Taiwan Weekly is a newsletter released every week by Fair Winds Foundation, Association of Foreign Relations and Taipei Forum that provides coverage and perspectives into the latest developments in Taiwan.
Taiwan is counting down to the four-question referendum vote on December 18.
DetailsOctober 24: According to Italy's Corriere della Sera, China is putting pressure on the Holy See to sever diplomatic relations with Taiwan to establish diplomatic ties with the mainland. The Holy See insisted on establishing an embassy in Beijing first before discussing Taiwan-Vatican relations. The mainland did not yield on this issue, and the talks fell into deadlock.
DetailsOn October 21, President Joe Biden responded on CNN twice to the question, "Will the United States defend Taiwan if China attacks Taiwan?" by saying: "Yes, we have a commitment to do that."
DetailsThe remarks and posture from President Joe Biden down to important government officials in recent months highlighted that the United States has entered a state of chaos and no guiding principles in its current Taiwan or cross-strait policy.
DetailsDespite the all-out help of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and a high voter turnout rate of nearly 52 percent, could not stop constituent voters from recalling Legislator Chen Po-wei, Taiwan Statebuilding Party (TSP) Legislator in Taichung.
DetailsOctober 17: Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Huang Kuo-shu was reported by the media that he was an informant for the intelligence when he was a student. Huang was expelled from the New Tide faction of the DPP a few months ago. He posted an apology on Facebook on October 17 for his actions at the time and announced his withdrawal from the DPP and the DPP caucus of the Legislative Yuan. After his current term expires, he will not seek re-election, meaning that he is likely to withdraw from politics in three years. Huang's frank confession shocked both the ruling and opposition parties. It is rumored that several other members of the DPP were informants and are still active in the political arena.
DetailsPresident Vladimir Putin of Russia said to a United States reporter during the Russia Energy Week conference on October 13 that China is a huge and powerful economy, and through economic strength, China is fully capable of achieving its goal to unify Taiwan.
DetailsIn a rare public comment on how Beijing could unify Taiwan, President Vladimir Putin of Russia stated in a recent interview that China is now the world's top economy and is already ahead of the United States, and that it does not need to use force to achieve the goal of unification with Taiwan but can do so through economic strength.
DetailsA new book Peril recently set off a wave of heated discussion in Washington.
DetailsOctober 11: In response to President Tsai Ing-wen's remarks that the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, the mainland's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) of the State Council criticized the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities as conspiring independence and provoking the mainland. According to the TAO, this is the source of tension and turbulence which threatens the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Details