Cross-strait relations

Japanese academic Sugiura Yasuyuki notes that Beijing has been normalising military activities around Taiwan, and these activities seem to be heading towards actual combat, while being used for propaganda. One clear example is the recent Exercise "Joint Sword" in April 2023. There are increasing concerns that such activities will cause issues between China and the US, or China and Taiwan.

Singapore's former Foreign Minister George Yeo gave a keynote speech at the Asia-Pacific Forward Forum in Taipei, where he spoke on cross-strait relations, the "one China" policy, and the future of mainland China and Taiwan, as well as his personal experiences interacting with individuals from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

During a recent geopolitics conference in Taipei, experts weighed in on the Taiwan Strait situation, assessing that political factors are more likely than military factors to trigger a war. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Miao Zong-Han tells us more about what the experts said.

Given its pluralistic nature, the Chinese language has taken many shapes over the course of history, with its written form and the associated dialects dictated by time and place. Meanwhile, the rise of China and its growing national power have led to the emergence of Chinese as an international language that transcends national borders. Eddie Kuo, Emeritus Professor at NTU, delves into the evolution of the language in the different Chinese-speaking regions.

After the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chinese economy faces arduous challenges and the Chinese government is trying its best to attract foreign businesses and investors. While Taiwanese business owners are obvious targets, China is only looking to attract Taiwanese companies of strategic value, specifically those in info-communications and machinery manufacturing. At the same time, Taiwanese business owners have become more guarded about investing in the mainland due to growing internal and external uncertainties. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Miao Zong-Han speaks with industry experts to find out more.

India’s recent high-profile attendance at a security forum in Taiwan suggests it is ready to deepen ties with Taiwan to safeguard its future interests, despite expected pushback from China.

While the extent of Japan's role in the event of a Taiwan emergency has not been thoroughly discussed and decided domestically, it appears that Japan’s involvement in some way is expected in most of the scenarios. Japanese academic Rira Momma goes over the possibilities.

Academic Chen Hongbin looks at the different scenarios of mainland China engaging in military reunification with Taiwan, and argues that Japan would do well to remain neutral in order to protect its land and people, rather than suffer serious consequences.

While international tourism and study can be a bridge towards cross-strait understanding and reconciliation, it can sometimes be deployed as a geopolitical gambit. Taiwanese academic Ho Ming-sho shares more.