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♦♦♦♦ Taiwan, a corrupt country ♦♦♦♦♦ Taiwan's military, in infancy stage♦ ♦♦ ♦ Taiwan president shoots in his foot ♦♦♦ ♦ Taiwan, freedom & democracy? ♦ ♦ US skepticism from Taiwan ♦ ♦ Taiwan leaders - liars? ♦ ♦ same-sex marriage in Taiwan on purpose ? ♦♦ Taiwan president's secret life?♦ ♦ mind control weaponry in Taiwan ♦♦ China's invasion of Taiwan ♦♦♦ disinformation, interference from foreign countries ♦♦ Taiwan - lowest trust rates in the media among democracies

No.1 "opinion on Taiwan" on Yandex, 2024-12-18 (Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen on the pic.)

Key Points ── Taiwan is ... ?
a country of democracy?	Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Director General (2024-10-20, by CNA): "credibility deficit" is "a real Achilles heel of Taiwanese democracy"; Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Only 33 % of respondents said they trusted most news most of the time.
a country of corruption?	The Diplomat (2024-9-11): Corruption and patronage are “in the DNA” of local politics. “Almost all [high-level] politicians come from local politics", "A bottom-up spoils system is thus cultivated"...
independent judiciary?	♦ War On The Rocks (2024-9-20): Washington observers might worry that Taiwan's president Lai Ching-te is undermining the independence of the judicial system. ♦ Country Reports on Human Rights Practices , 2024-4-22 : Some political commentators and academics, publicly questioned the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high profile, politically sensitive cases. ♦ TaiwanPlus (2023-3-6): 85% of people in Taiwan think public prosecutors can be subject to political influence. a majority said they believed prosecutors engage in corruption behaviour when handling cases.
a free country?	Global Times (2022-12-19) : There are forces on the island of Taiwan are mentally controlling Taiwan people.
a country of free expression ?	The minister of National Defence : whoever's messages or words are to our disadvantage and to the opposite side's advantage, for our initial judgment, will be sent to the prosecution/police and investigation. Going through a long time legal process leads to chilling effect which is the rulers want. (「任何訊息、言論對我不利，對對方有利，初步就認為是在地協力者」，啟動檢調警國家機器，足以收震懾威嚇之效；再經司法程序一路折騰，即使還其清白，也已被剥掉幾層皮。只准報喜不許唱憂，正是統治者要的寒蟬效應！) chinatimes.com/opinion/20240312004516-262101?chdtv udn.com/news/story/7338/7836324?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2 March 2024
infancy military	♦ Financial Times (UK), 2024-7-21:“People don't realise the stage of infancy the military is in". ♦ National Interest (2023-7-16) : Taiwanese President announced a plan to extend the compulsory conscription program but received backlash from younger Taiwanese. Roll Call (2022-9-28): Most people do not want to join the military...
for details ... pls. see articles below and links above

OPinion ♣♣ ♣Taiwan's determination to resist China

♣

Taiwan's determination to fight

Taiwan

prominent Republicans, e.g., JD Vance, Elbridge Colby, etc

♦ Politico (2024-11-23): Former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said that the United States should prioritize helping Ukraine despite the looming threat of a Chinese cross-strait invasion of the self-governing island.

♦ According to Brookings (2024-5-14), Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te is not a wild-eyed zealot with a one-track-minded focus on Taiwan independence. He is a professional politician who has organized his career around becoming Taiwan's president. Now he will want to win reelection.

If Taiwan's president (Lai Ching-te or Tsai Ing-wen) has the determination to fight until the end, they could change Taiwan's military service system (National Interest , 2024-7-30: Taiwan does not have a strong draft ) ; but pro. politicians have electoral considerations. Military reform is not very popular to youngsters.

♦ The Conversation (2024-8-16, Australia): According to some Taiwanese observers, the people of Taiwan would be unwilling to pay such a heavy price ( in terms of lost lives and a shattered economy, like Ukraine does ) to preserve its political autonomy.

♦ National Interest (2024-7-30): Taiwan's politicians likely realize better than Washington that Taiwanese voters may not be as inclined to make the kind of heavy sacrifices that are necessary to defend their freedom as the Ukrainians, Israelis, Finns, or Swiss.

♦ CFR.org (Council on Foreign Relations, 2024-7-19): Vance recently stated, “the thing that we can control now is making it costly for them to invade Taiwan, and we're not doing that because we're sending all the damn weapons to Ukraine and not Taiwan.”

♦ American Reservative (2024-7-6) Taiwan's government often argues that its security is closely linked to that of Ukraine, the world should be “defending Taiwan by defending Ukraine”; U.S. military support for Ukraine “does not detract from the defense of places such as Taiwan.” Unfortunately, this simply isn't true.

♦ Elbridge Colby (May 11 2024, Taipei Times): China could strike with little warning. There are few visible indicators of a society preparing to repel an attack as one might see in, say, Israel. Taiwan may be banking on the idea that China will not invade. Taiwan may be thinking that, the US can always be counted on to come to its rescue. But our leaders cannot and realistically will not ask the American people to sacrifice for Taiwan at a cost that would be intolerable to the US.

♦ Politico (2024-11-23): U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. Samuel Paparo said that supplying weapons to Ukraine had begun to affect the U.S. military's ability to prepare for a conflict in Asia.

