National defense plans are generally focused on preparing to defend against the military aggression of an adversary. In the case of Taiwan, such plans center on China, which possesses a dramatically larger and more powerful military. However, a recent tabletop exercise conducted by the Taiwan Center for Security Studies and other institutions revealed several nonmilitary vulnerabilities in Taiwan, particularly in the areas of economics, cybersecurity and energy. The exercise, set in 2032 and simulating crises such as cross-strait tensions and global conflicts, demonstrated that modern conflicts often extend beyond traditional military aggression, underscoring the need for new defense strategies and continuous
There is no more watertight demonstration of the predictability of an event than that it was accurately predicted long before it happened. On Thursday last week, the day President William Lai (賴清德) delivered his Double Ten National Day address, a Nikkei Asia article quoted a senior national security official as saying that “regardless of what Lai said,” Beijing could launch military exercises to intimidate Taiwan and claim it was “caused by Taiwan’s provocation.” Lo and behold, four days after Lai’s speech, Taiwan was encircled by fighter jets, drones, warships and coast guard boats in an operation Beijing called “Joint Sword-2024B.” The
When Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sept. 27, Wang said that the greatest threat in the Taiwan Strait is the increasingly unchecked actions of “Taiwan separatists.” Blinken responded by emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, before turning to concern for human rights issues in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. Wang’s statements are nothing new and can be found in the official “united front” talking points and phrases curated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over the past several decades. The CCP employs
The relationship between India and Taiwan is evolving, driven by a shared understanding of the need for enhanced cooperation across various sectors. While the semiconductor industry has captured significant attention due to its strategic importance and mutual economic interests, it is equally important to explore and address other areas of potential collaboration between the two countries. The India Semiconductor Mission is a government initiative that allocates US$10 billion to build a robust semiconductor ecosystem in India. It offers financial support covering up to 50 percent of project costs for fabrication plants and related initiatives, aiming to establish India as a key