Tsai Ing-wen — 9DASHLINE

The strawman defence is torching Taiwan’s military

Written by Michael Lostumbo

Taiwan should assess its existing force and all future investments and evaluate them from the lens of their warfighting potential, which should be the primary focus for their military.

A new cut of the cloth: Exploring Beijing’s tailored response to the Tsai-McCarthy meeting

Written by Rorry Daniels

Beijing long signalled that it would respond to a Tsai-McCarthy meeting, but its actions did not break precedent and in many ways showed restraint.

The EU and Taiwan, partners for human rights and the defence of democracy

Written by Dr Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy

The world has taken note that Taiwan sits on the frontline of authoritarianism, whereby not only its own democracy, but democracy at large is under threat. It is in this context that Taiwan’s relevance, its global profile and, most importantly, its readiness to defend democracy must be appreciated.

Reading tea leaves: Taiwan’s November 2022 ‘midterm’ elections

Written by Alexander C. Tan

With the 2024 presidential and legislative elections about two years away — which might as well be an eternity in politics — the DPP has time to regroup and recalibrate its message.

Italy-China relations under Meloni: Less hard-line than expected

Written by Lorenzo Lamperti

Unable to presently guarantee total alignment when it comes to sharing the American point of view on Russia and the current war in Ukraine, Meloni has chosen to present herself as fully aligned with Washington on the Chinese front.

Taiwan's midterm elections are about more than geopolitics

Written by Brian Hioe

Local midterm elections are more often about domestic issues than international, cross-strait ones, and it would be misleading to view Taiwanese politics solely through the frame of cross-strait issues.

Despite IPEF setback, Taiwan-ASEAN ties are on the right track

Written by Marshall Reid and Zoe Weaver-Lee

Fuelled by rapidly growing private investment, state-led cooperative initiatives and broader changes in regional trade flows, Taiwan has established itself as a key economic player in the ASEAN region.

Taiwan: Partisanship and identity struggles create exploitable loopholes for Beijing

Written by Thomas Chan

The acutely partisan nature and resentment between pan-Blue and pan-Green politicians could render it a continuous shouting contest and ultimately desensitise the population from any genuine concerns and escalation.

2022: Taiwan and its continued push for recognition

9DASHLINE invites a select group of experts to explore how Taiwan may circumvent its diplomatic isolation and be included as a reliable partner in international efforts seeking a transition towards a greener, healthier and more resilient world.

Countering disinformation together: First steps towards stronger EU-Taiwan ties

Written by Meghan Shoop

Future cooperation could include Taiwanese and EU think tanks working with one another to study authoritarian regimes’ current disinformation strategies and the effectiveness of various efforts to combat disinformation.

Three hawks and a dove: Defence issues and the 2021 LDP election

Written by Corey Wallace

Kishida’s increasingly muscular security stances also reflect toughening attitudes towards China within Japan’s political elites and public opinion throughout the spectrum. Ultimately, it is very likely that the Chinese government will be disappointed that Kishida is not a sheep in wolf’ clothing.

The future of South Korea’s feminist movement

Written by Shan-Jan Sarah Liu

Gendered expectations of women in South Korea are long-established and thus make the current feminist breakthrough even more significant than it might be in western societies. Recent developments illustrate that feminism can be an empowering tool for young South Korean women to stand in solidarity with one another in fighting misogyny.

Taiwan’s fight against COVID-19: Balancing pandemic control with democratic oversight and rule of law

Written by Grace Faerber

Taiwanese society must rally its democratically elected representatives in the Legislative Yuan and Executive Yuan to take a hard look at the “necessary measures” currently in place and determine if one daily domestic case truly warrants such a wide margin of executive discretion and infringement on individual privacy.

Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific: Relevance and geopolitical implications

Written by Huynh Tam Sang

Expanding on the new, positive momentum in EU-Taiwan relations, Mr Gahler also underscored the role of the European Parliament’s decision to work on its first-ever stand-alone report on Taiwan in its Foreign Affairs Committee, evaluating the prospects of broadening and deepening cooperation between Brussels and Taipei.

Challenging ethnonationalism from the Matsu Islands

Written by Wen Lii

While countries in East Asia, such as China, Japan or South Korea, may not hold particular strengths in fostering a multi-ethnic environment, Taiwan could look towards Europe or Southeast Asia to devise feasible approaches towards encouraging regional identities.