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 Strait on Brink of War, Defense Minister Admits Trouble Sleeping
The Kinmen incident has led to a rising spiral of hostilities between Taiwan and China and precipitated a turbulent situation across the Taiwan Strait.
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Contradicting Cross-Strait Assessments：Tsai Administration Creates Unease
Amidst the breakdown of cross-strait negotiations over the Kinmen-Xiamen maritime dispute, Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng conveyed two crucial messages during interpellation at the Legislative Yuan.
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Cross-Strait Relations at Critical Moment：Xi's Peaceful Tone Remains Un-changed
This year's Two Sessions, the annual plenary sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), have been marked by a notable emphasis on Taiwan-related statements.
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This Week in Taiwan 0303-0309
March 4: The Armed Forces' precision missile training policy has undergone significant changes. All branches of the military will no longer conserve or limit the use of precision ammunition. Instead, they will increase the training frequency for actual combat shooting. This new policy will be implemented starting in April, with the first training session taking place at the Jiupeng Base in Pingtung. During this exercise, they will practice command and control procedures for counter-attacking enemy forces in wartime. Scholars affirm that practical shooting training is a necessary policy and a response to deter potential mainland Chinese military action against Taiwan.
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Beyond Blocking Mainland Chinese Spouses：DPP Seeks Enemies Within Taiwan
Kuomintang (KMT) legislators are pushing for legal amendments to reduce the naturalization period for mainland Chinese spouses from the current six years to four years, aiming for equal treatment with other foreign spouses.
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Kinmen Incident May Lead to Taiwan's Ceding Territory and Paying Indemnities
On February 14, a mainland Chinese nameless, unregistered, and uncertified fishing boat capsized during pursuit by Taiwan Coast Guard ships for trespass off the coast of Kinmen resulting in the deaths of two Chinese fishermen.
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Cross-Strait Scholars Dialogue, DPP China Affairs Director：Taiwan Independence Party Charter a "Historical Document"
In the aftermath of the incident where Taiwan’s Coast Guard patrol led to the capsizing of a mainland Chinese fishing boat crossing the Kinmen border, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials exchanged a video call meeting with mainland scholars, in order to promote the idea of a "DPP-Communist Party Dialogue."
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This Week in Taiwan 0225-0302
February 27: "Project Syndicate" published a co-authored article by former Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) president Ching-tai Shih, former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) Vice President Ben Lin, and University of Chicago economics professor Chang Tai-hsieh titled "How America’s CHIPS Act Hurts Taiwan." The article criticizes the United States for encouraging Taiwan semiconductor manufacturers to relocate to the United States through high subsidies. This move could potentially lead to TSMC's loss of innovation momentum and the erosion of Taiwan's leading position in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, ultimately affecting Taiwan's economy and even American national security.
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TSMC's Kumamoto Facility Inaugurated, Morris Chang：AI to Drive Surge in Chip
The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has inaugurated its Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM) Kumamoto Fab with an investment of US$8.6 billion.
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TSMC Kumamoto Plant Faces Three Major Challenges, Moving Supply Chain to Japan Tested
TSMC Short of Talent, Taiwan-Based Supply Chain Faces Competition Challenges
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