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 ¡» New York Times, 2024-7-3 : China seized Taiwanese Boat (Fishing illegally) -  a move could add to tensions between Beijing and President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan.  ¡» The Atlantic Council, 2024-6-27: ... sufficient bravery, preparation, and will.  The Taiwanese ask themselves, ¡§Are we made of the same stuff?¡¨¡» Daily Express, 2024-6-23 : In a move that escalates already high tensions, China has issued a dire warning to Taiwan independence advocates, threatening them with the death penalty.  ¡» Reuters, 2024-6-2: Prospect of peaceful 'reunification' with Taiwan is being increasingly "eroded" by Taiwanese separatists and external forces, China says ¡» Daily Express, 2024-6-3: China's Defence Chief asserted that China's military is prepared to engage forcefully, and warned of an imminent "perilous situation of war and danger"  ¡» CNN, Reuters, Fox News, Independent (2024-5-17): Taiwan parliament brawl escalates into night as lawmakers shove, tackle and hit each other -  Taiwan's opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), along with the People's Party, wants parliament to have greater scrutiny over the government.  The clashes raise the prospect of more turmoil - and parliamentary conflict - ahead for Lai's new government after it takes office.

¡» Bloomberg, Yahoo, 2024-5-15: China said it would sanction five Taiwanese political commentators and roll out a law to punish ¡§separatists,¡¨ moves aimed at piling pressure on incoming president Lai Ching-te just days before he takes office ¡» Foreign Policy, 2024-5-12: China and the U.S. are numb to the real risk of war.  The pair are dangerously close to the edge of nuclear war over Taiwan¡Xagain.   ¡» Business Insider, 2024-5-10: China is untangling its economy from the West. It could be preparing for long-term tensions ¡X and an invasion of Taiwan ¡» ABC News, 2024-5-1:  Does China's economy make them more likely to invade Taiwan or less likely?  It may very well drive Xi if he thinks that he's not going to catch up with the United States in terms of being the biggest economy, it may drive him to go for this sooner. ¡» Wall Street Journal, 2024-4-30: Taiwan's economic growth beats expectations in strong start to year. ¡»  The Telegraph, 2024-4-30: The relentless purchases and the sheer quantity are clear signs that this is a political project which is prioritised by the leadership in Beijing because of what they see is a looming confrontation with the United States. ¡§Of course it¡¦s connected also to plans for a military invasion of Taiwan ¡» New York Times, 2024-4-23:  in the Foreign Aid Package, the House attached a provision that would allow the Pentagon to quickly provide Taiwan with more offensive weapons and provides billions more for the purchase of advanced U.S. weapons technology as the U.S. and Taiwanese governments continue to build up their alliances to deter China from invading the island. ¡» USNI News, 2024-4-23: Report to Congress on Taiwan Defense Issues - A key consideration for U.S. policymakers is whether and if so how to support Taiwan¡¦s ability to defend itself in a possible cross-Strait conflict without triggering such a conflict.  ¡»  SCMP, 2024-4-28: Cross-strait tourism has typically mirrored the ups and downs in relations between the island and mainland China. ¡» Daily Express (UK), 2024-4-27: China is gearing up to strike Taiwan and could hit the self-governed territory in just a few months as Beijing and the West lock horns ¡» SUN (UK), 2024-4-24: China building army in space ¡V tripling number of spy satellites amid Taiwan invasion fears ¡» Associated Press, The Hill, 2024-4-24: China blasts US military aid to Taiwan, saying the island is entering a ¡¥dangerous situation¡¦ ¡» Economist, 2024-4-18: China is talking to Taiwan's next leader, just not directly ... being granted an audience with Xi Jinping, Ma Ying-jeou (Taiwan's former president ) wrote that Mr Xi had ¡§extended an olive branch to us¡¨.  Mr Ma hoped that Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's next president, would ¡§put the people first and respond pragmatically¡¨. ¡» Reuters, 2024-4-19: Taiwan says new Chinese air routes threaten Taiwanese islands' flight safety ¡» Daily Express, 2024-4-19: China on brink of Taiwan invasion as NATO braces for World War III ¡» Wall Street Journal, 2024-4-13: many of Kinmen's (Taiwan's front-line, just 3 miles away from mainland)  residents have much more direct kinship ties to people on the mainland.  