Cross Strait — 9DASHLINE

Will friction over Taiwan spark a US-China war?

Written by Rorry Daniels

Although there is an optimistic case to make that Taiwan is not the kindling for a great power ‘bonfire’, the tenuous bargain that has protected cross-Taiwan Strait peace and stability for 40 years is under intensified threat and requires mindful attention to preserve the peace in US-China and cross-Strait relations.

Cross-Strait relations amid the CPC’s centenary celebration

Written by Li-chia Lo

Strategic ambiguity used to provide a grey area for cross-strait communications and provided some stability in the region. But the CPC's "unshakeable commitment" may spell the end of strategic ambiguity and force all parties to play on their own terms.

The geostrategic criticality of Taiwan

Written by Gerald C Brown

Outside of the South China Sea, Taiwan’s occupation would put China right at the doorstep of Japan's Ryukyu Islands, the string of small islands stretching from Taiwan to the Japanese mainland, including US military bases in Okinawa. Many of the islands would become far closer to China than Japan and would be well in range of Chinese Anti-Access/Area-Denial (A2/AD) capabilities.

Edge of democracy: China’s influence on Taiwan’s ‘frontline’ islands

Written by Wen Lii

Kinmen and Matsu continue to face challenges from across the Strait — whether in the form of sand dredgers or false narratives — their location on the border continues to offer us a glimpse of China’s increasingly diverse toolbox of exerting influence, while also spurring Taiwan and the rest of the democratic world to devise more creative methods of coping with them.