International panelists yesterday urged a more robust Taiwanese defensive capability but differed greatly on what strategy would ensure the nation’s diplomatic future. While some said Taiwan should give up on its bid for formal recognition, others panned China’s continual threat of force as the main cause of cross-strait tension.
The remarks were made at a roundtable held in Taipei on changes in the cross-strait situation and challenges to the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).
Michael Pillsbury, a consultant to the US Department of Defense, cited a recent Pentagon report that said the balance in the Taiwan Strait was tilting toward China and criticized the “resistance” that he saw in Taiwanese military circles toward establishing more contacts with their US counterparts.
“Too many alarms have been sounded without the hardening of your defenses,” he said, while urging more civilian participation, such as think tanks, in scrutinizing the national military in greater detail.
If cross-strait tension were ever to rise again, he said, Taiwan would wish it had strengthened its defenses.
OPTIMAL STRATEGY
Stanford University professor Stephen Krasner said the optimal strategy for Taiwan would be to enhance its defensive credibility and capability and at the same time give up its formal alliances with 23 allies and efforts for more de jure recognition.
“The kind of ambiguity that has existed over the last several years of what exactly Taiwan was committed to doing ought to be eliminated. Taiwan ought to commit itself to the most robust defense relations that it can establish with the US,” he said.
By unilaterally severing all diplomatic ties and forgoing efforts toward recognition, he said, Taiwan would reduce anxiety on both sides of the Strait by sending a clear signal to Beijing that it was not aspiring for independence but that it was adamantly opposed to being absorbed by China.
One of the speakers, John Tkacik, formerly of the Heritage Foundation, said the panelists had all ignored the elephant in the room, which is that despite the current cross-strait rapprochement, China continues to threaten war with Taiwan and has not backed down on its intention of taking Taiwan by force.
China’s persistent threat, he said, was not a peaceful resolution to cross-strait tensions and showed that Taiwan must beef up its own defensive capabilities.
AIRSPACE
Citing the same Pentagon report, he said Taiwan had already lost its airspace defensive advantage as of 2002 and panned Washington for failing to honor its commitment to Taiwan’s security by persistently refusing to sell the F-16 fighter jets that Taiwan has requested.
Dubbing the historical diplomatic tug of war between Taiwan and China a “losing game” for Taipei, Denny Roy, a senior fellow at the East-West Center, called on Taiwanese authorities to “change the game” with China by focusing the country’s resources on cementing its quasi-diplomatic relationships, such as the ones that Taiwan maintains with the US and Japan, instead of trying to lure new allies.
While the world welcomes the current cross-strait detente, new tensions have emerged, he said, citing the discontent among the Taiwanese public on the handling of ties with Beijing by President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration and the asymmetric concessions offered by both sides.
“Taiwan has given up a lot, the PRC has given up little,” he said, saying a “peace with justice” outcome for Taiwan was uncertain.
An undersea cable to Penghu County has been severed, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said today, with a Chinese-funded ship suspected of being responsible. It comes just a month after a Chinese ship was suspected of severing an undersea cable north of Keelung Harbor. The National Communications and Cyber Security Center received a report at 3:03am today from Chunghwa Telecom that the No. 3 cable from Taiwan to Penghu was severed 14.7km off the coast of Tainan, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) upon receiving a report from Chunghwa Telecom began to monitor the Togolese-flagged Hong Tai (宏泰)
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
RSS