This Week in Taiwan 0609-0615
June 10: Emma Sky, former NATO advisor to Afghanistan, visited Taiwan and proposed the idea of a "peace game." She hopes that both sides of the Taiwan Strait can put more effort into peace simulations rather than focusing solely on military exercises. Despite the deterrence policy advocated by Taiwan and the United States, Sky believes that the emphasis on arms buildup is excessive, and deterrence goes beyond military means.
June 11: On the morning of June 9, a former lieutenant commander of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy piloted a speedboat into the Tamsui Ferry Terminal without being detected, passing by Coast Guard radar stations and watchtowers. He came from mainland China's Fuzhou Ningde Port and traveled over 250 kilometers in 15 hours. This incident raised concerns about national defense and security. Premier Cho Jung-tai apologized during a legislative session and requested reviews by the Ministry of National Defense and Ocean Affairs Council.
June 11: Wang Yi-chuan, policy director of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), recently revealed that he analyzed crowd data related to political movements using mobile phone signal location. This sparked controversy over the surveillance of citizens. Opposition party legislators disclosed that the party affairs executive meeting last month saw cross-referenced reports from Chunghwa Telecom's subsidiary "True Digital" and questioned whether this was Wang's information source. The meeting was attended by the DPP's acting secretary-general and deputy secretary-general.
June 12: Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced the establishment of a regional-scale, large data center in Taiwan named "Asia Pacific (Taipei)." It is expected to go live in early 2025, with an investment of several billion U.S. dollars over the next 15 years. This move demonstrates AWS's intention to catch up with Google and Microsoft and solidify the company's position as a leading cloud service provider in Taiwan. All three major global cloud service providers will now have a presence in Taiwan.
June 12: Amid strong expectations from the tourism industry for cross-strait group tours to resume, Minister of Transportation and Communications Li Meng-yen clarified that there is no demand for mainland China to fully open group tours. However, if China shows goodwill, for instance, by reopening the "mini three links" for group tours or permitting individual travel, Taiwan is prepared to gradually reciprocate. Taiwan is ready to welcome mainland tourists to Taiwan.
June 13: In an exclusive interview with Time, President Lai Ching-te stated that the mention of the Republic of China (ROC) and People's Republic of China (PRC) as not subordinate to one another in his inaugural address is not a first nor meant to be provocative. Former President Tsai Ing-wen mentioned this position in her 2021 National Day address; former President Ma Ying-jeou also stated that the R.O.C. is sovereign and independent, and the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not subordinate to one another.
Ma criticized President Lai's recent remarks as sophistry, emphasizing that "two states not subordinate to each other" and "two sides not subordinate to each other" are distinct concepts, and Lai should not use wordplay to deceive non-Chinese speakers.
June 13: The Taipei-Shanghai Twin City Forum this year will be held in Taipei. Director Zhong Xiaomin of Shanghai's Taiwan Affairs Office arrived in Taipei to discuss details and meet with Mayor Chiang Wan-an of Taipei. Both sides reached a consensus of "good for both cities, good for cross-strait cities," aiming for substantial exchanges. The Twin City Forum serves as a manifestation of a "peace game," which aligns with the Mainland Affairs Council's positive stance. Regarding whether to invite Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng, the Taipei City Government stated that it would submit an application for such an invitation to the Mainland Affairs Council, according to legal procedures.
June 13: The 4,000-ton patrol vessel "Hsinchu" of the Coast Guard Administration (CGA), Ocean Affairs Council was found docked in Honolulu, Hawaii, ahead of the upcoming Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) on June 26. The CGA confirmed that the Hsinchu was on a Pacific patrol mission, but further details remain undisclosed. Scholars interpret this as a gradual implementation of U.S.-Taiwan coast guard cooperation.