Latest news with #cross-strait
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Risk of military mishap rising as PLA steps up ‘salami slicing': former Taiwan minister
The risks of a cross-strait military accident are on the rise as Beijing steps up pressure on Taiwan, a former Taiwanese defence official has warned, citing the lack of direct communication channels between the two sides. Advertisement Andrew Yang Nien-dzu, who served as Taiwan's deputy defence minister for four years and briefly held the role of minister, spoke to the South China Morning Post on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue , Asia's premier security conference. Yang raised concerns over the increasing 'grey zone operations' by Beijing, including the more frequent activities by its coastguard forces near Taiwan. These were more difficult to handle, he said, as they 'are not actually military operations but carry a military message .' 'Although there have not been accidental conflicts [between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait], this kind of activity has placed immense pressure on us,' he said. Yang also voiced concerns about the lack of official communication between Beijing and Taipei since 2016. Advertisement Exchanges were suspended that year after the previous Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen took office and refused to accept the one-China principle. Formal talks remain halted under current leader William Lai Ching-te who, like Tsai, is from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Why Taiwan's Lai Ching-te was silent on cross-strait relations
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@ or filling in this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification Many had watched to see if Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te would clarify his cross-strait policy in his speech last week marking his first anniversary in office. Yet in his remarks – his most internationally scrutinised speech to date – he made no mention of it. Some may see this as flexible de-escalation or a goodwill gesture. But in fact, Lai had little choice: constrained by US policy uncertainty and limited leverage over Beijing, he had to resort to evasion and strategic self-censorship. Seen as a proponent of Taiwanese independence, Lai has asserted the two sides are ' not subordinate to each other '. His administration has also tightened controls on cross-strait exchanges, from banning academic ties to regulating mainland Chinese spouses and drafting regulatory mechanisms to oversee Taiwanese residents in mainland China. These actions have raised concerns about the systematic dismantling of regular social and interpersonal ties across the Strait. Though Lai pushes rhetorical boundaries, his diplomatic doctrine remains simple. He has relinquished Taiwan's ability to manage cross-strait relations and instead pinned all hopes on a harder-line US posture towards Beijing. Yet such a strategy does not always guarantee returns.
South China Morning Post
22-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Why did Taiwan's William Lai tone down his rhetoric on mainland China?
In his address on Tuesday, Lai – the man Beijing brands as a troublemaker – made no mention of mainland China or cross-strait relations, an omission that observers saw as a calculated departure from his typically assertive rhetoric on Beijing and Taiwan's self-governing status. Lai also extended an olive branch to the island's opposition parties – the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) and the smaller opposition Taiwan People's Party – by offering to brief their leaders on national security matters. It was a noticeable shift in tone. Since taking office on May 20 last year, Lai has regularly used major public addresses to assert that Taiwan and the mainland ' are not subordinate to each other ' and described Beijing as a 'hostile foreign force'. But on Tuesday, Lai only mentioned Beijing when asked by reporters.
CNA
21-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Taiwan's President Lai faces pressures abroad, at home as he marks one year in office
TAIPEI: As Taiwan's President William Lai Ching-te begins his second year in office, his minority government is grappling with mounting challenges both domestically and internationally. Cross-strait relations are tense as China continues to pile increased military pressure on Taiwan, fuelled by Beijing's loathing of Lai, who is a staunch defender of Taiwan's sovereignty. His administration is also navigating heightened uncertainties over ties with its key ally the United States, amid an increasingly volatile global trade landscape brought on by US President Donald Trump's tariff war. At home, Lai is facing simmering dissatisfaction from the public, with one recent opinion poll putting his disapproval rating at 45.7 per cent – the highest since he took office a year ago. CROSS-STRAIT TENSIONS In his speech marking one year in office on Tuesday (May 20), Lai called for peace and dialogue with China, warning that war has no winners. But he also highlighted the need to continue strengthening Taiwan's defences, saying that preparing for war is the best way to avoid it. 'As long as there is mutual respect and dignity, Taiwan is very willing to engage in exchanges and cooperation with China,' Lai said during his address at the presidential office in Taipei. 'We aim to replace blockade with dialogue, and to replace confrontation with conversation, moving towards a direction of peaceful coexistence and mutual prosperity.' Observers said Lai's remarks on cross-strait relations was muted in contrast to his inauguration speech a year ago, when he mentioned China several times and used terms that Beijing considers as implying Taiwan's equality with China. In the months that followed, Beijing made its displeasure known by stepping up military drills in the waters and airspace near Taiwan. Beijing – which sees Taiwan as part of its territory – has previously branded Lai a "separatist" for his rhetoric and blamed him for cross-strait tensions, rebuffing his offers for talks. James Yifan Chen, an assistant professor at New Taipei City's Tamkang University, said the Taiwanese president likely steered clear of the issue in his anniversary speech to avoid risking Beijing's response with more military drills. 'Beijing's military action against Taiwan … creates the image that under Lai's administration, cross-strait relations have gone from bad to worse,' he told CNA's East Asia Tonight programme. 'So, he knows if he talks too much about China, especially in (a) provocative way, then China may respond again.' DOMESTIC POLITICS In the past year, Lai has taken a much tougher stance against China than his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen, even though he is governing from a weaker position with a minority government. In the Legislative Yuan – Taiwan's parliament – many of his policies have been blocked by the opposition. To take back control of the parliament, Lai's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), working with civic groups, has launched a laborious impeachment process against dozens of opposition lawmakers. Associate Professor Huang Kwei-Bo of the National Chengchi University said the DPP's focus on political power plays could expose Taiwan to greater external economic and security risks. 'Eventually, the public may come to realise that regardless of the outcome of the so-called mass impeachments, Taiwan may be entering another precarious phase,' cautioned the diplomacy professor. TAIWAN-US TIES Already, Taiwan has found itself in uncharted waters with Trump's recent tariff policies. Despite being close allies, Taiwan was hit with a steep tariff of 32 per cent on all imports into the US. A 90-day pause later put in place by Trump has allowed an opportunity for trade partners to negotiate with Washington. Taiwan was America's seventh largest trading partner last year, with total trade at NT$4.832 trillion (US$158.6 billion). Top sectors in Taiwan that export to the US are data processing equipment, integrated circuits, agriculture, electronics and other components. A historic surge in the value of the New Taiwan dollar has also sparked fears that the island is surrendering control of its economic policy to appease the Trump administration's obsession with balanced trade. Huang added that with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) rushing to invest in America, the island could lose 'all its bargaining chips in its dealing with the US'. The semiconductor giant is the world's largest contract chipmaker and a leading supplier to major US hardware manufacturers. In March, it announced plans to make a fresh US$100 billion investment in the US that involves building five additional chip facilities there in coming years. Tamkang University's Chen said that since Trump took office, Washington has been prioritising trade over the security interests of its allies. This is especially in contrast with former President Joe Biden's administration, which had shown stronger and more direct support for Taiwan. 'The US seems to be more urgent to negotiate a trade deal with China. Taiwan is not yet on the radar of the US' strategic planning yet. The Lai administration has to spend much more work to get connected with the US administration,' Chen said. 'I think Taiwan should try to find a way to co-exist with China … and balance its approach between the US and China.' Experts have called the current political landscape arguably one of the most complex that any Taiwanese leader has faced in years.