2024-11-29

OPinion ♣♣ ♣Taiwan's military ── in the stage of infancy ♣

♣

Military Structure
　

Financial Times (UK), 2024-7-21: an expert of the Atlantic Council said, “People don't realise the stage of infancy the military is in"; "They have to start training them to do very basic things". the Taiwan military's core problem, is operational-level and tactical-level decision-making", Their structure is very hierarchical, almost Soviet-style." The biggest problem was the general staff's planning process, they need to learn to adapt operational plans to a changing situation in wartime in rapid, live planning cycles.

Taiwan leaders

National Interest (2024-7-20) : ...... Taiwan out to be less of a sovereign state in need of help, and more a vassal state to America. it would appear that the main aim of Taiwan's national defense is to wait for the Americans and their allies to come rolling in ...Taiwanese leaders need to know how unlikely this reality is.

Foreign Policy (10-19-2020) : Given these electoral realities, Taiwan's leaders have gravitated toward military showpieces—while hoping that the United States will save the day if China ever attacks.

Weapons

nAssociated Press (2023-10-9) : Some in Congress want to cut Ukraine aid and boost Taiwan's. But Taiwan sees its fate tied to Kyiv's New York Times (2023-5-30) : Taiwan Ambassador Hsiao Bi-Khim (current vice president) rebuted those arguments and says Ukraine's success against Russia will deter China. "I think pushing back on aggression is the key message that will help to deter any consideration or miscalculation that an invasion can be conducted unpunished, without costs, in a rapid way”.

Taiwan's former Foreign Minister Joseph Wu ( 吳釗燮, current Secretary General of Taiwan's National Security Council) thinks the same - the world should be “defending Taiwan by defending Ukraine. He made it clear that linking Taiwan to Ukraine is a priority of Taiwan's government.

nAmerican Reservative (2024-7-6) : Wu went further, however, with the unqualified statement that U.S. military support for Ukraine “does not detract from the defense of places such as Taiwan.” Unfortunately, this simply isn't true.

nElbridge Colby (Washington Examiner, 2023-6-1) said that Hsiao's suggestion that weapons stocks don't matter is particularly ridiculous. Still, Taiwan definitely needs Stingers, Javelins, and Patriot missiles — and a lot of them. Unfortunately, Stingers don't grow on trees. "If Taiwan is so blithe about its own defense, why should Americans stick their necks out? How much should Americans be willing to suffer if Taiwan isn't even prepared to advocate for its own defense? Taiwan's defense is already a tough case. She's making it a lot tougher."

nCFR.org (Council on Foreign Relations, 2024-7-19): Some prominent Republicans, including Vance, have argued that providing military assistance to Ukraine detracts from the ability to deter a Chinese attack on Taiwan.
nWashington Examiner (2024-7-19) : Taiwanese leaders have also, if unintentionally, encouraged the United States to prioritize aiding Ukraine over boosting American capabilities in the Indo-Pacific. This, too, is a mistake. A Sino-American conflict would be the most devastating war in more than half a century, likely leaving many thousands of Americans dead and entailing attacks on the homeland. Americans can't, and shouldn't, be expected to fight and die for a nation that won't protect itself.

The public

Some media publicize fake news - most Taiwanese are willing to join the army.

nNational Interest, 2023-7-16 : Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen announced a plan to extend the compulsory conscription program but received backlash from younger Taiwanese.

n Roll Call, 2022-9-28: Most people do not want to join the military... general public, especially young parents, those people from 40 to 50 and their children, will fight against that policy...

n Washington Examiner, 2022-9-20: It's one thing to tell a pollster that you're willing to fight and die for your country. It's a different thing to take painstaking steps to prepare for that eventuality. And the hard truth is that far too few Taiwanese are currently taking those steps.

n China Times (Taiwan), 2022-9-28: 81.5% of Taiwanese youth oppose lengthening Taiwan's mandatory military service to one year. World media wrongly report Taiwanese people are willing to be on the battlefield. chinatimes.com/opinion/20220927005188-262101?chdtv

nFinancial Times, 2022-12-27: The conscription reform follows years of increasing US pressure on Taiwan to strengthen its defences. Financial Times (UK), 2021-9-15 : Washington keeps scolding Taipei over its supposed lack of preparation against an ever mightier Beijing.

Military capacity - to resist an attack by China

nWall Street Journal (2024-7-18): Taiwan would struggle to defend itself alone from an amphibious assault or blockade even with heroic military effort.

nTaiwan's United Daily (2024-3-14, udn.com/news/story/6656/7830786?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2): Former minister of Defense Li (李傑) said we can resist 2 weeks to wait the US comes to help; another former minister Yen (嚴明) said one month, former minister Gao (高華柱) said at least one month, former chief of the general staff Liu (劉和謙) said two weeks ...

nBarron's, AFP (France), 2024-7-22: Japan has reportedly concluded that a ground landing in Taiwan by Chinese troops would now be "possible in less than a week" instead of the previous estimate of a month. NBC News (2024-5-28): expert says the Chinese military could seize Taiwan's government buildings in under an hour nbcnews.com/now/video/expert-says-the-chinese-military-could-seize-taiwan-s-government-buildings-in-under-an-hour-211721797548

nShould the US will come to rescue, how long does it take ? RAND ( Jun. 2023) (rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1658-1.html) : Taiwan's capacity to resist an attack by China for 90 days—the amount of time plausibly required for the United States to marshal sufficient forces to carry out an intervention in East Asia.

