As Russia’s aggression in Ukraine’s Crimea republic grips the world’s attention, many in Taiwan are astounded by similarities this nation seems to share with Russia’s small, democratic neighbor, and are appalled at the extent of peril there may be for Taiwan amid the possibility of following in the Eastern European country’s footsteps.
Prior to Russia’s incursion into the Crimean Peninsula on Saturday, Moscow had long asserted influence over Ukraine — a country divided between pro-Russia and pro-Europe groups — in various ways. Economically, Russia controls energy supplies to keep a hold over Ukraine, which imports as much as 60 percent of its natural gas from its larger neighbor. Politically, Moscow uses Ukraine’s energy dependence to sway Ukrainian politicians and influence Ukrainian politics. Moscow also works to undermine Ukrainian independence by maneuvering those on Ukrainian territory who support Russia’s continued influence.
It is worth noting how Russia justified sending troops to the peninsula, home to a large ethnic Russian population.
“[Russian President] Vladimir Putin emphasized that, in case of the further spread of violence in the eastern regions of Ukraine and Crimea, Russia maintains the right to protect its interests and the Russian-speaking people who live there,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
These incidents and claims bear a startling resemblance to what Taiwan faces. Echoing the tug-of-war of opposing allegiances in Ukraine, Taiwan is divided between those who advocate Taiwanese independence and others who support unification with China.
Also, China, which makes no secret of its ambition to annex Taiwan, has long worked to sabotage Taiwan’s sovereignty with its “united front” tactics. The cross-strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement has pushed Taiwan’s economic dependence on China to historic highs, not to mention the sociopolitical costs that came along with the agreement, which helped China’s strategy of inserting itself “into the island, into households and into the brains” (入島，入戶，入腦) of Taiwanese.
As the world saw pro-Russia forces in Crimea taking control of Ukrainian military facilities while Russian troops moved into the Crimean Peninsula, one dreads imagining what would happen in Taiwan if it were put into a similar situation. In view of the increased numbers of former military officials flocking to China after retirement, Taiwanese troops to an extent have grown confused about whether the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is a friend or enemy.
Retired Air Force general Hsia Ying-chou (夏瀛洲) was certainly not helping with remarks claiming that: “Both the Republic of China army and the PLA are ‘China’s army.’”
The Kremlin’s statement justifying its military intervention surely rings an eerie tone echoing that of China’s “Anti-Secession” Law, which empowers Beijing to employ “non-peaceful means and other necessary measures to protect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” in the event that Taiwan descends into “chaos,” among other preconditions.
Despite its independence and international recognition, Ukraine still displays such helplessness against Russia’s blatant aggression and brazen disregard of its sovereignty. One can only imagine how the predicament facing Taiwan could be even more treacherous, as this nation lacks UN membership and still struggles for international recognition.
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
If you had a vision of the future where China did not dominate the global car industry, you can kiss those dreams goodbye. That is because US President Donald Trump’s promised 25 percent tariff on auto imports takes an ax to the only bits of the emerging electric vehicle (EV) supply chain that are not already dominated by Beijing. The biggest losers when the levies take effect this week would be Japan and South Korea. They account for one-third of the cars imported into the US, and as much as two-thirds of those imported from outside North America. (Mexico and Canada, while
I have heard people equate the government’s stance on resisting forced unification with China or the conditional reinstatement of the military court system with the rise of the Nazis before World War II. The comparison is absurd. There is no meaningful parallel between the government and Nazi Germany, nor does such a mindset exist within the general public in Taiwan. It is important to remember that the German public bore some responsibility for the horrors of the Holocaust. Post-World War II Germany’s transitional justice efforts were rooted in a national reckoning and introspection. Many Jews were sent to concentration camps not
RSS