Taiwan is not ruling out the possibility of imposing sanctions against Russia over its conflict with Ukraine, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday, highlighting the nation’s willingness to contribute to efforts to peacefully resolve international conflicts.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced that his country would recognize breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine held by Russian-backed separatists, saying that “Russian peacekeepers” would be deployed to the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic.
The US and the EU condemned the move, announcing that those involved would be sanctioned.
Photo: Bloomberg and Taipei Times
The ministry said that if Taiwan imposes sanctions, they would include an export ban on semiconductors and other key components to Russia.
The sanctions would not negatively affect the domestic semiconductor industry, as chip exports to Russia are minimal, totaling only US$21.64 million in 2020, or 0.013 percent of the nation’s exports of US$15.55 billion, it said.
The ministry said it would continue to closely monitor the situation at the Russia-Ukraine border, adding that, as a member of the international community, Taiwan is willing to contribute to efforts to peacefully resolve conflicts.
A Foreign Policy report on Tuesday said that Taiwan — along with Singapore and Japan — supports US calls to implement restrictive export controls on Russia.
The US plan follows a relatively new pattern — dubbed the Foreign Direct Product Rule — which extends US jurisdiction over foreign-made products using US technology, the report said.
“All semiconductors on the planet are made with US software or tools in part, so this will catch any destined to Russia,” the report quoted former US assistant secretary of commerce for export administration Kevin Wolf as saying.
Foreign Policy also quoted other US sources as saying that some US allies in Asia are worried that China might adopt Russia’s playbook for launching an attack on Taiwan.
Top US diplomats, such as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, are monitoring the Russia-Ukraine situation with regard to possible Western reactions to a Chinese attack on Taiwan, the sources were quoted as saying.
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
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
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