Germany should abandon strategic ambiguity and take a clear stance on Taiwan’s sovereignty in the face of China’s threats, Berlin-based think tank the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) said in a report.
DGAP released the report following the transit of the German frigate Baden-Wurttemberg and supply ship Frankfurt am Main through the Taiwan Strait on Sept. 13, which drew criticism from Beijing.
The report said the passage by the German vessels demonstrated that “Germany is not threatened by China,” and recommended Germany abandon its relatively vague position on issues related to Taiwan.
Photo: AFP
Citing an example, DGAP said the German Federal Foreign Office only briefly mentioned Taiwan in its 72-page Indo-Pacific policy report issued in 2020, in which it only described academic exchanges with Taiwan.
However, such a vague stance would be insufficient to deal with the escalating geopolitical risks emerging in the Indo-Pacific region, it said.
While the world is paying close attention to Ukraine, it cannot ignore the rising tensions in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait due to an increasingly aggressive Chinese People’s Liberation Army, it said.
The report said that 10 per cent of global economic output, or more than US$10 trillion, would be lost annually in the event of a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait.
The impact of a cross-strait conflict on Germany’s global trade, of which 20 percent is with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, would be more significant than the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War had on Germany’s economy, it said.
The report suggested that China would be unlikely to attempt an invasion of Taiwan in the coming few years, but that could change if Taiwan officially declared independence.
Germany must also consider the possibility of the US returning to isolationism, requiring Europe to bear more of its defense costs, particularly if former US president Donald Trump is re-elected, it said.
The report said that Germany must take more positive actions and a clearer stance to ensure stability in the Taiwan Strait and safeguard its national interests.
By joining other European countries in addressing and condemning China’s military actions, Germany would have the opportunity to change Beijing’s calculations, it said.
In addition to transiting the Taiwan Strait, Germany could improve military cooperation with allies in the Indo-Pacific region such as New Zealand, Australia, Japan and South Korea, it said.
For example, it could hold joint military exercises with regional partners, support provisioning drone technology to the Philippines and help allies strengthen their maritime defenses, it said.
Researchers Aylin Matle and Hanna Gers, who authored the report, said Berlin should clearly convey to Beijing that if it attempts to invade Taiwan, it would face serious economic and diplomatic consequences.
The report said the German government should clearly and transparently explain to the German public how security issues in the Indo-Pacific region affect Germany’s national interests, and explain the importance of defense investments in this context.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, China imposed significant tariffs on Australian imports as retaliation for its calls for the international community to investigate the origins of the pandemic.
The Australian government conveyed to the Australian public the geopolitical threat posed by China and successfully gained public support for its policies and increased defense spending, an experience which Germany should learn from, the researchers said.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious
RSS