Military budget

nJapan's Kyodo News (2023-7-28): The military balance between China and Taiwan is "rapidly tilting to China's favor," and the gap appears to be growing year by year."

Semafor (2024-7-19) : Elbridge Colby has suggested the island spend between 5% and 10% of its GDP on defense.

nTaiwan's current budget - 2.5% of its GDP . A member of KMT lawmaker Ko said "at least 5% of its GDP on defense" would likely be impossible to achieve.

nNew York Post (2024-7-22): Taiwan reacts to Trump's they "should pay us for defense" comments - Reactions were mixed - some expressing varying degrees of agreement and others pointing out that Taiwan is still waiting for some $19 billion worth of already-purchased American weapons.

nSCMP (2024-7-21): Under the previous Trump administration, US arms sales to Taiwan reached a record high of US$18.3 billion over four years, compared to the US$6.3 billion so far during the presidency of Joe Biden. However, Associated Press (2023-10-9): as much as $19 billion worth of weapons sold to Taiwan have been delayed. (They have not come till present Jul. 25, 2024 )

nIndependent (UK, 2024-7-21): there are no legal guarantees that a new resident of the White House couldn't cancel these transfers by executive order, if they deemed it to be in the US's interests. Asia Times (2023-1-7): NDAA ─ Typical of Washington chicanery, Taipei pays first for a possible future delivery of advanced weapons. Based on past records, Taipei holding an empty bag is not beyond the realm. asiatimes.com/2023/01/2023-bodes-poorly-for-us-international-relations/ Fox News (2024-7-22), Cato Institute: According to the Cato Institute, Taiwan on average waits longer than other nations for the delivery of weapons, especially HIMARS, newly built F-16s, and Abrams tanks.

************ ENDING ***************

The US sold F35 and JASSM etc to Japan, however, The Hill (2022-11-29): American administrations consistently have refused to sell Taiwan advanced fighter aircraft, diesel submarines and other weapons systems that could threaten Chinese assets and potentially deter Beijing from initiating a conflict.

Bloomberg (2024-7-22): Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te urges DPP (the ruling party) to protect Taiwan sovereignty. However, National Interest (2024-7-20) : ... Taiwan out to be less of a sovereign state in need of help, and more a vassal state to America. Eurasian Times (7-9-2020) : The (Taiwan) authority turns to Washington and is willing to be used. Taiwan now under "Deep Control" of the US.

Focus Taiwan (2024-2-23): More than 80 percent of Taiwanese people want to maintain the status quo with China. But things may change. Brookings (1-22-2021): Only 23% (Taiwanese) thought that democracy was more important than economic development. 16% believed that protecting political freedom was more important than reducing economic inequality

2024-7-25

No.1 "opinions on Taiwan" on Yandex, 2024-12-18, 2024-12-15, 12-14

OPinion ♣Taiwan, a corrupt country.

"cleaning house " or anti-corruption crackdown ?

War On The Rocks (2024-9-20): Washington is quietly watching how Taiwan's new president Lai consolidates power, using the court to prosecute former vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan over corruption allegations. Cheng's arrest reflects an intra-party political struggle between a pair of long-time rivals. The arrest and detention of Taiwan People's Party chairman and former Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je on corruption charges, as well as a number of corruption cases involving Kuomintang (KMT) officials have Lai's critics protesting that he is using the judiciary to persecute rivals. Washington observers might worry that Lai is undermining the independence of the judicial system...

Targeting selected individual or group is tantamount to a persecution. Lai should promote judicial reform, as well as crackdown corruption, particularly corrupt DPP.

Financial Times (2024-9-6): Prosecutors' swift moves against Cheng Wen-tsan and Ko have prompted Taiwanese commentators to question whether Lai was “cleaning house” of political rivals or pushing an anti-corruption crackdown to win back public support , and at the same time divert attention from the current chaos in domestic politics. Investigators in Taiwan have detained former presidential candidate Ko Wen-je, the second prominent politician to be hit with a corruption probe since President Lai Ching-te took office in May.

"Coincidently", both chair of TPP, Ko Wei-je and Cheng Wen-tsan (former vice premier) are chair of DPP Lai Ching-te's political reval or political enemy. (Council on Foreign relations, 2024-9-5: Ko was widely seen as having outperformed expectations and as someone who would again run for president. Independent UK, 2024-7-12: Mr Cheng was seen as a potential presidential contender. ) Nikkei Asian Review (Japan, 2024-9-5): expert warned that the DPP will go after the KMT (No.1 opposition party) once the threat posed by Ko is removed. "Ko is just the appetizer in the mouth of the DPP gluttons.

Only these two top politicians have "palm grease" problem ?

Certainly not !

Taiwan is a corrupt country.

★ 1. Ruling party
♦ Washington Post (2024-5-20): The ruling party (DPP) has faced corruption scandals.
♦ Washington Post (2023-11-24): Public grievances against the ruling party have bubbled up during Tsai's presidency, which has been hit by corruption scandals...
♦ New York Times (2024-1-10): the frustration voters feel about out-of-control Taiwan ... government corruption.
♦ According to Transparency International, Germany - Global Corruption Barometer, released in 2022, 90% Taiwanese think government corruption is a big problem, this percentage is higher than that in Japan, S. Korea, China and Malaysia.
♦ Financial Times (UK, 2024-9-6): Taiwan slid last year in Transparency International's global corruption perceptions index, and its score dropped slightly for the first time since Lai's DPP predecessor Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016. Opposition accusations of DPP officials abusing their positions and engaging in corruption contributed to Lai receiving the lowest winning vote share in 24 years in a three-way presidential race.
♦ The China Times (Taiwan, 2023-6-26): The ruling party, DPP's corruption was structural, collective and overall (結構性、集體性、全面性貪腐) ; a bunch of vote-brokers, officials, law makers get involved; DPP's corruption has already crossed the bottom line, and is out of control.

♦ United Daily (Taiwan, 2023-6-26): DPP got involved in many cases such as 光電案、超思進口雞蛋案、小吃店採購快篩案、疫苗案、口罩案... but the prosecutors has not done anything to them. Selective handling of cases by double standards, is nothing but political persecution (政治追殺)。

★ 2. Local politicians and high-level politicians

♦ Diplomat (2024-9-11): The allegations against the former presidential candidate raise questions about pervasive corruption at all levels of government. Corruption and patronage, are “in the DNA” of local politics. “All the money laundering and things like that can be done by these local officials for their big brothers (legislators) in the legislature” , “Because the local politicians don’t need to make their wealth public.” “Almost all [high-level] politicians come from local politics, ”A bottom-up spoils system is thus cultivated"...
♦ After Cheng Wen-tsan (Bloomberg, 2024-7-12: the highest-profile graft probe in the democratically run archipelago since President Chen Shui-bian in 2008. ) was detained, DPP's factions except Lai's faction and KMT, TPP should be scary, according to United Daily (Taiwan, 2024-7-10).

★ 3. Taiwan military

♦ Economist (UK, 2022-8-2): Taiwan needs to do more to combat corruption and waste in its armed forces)。
♦ Axios (2022-6-28): Scandals and corruption have plagued the Taiwanese armed forces axios.com/2022/06/28/taiwan-military-defense-weapons-china-invasion-threat

★ 4. Taiwan judiciary

♦ TaiwanPlus (2023-3-6): 85% of people in Taiwan think public prosecutors can be subject to political influence. a majority said they believed prosecutors engage in corruption behaviour when handling cases. msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/taiwan-poll-finds-widespread-public-mistrust-of-prosecutors-taiwanplus-news/vi-AA18glWE
♦ Transparency International (Germany) - Global Corruption Barometer released in 2022: The percentage of judges, magis-trates corruption is higher than that in China and Japan.

◆

★ 5. Taiwan police

According to Transparency International, Germany - Global Corruption Barometer, released in 2022, the percentage of Taiwanese paying a bribe to police, 67%, is far higher than China (18%)、Japan (10%) 、S. korea (8%).

Why does the prosecution select Ko Wen-je ??

Asia Times (2024-8-23) article "Taiwan's Lai Ching-te consolidating power " already concluded that Cheng's arrest is reflective of an intense intra-DPP political struggle between a pair of long-time rivals. A tense personal history has pushed Lai Ching-te to “punish” Cheng Wen-tsan after gaining power. asiatimes.com/2024/08/taiwans-lai-consolidating-power-before-turning-to-china/ Besides, Cheng is widely believed guilty.
But Ko is different (till present 2024-9-18). Who will have advantage or benefit if Ko goes to jail?

★ 1. Presidential election rival

Council on Foreign relations (2024-9-5): Although Ko lost the 2024 presidential election, he was widely seen as having outperformed expectations and as someone who would again run for president. Al Jazeera (2024-9-2): Ko is widely seen as a contender for the next election in 2028. SCMP (2024-9-7): “If Ko is found guilty of corruption, it is foreseeable that Ko will have little chance of making a political comeback.”.

★ 2. Power balance

US News & World Report (2024-9-1), Reuters (2024-9-2): The TPP has only eight lawmakers in Taiwan's 113-seat parliament but has an outsized role as neither the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) nor the largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), has a majority. Council on Foreign relations (2024-9-5): TPP controls the balance of power. As scrutiny of Ko and the TPP intensify, dynamics in the legislature could shift, with implications for President Lai Ching-te's agenda. TPP has aligned with the KMT, pushing through a controversial plan to expand the legislature's powers and questioning Lai's proposed policies, including his plan to build additional submarines.
Asia Nikkei (Japan, 2024-9-5): The TPP's woes come as its coalition with the KMT is locked in a showdown with the DPP. The opposition has sought to clip the wings of Lai's government, threatening to vote down budgets and public appointments Asia Nikkei (Japan, 2024-9-11): The TPP and its larger opposition partner, KMT, have been a thorn in the side of the pro-sovereignty Lai's fledgling administration.

Expert says the TPP is essentially a "one-man party" built on Ko's charisma. This might be a reason the prosecution selects Ko.

★ 3. Law-makers
Council on Foreign relations (2024-9-5): if these TPP legislators conclude that the TPP's days are numbered, they may become free agents open to working with the DPP.

SCMP (2024-9-7): "If Ko does fall from grace and his party loses support, it could struggle to retain its 5 per cent of the vote for seats in Taiwan's legislature in the 2028 elections", “If it fails to cross the 3 per cent threshold, the TPP could fizzle out like the New Power Party”.

★ 4. Young Taiwanese

Council on Foreign relations (2024-9-5): As a presidential candidate, Ko built a base among energized young Taiwanese, receiving 3.69 million votes (26.5 percent ). In previous two presidential elections, young Taiwanese were DPP's base.

★ 5. China factor

Nikkei Asian Review (Japan, 2024-9-11): Beijing wades into Taipei drama over corruption probe against TPP leader and has accused Taiwan's president of persecuting Beijing-leaning revals... 'Since Lai Ching-te admin came to power, it has repeatedly manipulated judicial and administrative means, used public weapons for private purposes, opposed party members and dissenters, and created "green terror" on the island', Chinese gov. said.

Political persecution ?

At 2024-9-2 , Ko Wen-je told Taiwan's media that he experienced "extreme oppression, mistreatment & abuses" (「極盡壓迫跟凌虐」) by prosecutors during two days' detention... udn.com/news/story/124199/8200282?from=udn_ch2cate6638sub124199_pulldownmenu_v2. The Diplomat, 2024-9-3: The TPP increasingly began leaning into the narrative that Ko's arrest was a form of political persecution...

★ 1. Scary political struggle

Dr. Shelley Rigger, scholar of Davidson College said: "(political struggles in Taiwan is) frightening to me". chinatimes.com/opinion/20240913004217-262101?chdtv

The China Times (2024-9-13) comments that the prosecution detained the chair of the 2nd largest opposition party without any solid evidence, obviously... The China Times (2024-9-14): Despite of no evidence, the prosecutors wrote detention document ─ Ko Wen-je violated Anti-Corruption Act - Article 4 (Demanding, taking or promising to take bribes or other unlawful profits by the acts that violate the official duties...... "第4條「違背職務受賄」" ) chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20240914

★ 2. Shame parade thru. streets

United Daily (Taiwan, 2024-9-13): Taiwan's top professor says that the way media report Ko is like "Shame parades through the streets", dusty old political theatrics that communist Chinese Red Guards used during the Cultural Revolution, 1966 ~ (變成對待政敵的紅衛兵式的鬥爭，如同遊街公審).

★ 3. To obtain confession by detention

United Daily (2024-9-13): While supporting former president Chen Shui-bian a few years ago, Lai Ching-te said that obtaining confessions by detention is human rights abuses and violating "procedural justice"; but now different standard is applied for Ko Wen-je?

udn.com/news/story/124199/8225042?from=udn_ch2cate6638sub124199_pulldownmenu_v2

(賴清德總統以前聲援前總統陳水扁時曾說押人取供違反程序正義、踐踏人權，如今同一套標準，怎對柯文哲不一樣？)
The purpose of detention is to preserve evidence, not to detain people to obtain confessions.

★ 4. Human rights issue
Asia Nikkei (Japan, 2024-9-5): Ko said his meals consisted of two pieces of bread and a drink. "For three days, I had to sleep on the floor, and there was no shower or bed available. The lights were never turned off so the detainee will quickly lose the sense of time," he said. "Those who haven't been convicted, and are merely in remand, should not be treated in such a manner. This is inconsistent with human rights."

Persecutions or human rights abuse is worse than bribery. President Lai Ching-te said he is against political persecution before taking the power earlier this year, but now, are those persecution archives in recent 30-40 years declassified ?

2024-9-18

OPinion ♣♣ ♣Taiwan's president shoots in his foot ?! ♣

♣

Lai Ching-te repeatedly boasted that Taiwan has power/strength to confront China; Taiwan at least twice boasted it will shoot Chinese PLA if entering our territory water or air ...

Taiwan's TV 關鍵時刻 (Jun. 2024) : Biden greenlights sending troops, emboldening Taiwan would shoot China's PLA within 12 nautical miles of Taiwan's territory
TV host and commentator Liu Pao-chieh was just be imposed sanctions by China in May

Taipei Times (2023-3-7) : Minister of National Defense said "We would be forced to respond should Chinese military vessels and aircraft come near or enter the nation's airspace and territorial waters...

One year later, China did enter 12 nautical miles of Taiwan territory, according to CNBC (2024-5-24), China Times (2024-5-24), and Global Times (2024-5-23). Taiwan's military shot nothing.
　

(Taipei Times, 2024-6-7, taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2024/06/07/2003818990 ; 美洲台灣日報(2024-6-7)、香港明報、 HK01(2024-6-6), 自由時報(2024-6-12), etc ).

About two weeks later, Chinese came as close as 5 nautical miles, which was the closest approach in history (China's Global Times , 2024-6-26). Institute for the study of War (the US, 2024-6-27) reported similar thing. Again, Taiwan's military shot nothing, and turned around in response to China's warnings.

Tough stance is usually used for deterrence. New Yorker (2024-6-24 ~ 7-1) : “But what if deterrence failed?”
Taiwan exchanged its toughness for China's greater toughness.

Too many fake news or misleading news in Taiwan's media is another issue. Taiwanese commentators (on TV "Taiwan Critical Time" youtube.com/live/ecNxnat8s-Q?app=desktop youtube.com/watch?v=JPH-L5-HPY4) said that Biden greenlights sending troops, therefore Taiwan's "first strike" rule changes - Taiwan would shoot them if Chinese are within 12 nautical miles....

However, Washington Examiner (2024-3-22): China is preparing for invasion ... and President Joe Biden is not prepared. The Hill (2024-6-4): President Biden, still fearful of escalation to "World War III". Fox News (2024-5-31): criticism targets Biden for his lack of 'moral clarity' on Taiwan. The Australian (2024-6-4): 'It depends' - Biden wavers on Taiwan defence. Foreign Affairs (2024-7-2) wrote Taiwan wants the United States to step up its efforts to counter Chinese aggression and coercion, but the Biden administration has not done so ... partly because the United States cannot take responsibility for dealing with the daily provocations that any U.S. ally or partner faces from China.

In other words, Taiwan's leaders lack of good analysis the situation or lack of good communication with the US.

According to National Interest (2024-7-13), Taiwan needed to find a steady path, avoiding both complacency and hysteria.” That complacency results from the widely-held belief that the US would come to their rescue; That hysteria results, certainly, from the US did not come to rescue.

The Atlantic Council (2024-6-27): Ukraine...can resist forced annexation with sufficient bravery, preparation, and will. The Taiwanese ask themselves, “Are we made of the same stuff ? ”

NPR (2024-7-2) : in apparent retaliation, China's Coast Guard has been patrolling within the restricted waters... has not happened in the last 30 years.

Are there more retaliations ahead ?

China's Global Times (2024-7-4): if Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities continue to seek "Taiwan independence," the scope of embodied jurisdiction will only be closer to the island of Taiwan, and this trend is fully visible. GT (2024-5-13): patrol model can be applied to entire Taiwan Straits.
2024-7-4, updated 7-15

Defense One (2024-6-28): War with China not inevitable, Taiwan government officials say

OPinion ♣♣ ♣Hong Kong (China) VS. Taiwan in Political cartoons ♣

♣

Zola Zu's article about freedom in Taiwan and HK was printed in FECO NEWS (Europe, April 2024) distributed to 40+ countries
brief version as below

Taiwan needs to declassify all political archives, particularly persecution records in recent 40 years.
Some top politicians continue to ignore this issue, some top politicians prefer to declassify old political archives about 70 years ago - it means much less because the prime suspects in White Terror era were dead already.
Some top officials may be suspected to harbor criminals or even flee from justice.

A picture says more and louder than thousand words

According to <Asian Political Cartoons> book (by Dr. John Lent, University press of Mississippi, 2023), "if you offend any one of them (Taiwan's politicians), you are sent to court. Artists only know art, and to be sent to court is unfathomable and a headache for them".

Taiwan needs to declassify all political archives to find out if the consequence of offending politicians is only a "headache". ps1

Compare Taiwan with Hong Kong.

In protests from 2003 to 2020 ps2, Hong Kongers have created tens of thousands of political cartoons/design works ps3 for propaganda, communication, mobilization, and drawing international attentions. Parts of Hong Kong including bus stations became a gallery. Fortunately, there's no any editorial cartoonists being sued or imprisoned.

At that time the HK gov. learned they need to “fill loopholes” in their laws to root out "seeds of unrest" and "hostile forces lurking in society”. New York Times and CNN (2024-1-30) reported that HK officials claimed “ the CIA and British intel. have publicly stated that they'll do a lot of work to target China and HK”.

After protests, some cartoon columns ended. Cartoonist Justin Wong, a scholar at HK Baptist Univ., chose to leave HK after hearing that the school allegedly contacted the police for his works about the protests. Radio Free Asia (2023-5-11) quoted some comments saying that the public opinion environment in HK is worse than that in mainland China.

In 2023, top cartoonist Zunzi's column in Ming Pao news, which accompanied Hong Kongers for 40 years, was suddenly discontinued. Zunzi told AFP that it's due to "political pressure" triggered by his latest cartoon. Zunzi's cartoons have already caused controversies over the years (even banned by Singapore in 1998). RFA believes that the cartoon criticizing the district-council reform was the straw that broke the camel's back. ps4

That cartoon was : Anyone no matter how low his grades in Math, English, Chinese examinations are, and no matter if he is obese or skinny, or with color blindness, high myopia, high cholesterol or heart disease, still can be a member of Fight-Crime Committee ..., as long as the high-ranking official thinks he is the right one.
　

Hong Kong gov. said this cartoon ignores the fact, and contains insult & discrimination meanings. Takungpao News: defamation "is considered a criminal offence", they also criticized Zunzi can not create gag cartoons, his works need words to convey messages, therefore difficult to agree his artistic value.

Professor John Lent hopes Zunzi can get a reprieve. Thankfully, Zunzi has not been prosecuted several months after that event. However, all of his cartoons were moved out of public libraries ── Hitler's autobiography < Mein Kampf> is still on the book-shelf.
　

N.Y. Times (2021-7-23): "Even with the security law in place, political cartoons and protest artwork have continued to thrive on the margins in Hong Kong, but that could soon change". <Asian Political Cartoons> (2023): "Not many Taiwanese young people draw political cartoons, because now there's a plethora of political parties... ".

An art article in the New York Times (2023-10-11) says this might be the least culturally innovative century in the past 500 years. In Hong Kong and Taiwan, innovation and ambition could be even less, for more reasons.

PS1: Taiwanese people suffered electromagnetic wave attacks and mentally controls.
e.g., NEWS Australia, Dec. 2,2011, French AFP , Dec. 1, 2011 , Thailand's Bangkok Post, Dec. 3, 2011, Yahoo UK & Ireland, etc reported that NTU professor Lin Ruey-Shiung, was subject to electromagnetic wave attacks (supposed by Taiwan Intel.). Global Times (2022-12-19) : There are forces on the island of Taiwan are mentally controlling Taiwan people.

PS2: From Hong Kong's 1-July-protests in 2003 (Hong Kong 1 July marches - Wikipedia), the Umbrella Movement in 2014 (2014 Hong Kong protests - Wikipedia), then to the Hong Kong anti-extradition bill (movement against the extradition bill amendment bill 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests - Wikipedia) .

PS3: https://creative-comic.tw/zh/special_topics/19 2020-8-20

PS4: BBC (2023-7-10) reported that Zunzi's cartoons have already caused controversies over the years. RFI (2023-5-11) reported: In the past six months, many departments of the Hong Kong government, including Hong Kong Police Force、Labour and Welfare Bureau、Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau、 Security Bureau and No.2 powerful person, the Chief Secretary for Administration, have criticized Zunzi.

PS5:

CNN edition.cnn.com/2024/01/30/asia/hong-kong-security-law-article-23-consultation-intl-hnk/index.html

New York Times 2024-1-30 nytimes.com/2024/01/30/world/asia/hong-kong-security-law-unrest.html

BBC bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese-news-65554858

BBC bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese-news-65559578

tkww.hk/a/202305/11/AP645c905ee4b0c614abacce82.html

rfa.org/cantonese/news/htm/hk-comic-05192023061105.html

epochtimes.com/gb/23/6/5/n14010220.htm

.rfi.fr/tw/中國/20230511-港官批評後-著名政治漫畫家尊子遭-明報-停掉專欄-評論指港府胸襟不符國際都會要求

DW 2023-5-14 .dw.com/zh/告別明報40年政治漫畫-尊子希望就在轉角位/a-65613713

PS 6 : Unlike political or editorial cartoons, pictures on children's book got some trouble. Ref to Washington Post, 2022-9-7, New York Times 2021-7-23, New York Times 2020-12-30, Hong Kong Free Press 2021-07-22, Hong Kong Police arrested group-leaders behind a children's picture book which featured 12 sheeps captured were sent to wolves village for eating (「送去狼村落度畀狼開餐啊！」) , another sheep called them "12 brave warriors" , in apparent reference to the 12 Hong Kong activists arrested by Chinese authorities as they tried to flee to Taiwan. The HK police accused that children book publishers of instilling impressionable children with anti-government hatred and incite violent and criminal behavior.
　

Taiwan, a country of freedom of expression ?

★ China Times (中國時報) , 2024-4-7: William Lai (Lai Ching-te, Taiwan president from May 2024) intimidates Taiwanese people into restricting freedom of speech, and shapes those speech criticizing the government into engaging in cognitive warfare... Any message or speech that is unfavorable to the government, advantageous for the hostile will be regarded as "collaborator" engaging in the cognitive warfare and will be smeared and discredited (任何訊息、言論只要對政府不利，對敵對者有利，就會被視為是認知作戰的「在地協力者」，遭到抹紅、抹黑)。 chinatimes.com/opinion/20240407002778-262101?chdtv

★ United Daily (聯合報) , 2024-3-17, China Times (中國時報) , 2024-3-12 : The minister of National Defense defines "(China's) local cooperator" as whoever speaks to our disadvantage and in the opposite side's favor (「任何訊息、言論對我不利，對對方有利，初步就認為是在地協力者」chinatimes.com/opinion/20240312004516-262101?chdtv), according to our initial judgment ... the prosecution/police and investigation will eventually determine whether or not the suspect is a "local cooperator", which scares the public as long as the state apparatus getting involved and the selected citizens going through a long time legal process. Only the good news rather than the bad is exactly what the ruler expect - a chilling effect. (只要啟動檢調警國家機器，就足以收震懾威嚇之效；再經司法程序一路折騰，即使還其清白，也已被剥掉幾層皮。只准報喜不許唱憂，正是統治者要的寒蟬效應！) udn.com/news/story/7338/7836324?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2

★ Taiwan's judicial reform fails. ★ TIME, 2023-11-20: the government's judicial reform website hasn't been updated since 2020. “Does that mean the government didn't do anything or just doesn't care about this topic?” ★ Taiwan Plus, 2023-3-6: Taiwan Poll finds widespread public mistrust of prosecutors / A poll has found that 85% of people in Taiwan think public prosecutors can be subject to political influence. More than half responded they were unsatisfied with recent judicial reforms, and a majority said they believed prosecutors engage in corruption behaviour when handling cases. msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/taiwan-poll-finds-widespread-public-mistrust-of-prosecutors-taiwanplus-news/vi-AA18glWE

Taiwan, a country of democracy ?
★ Country Reports on Human Rights practices, 2024-4-22: In the most recent presidential and legislative elections, there were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties. USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices, 2021-3-30: There were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties (KMT and DPP) in Presidential election in 2020.