The use of force against Kinmen would signal that China can no longer hope to win the rest of Taiwan through anything but force, and would make such an invasion that much more difficult. ¡» Reuters, 2024-4-10: China's Xi says nobody can stop 'family reunion' with Taiwan ¡» Fox News, 2024-4-6: The largest coordinated display since last year - The incursion into Taiwanese territory by People's Liberation Army (PLA) planes and sea vessels followed a Tuesday phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden.¡» Newsweek, 2024-3-29 : China doubles down on friction in Taiwan's front-line islands ¡» Asia Times, 2024-3-27 : the government has failed to make military service a viable career choice - Military service is a hard life with low pay, bad housing and no GI-Bill sort of benefits... simply isn't respected in traditional Chinese society...  Taiwan's ¡§reserve force¡¨ is shambolic and that's being charitable.   There is no ¡§territorial¡¨ or militia force, either.   Taiwan also lacks a civil defense scheme. ¡» AFP, The Telegraph, 2024-3-24 : US military officials have warned that China could invade Taiwan by 2027 ¡» Washington Examiner, 2024-3-22: Adm. John Aquilino, U.S. Navy commander and head of the Indo-Pacific forces, told the House Armed Services Committee that America is steadily less prepared for a war with China that now appears to be right around the corner. ¡» New York Times, 2024-3-24 :  Two Chinese survivors told Chinese media that the Taiwanese vessel collided with them, while the Taiwanese Coast Guard said  the two boats ¡§made contact¡¨ at times during the chase.  Chinese officials are now waiting for a report from Taiwanese investigators into the death incident; tensions could climb if Beijing disputes their conclusions ¡» War On The Rocks, 2024-3-21:  Taipei has not made the necessary preparations. Taiwan's navy continues to prioritize small numbers of large surface combatants over acquiring the ¡§large number of small things,¡¨.. ¡» Daily Express, 2024-3-20 : World on the brink as Taiwan admits US troops stationed on Chinese border. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed in 2023 facilitated the deployment of these troops to conduct training programs for Taiwanese frontline forces. ¡» Wall Street Journal, 2024-3-18 : Without shifting to a full asymmetrical defense approach, Taiwan risks a quick defeat if invaded,  the Taiwanese military¡¦s penchant for pricey weapons limits funds for more effective tools such as shoulder-fired missiles. ¡§The asymmetrical approach advocated by some people would put the whole of Taiwan into a meat grinder" , said a former Taiwanese foreign-affairs official ¡» Daily Express, 2024-3-13:  Taiwan war with China given latest seal of approval by US with new deadly weapon (the Link 16 comm. system ) in a move set to escalate tensions between Taiwan and China delivery.  Link 16 acts as the brain and nervous system of Taiwan's military apparatus, places control firmly in US hands. ¡» The Hill, 2024-3-5: In China's legislature, Premier Li's report had stronger language on Taiwan - Dropping the word ¡§peace¡¨ combined with the phrase ¡§resolutely opposing Taiwan independence,¡¨ is what signals a stronger stance

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¡» New York Times, Beijing's awareness of its long-term challenges makes it more likely to gamble while America is tied down by other crises, internally divided¡» DW, 2024-2-16: the blockade would be a very special threat for Taiwan...  neither the conventional capability, nor asymmetric capability, can be effective to deter or defend for this operation  ¡» full text 

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¡» Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2024-2-9: Short of clearly committing to restraint and offering some sort of arrangement that could make people on Taiwan better off overall, CCP leaders are left only with the option to escalate confrontation through harsher means  ¡» Reuters, 2024-2-6:  the latest high-tech weapons delivered by the U.S. were often locked up in storehouses. The armed forces as burdened by "unprofessionalism, defeatism and Chinese nationalism". ¡» Business Insider, 2024-2-6: During last year's APEC summit, Chinese leader Xi Jinping reportedly told President Joe Biden that China fully intends to take over Taiwan ¡X a move that could result in a hot war in the region  ¡» War On The Rocks, 2024-1-31:  Over the course of 2023, more than 1,700 Chinese aircraft breached Taiwan's air defense identification zone, 703 of which crossed the median line. ¡» Reuters, 2024-1-31: American military logistics in the Pacific is one of the greatest U.S. vulnerabilities in any potential conflict over Taiwan. Our ability to deter conflict in the Western Pacific over the next five years is not close to where it needs to be  ¡» The Telegraph, 2024-1-26: The PLA is in crisis. That won't stop China invading Taiwan. the US intelligence community and Defense Department have consistently underestimated the capabilities of the People's Liberation Army and its intentions  ¡» Defense News, 2024-1-25: China¡¦s military has declared it is ¡§ready to fight¡¨ after large-scale combat exercises simulating sealing off Taiwan. To deter China, the US and Taiwan should seek asymmetric symmetry  ¡» Semafor, 2024-1-24: according to Foreign Policy, Taiwan¡¦s ruling Democratic Progressive Party lacks many military commanders who advocate asymmetrical warfare and a ¡§porcupine strategy:¡¨ deterring Beijing with a smaller stockpile of more effective weapons. Security officials within the party have historically called for reinforcing the island with big tanks, submarines, and fighter jets that ¡§Washington thinks Taiwan doesn't need¡¨ ¡» AFP, 2024-1-14: Beijing could apply an economic squeeze on Taiwan, which would "set the terms of interaction for the next four years of cross-strait relations". President-elect Lai's party lose its majority - Any legislation regarding cross-strait relations would be difficult to pass¡» Barron's, 2024-1-9: Experts consider an all-out invasion unlikely in the near term, but discussions are still happening within security circles from Taipei to Washington. ¡» Washington Post, Daily Express, 2024-1-9: Tensions between China and Taiwan are reaching new highs ahead of this weekend's elections. Taiwan issues red alert after Chinese satellite flies over airspace. This appears to be the first time the Taiwanese government has issued a similar island-wide alert, and comes just days before Taiwan is to hold pivotal presidential and legislative elections  ¡» Washington Post, 2024-1-5: The shortage of missiles is especially dire, as the Wall Street Journal reports, noting a simulation that found ¡§America would run out of all-important long-range anti-ship missiles within the first week¡¨ of a war over Taiwan. The best path to preventing a war of ¡§unification¡¨ is probably to postpone it, ideally indefinitely, through fictions such as the ¡§one China¡¨ policy ¡»  Washington Times, 2024-1-5: In the event of a DPP victory, Beijing's first move may be directed not at Taiwan but at the White House. Chinese President Xi Jinping's ¡§recent statements emphasizing the urgency of reunification make it unlikely for him to accept defeat gracefully.¡»  The Guardian, 2024-1-5: Ultimately, as voters know, next weekend's Taiwan presidential election is likely to be less consequential in geopolitical terms than this year's US presidential race and its ultimate winner ¡» The Hill, 2024-1-6: Often characterized as a proxy war between the superpowers, the reality of the situation is far more nuanced and indicative of a complex geopolitical chess game where, surprisingly, both the U.S. and China stand to gain regardless of the election's outcome ¡» Foreign Affairs, 2024-1-5: U.S. support for Ukraine diverts weapons from Taiwan but demonstrates resolve to China ¡» The Globe and Mail, 2024-1-5:The tragedy of Taiwan is that a clash with China is inevitable¡»  ABC Australia, 2024-1-3: As China flexes its military muscles, everyday citizens in Taiwan are preparing for war.  China has more than 2 million active personnel compared to Taiwan's 170,000 troops, as well as five times as many tanks and six times as many fighter aircraft.  War today might not unfold as it did in the past ¡K nowadays, hybrid warfare blurs the lines between peacetime and wartime.  ¡» full text