The government yesterday welcomed international attention on Taiwan’s security, saying that China is to blame for threatening regional stability, after a report by The Economist called Taiwan “the most dangerous place on Earth.”
The report is featured on the cover of the magazine’s latest issue, which depicts the nation as the epicenter of a US-China rivalry.
The cover shows Taiwan in a radar display with dots crossing the Taiwan Strait accompanied by a Chinese flag and dots nearing the east coast with a US flag.
The US maintains a “one China” policy, while maintaining relations with Taiwan, but such “strategic ambiguity is breaking down,” as Washington fears it might no longer be able to deter China from attempting to seize Taiwan by force, the magazine said.
A cross-strait war would be a catastrophe, as Taiwan “lies at the heart of the semiconductor industry,” it said, adding that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), “the world’s most valuable chipmaker, etches 84 percent of the most advanced chips. Were production at TSMC to stop, so would the global electronics industry, at incalculable cost.”
The report said that “American and China must work harder to avoid war over the future of Taiwan,” as “nowhere presents such a test of statesmanship as the most dangerous place on Earth.”
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said in a statement yesterday that many dignitaries, think tanks and media in the US, Australia, Europe and Japan have expressed concerns over the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait under China’s political and military coercion.
The government is glad to see Taiwan’s existence, values and security recognized by the global community, Ou said.
The “danger” highlighted by the report originates from China, which not only targets the Taiwan Strait, but also directs intimidation and expansionism across the East China Sea, the South China Sea and South Asia, posing serious threats to regional security, she added.
Democratic Progressive Party spokeswoman Hsieh Pei-fen (謝佩芬) said the report demonstrates the threats posed by China that Taiwan deals with every day.
Many people used to consider it an issue between Taiwan and China, but now the international community has become aware of China’s threats to the world and regional stability, she said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) urged leaders in Taipei, Beijing and Washington to stay rational and resolve conflicts through dialogue.
The Taiwan Strait should not become a battlefield for superpowers, which The Economist’s report echoes, Chiang said.
Taiwan would be wounded if a military and political face-off between the US and China grows, he added.
Additional reporting by CNA and Chien Hui-ju
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS