The world political order will see dramatic changes within 15 years if China’s economic and military power surpasses that of the US, a diplomacy professor told a cross-strait forum yesterday.
Lai Yueh-tchienn (賴岳謙) of National Chengchi University said time will be on Beijing’s side if its economic growth continues and there is no war in the Taiwan Strait.
Under such circumstances, Lai estimated China’s economic clout would catch up with the US in 15 years.
While the US pours substantial military resources into guarding the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic, China only has the Pacific to worry about and can focus on building a strong navy.
If China’s military, political and economic sway continues to grow, the political order will see drastic changes and the US and EU must face the fact that Beijing wants to play a more decisive role in the international community, he said.
Lai made the remarks at a forum organized by the Taiwan New Century Foundation and Nanhua University’s Center for Peace and Strategic Studies in Taipei.
The forum discussed the impact of Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman Chen Yunlin’s (陳雲林) visit and the concept of “peaceful development” in the Taiwan Strait.
Lai said China’s strategy of “peaceful development” was to create a peaceful and stable environment for itself to aid its growth.
China hopes this strategy will deter outside forces while it develops military power sufficient to maintain its economic and political order in the case of war.
Lai said that while China hoped to reach this goal by 2030, it could accomplish it as early as 2020.
China’s recent acknowledgment that it was building aircraft carriers and developing guided missiles with a range of 400km were two clear manifestations of its military ambition, he said.
George Liu (劉志聰), a researcher at the Center for Peace and Strategic Studies, said there would be no “peaceful development” in the Strait unless Taiwan surrendered.
Liu said China would continue its military buildup if Taiwan did not accept unification.
Shih Cheng-feng (施正鋒), a political commentator, said depending on China’s economy was risky.
Investing in China, he said, was like “a blood transfusion with the risk of being infected with HIV.”
Shih criticized the meeting between Chen and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
He also warned against signing a peace agreement with Beijing, citing Tibet’s experiences with state violence despite the peace treaty signed in the 1950s after its occupation.
Chang Wu-ueh (張五岳), director of the Graduate Institute of China Studies at Tamkang University, urged representatives of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party to negotiate.
Chang also called on the public to welcome any cross-strait negotiations or dialogue that could help increase the nation’s international space and economic development as well as deepen its democracy and respect for human rights.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by