department.
Translated by Perry Svensson
Weeks into the craze, nobody quite knows what to make of the OpenClaw mania sweeping China, marked by viral photos of retirees lining up for installation events and users gathering in red claw hats. The queues and cosplay inspired by the “raising a lobster” trend make for irresistible China clickbait. However, the West is fixating on the least important part of the story. As a consumer craze, OpenClaw — the AI agent designed to do tasks on a user’s behalf — would likely burn out. Without some developer background, it is too glitchy and technically awkward for true mainstream adoption,
Out of 64 participating universities in this year’s Stars Program — through which schools directly recommend their top students to universities for admission — only 19 filled their admissions quotas. There were 922 vacancies, down more than 200 from last year; top universities had 37 unfilled places, 40 fewer than last year. The original purpose of the Stars Program was to expand admissions to a wider range of students. However, certain departments at elite universities that failed to meet their admissions quotas are not improving. Vacancies at top universities are linked to students’ program preferences on their applications, but inappropriate admission
On Monday, a group of bipartisan US senators arrived in Taiwan to support the nation’s special defense bill to counter Chinese threats. At the same time, Beijing announced that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had invited Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) to visit China, a move to make the KMT a pawn in its proxy warfare against Taiwan and the US. Since her inauguration as KMT chair last year, Cheng, widely seen as a pro-China figure, has made no secret of her desire to interact with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and meet with Xi, naming it a
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) took the stage at a protest rally on Sunday in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei in support of former TPP chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who has been sentenced to 17 years in jail for corruption and embezzlement. Huang told the crowd that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) had sent a message of support the previous day, saying she would be traveling from the south to Taipei: If the protest continued into the evening, she had said, she would show up. The rally was due to end
RSS