★   Heritage Foundation, 2024-4-15 : none of presidential candidates dared expound on his own policy, they purposely conceal their policies in favor of carefully stage-managed events and vague campaign slogans. Even televised debates...
★  Denmark's Democracy Perception Index 2021 ( DPI ) shows that democracy in Taiwan was threatened by US: 58%, China : 65%.
★  In key moments, Taiwan's KMT vice presidential candidate and former president urged by slip of tongues voters to support DPP's presidential candidate.    The Atlantic Council (2023-12-19): ... it may mean is that the DPP is prioritizing a safer ride to the presidency over retaining a legislative majority.   Eventually, DPP won presidency, KMT won a legislative majority, quite coincidently.

OPinion ♣♣ ♣ mind control weaponry in Taiwan ♣ ♣

(1) Is Taiwan government a prime criminal ? they refuse to open classified documents concerning persecution after 1984.
　

Why do those political persecution cases never come to light ?

n EuroView.ecct (2023-10-20): Taiwan's cabinet is proposing amendments to the Political Archives Act and the Classified National Security Information Protection Act to allow political archives from Taiwan's authoritarian past to be made public ... half of political archives classified as permanently confidential under the current law could be declassified next year if the amendments pass.

half of political files (of the Martial Law era.) before 1984 may shed light on only some events
(1) The problem is those persecution cases after 1984 still will be buried. Why don't they open all the files? ── Are those politicians trying to save their own skins ?
(2) Those prime suspects persecuting Taiwanese before 1984 are dead already, most likely.

Today's secret police are still doing bad things ── Taiwan's United Daily, editorial, 2023-12-13: The government trying to evade or refuse oversight or supervision by using the name "classified document" has already been a normal since long time ago ("政府利用「機密文件」規避監督，早已是常態" udn.com/news/story/7338/7636736?from=udn-catebreaknews_ch2 ). Taiwan's United Daily, editorial, 2023-12-11 also reported that foreign diplomats from Japan, Canada, S. korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Denmark, etc and/or their offices in Taiwan were suspected to be bugged by the national security. (udn.com/news/story/7338/7631855?from=udn_ch2_menu_v2_main_cate)

Taiwan's "Black box" ──
Global Times (2022-12-19) : There are forces on the island of Taiwan who are mentally controlling the Taiwan people.

Taiwan has not rebutted its "sworm enemy's" allegation for one year till present, which is nothing other than giving a tacit consent to it.

★ surveillance in the U.S. and Europe

Freedom House (2019) : At the very least, social media surveillance must come under greater oversight. The use of such programs must be transparent... The survival of democracy requires vibrant public spaces, both offline and online, where individuals can... without fear of constant surveillance.

Washington DC based Epic.org: The unchecked expansion of surveillance systems is one of the greatest threats to privacy and civil liberties. Abuses of surveillance technology are not only unjust, they're dangerous.

The concerns in the US or Europe are basically about people’s emails, online chats, internet browsing histories, and information about social media activity or face analysis in public spaces, etc

As for mind control, and electromagnetic attacks the civilians in Taiwan, those are not only violation of Privacy Act (Taiwan does not have a Privacy Act ), but also committing serious crimes.

　

★ Oversight in the U.S. and Europe

　
In the US, PRISM receives independent oversight from the federal Gov. executive, judicial and legislatives branches. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM)
In EU Member States, they increased the number of oversight bodies to monitor the work of intelligence services
　

Can Taiwan do as the US and Euro do ?

Each time Taiwan's Intel. or dark forces use any of high-tech. weapons (e.g., electromagnetic attacks, mind controlling, etc) to harm or repress or abuse some of Taiwanese people, will they record their operation on files ? Taiwan needs a mechanism for great oversight and legal actions in the future.

There's no reason the truth of those political cases can't be exposed. ─ According to 《國家機密保護法》(National Secrets Protection Law), in no case shall information be classified in order to conceal violations of law or administrative error; Taiwan's president or National Security Council etc who authorized the original classification are entitled to place order to declassify those secret files.
Taiwan president(s) seem - refuse to bring to light ─ or intend to cover up the ugly truth.

(2) Is the U.S. an accomplice ?

　

Mind-control issues coming to light ?

BBC, 2021-9-9: The brain is being seen as the 21st Century battle-scape.   Reports say from the 1990s, the US Air Force had a project codenamed "Hello" to see if microwaves could create disturbing sounds in people's heads, one called "Goodbye" to test their use for crowd control.
　

New York Times, 2018-9-1 (brief): To turn microwave radiation into covert weapons of mind control...   More recently, the American military itself sought to develop microwave arms that could invisibly beam painfully loud booms and even spoken words into people's heads... microwaves can trick the brain into perceiving what seem to be ordinary sounds. The dimensions of the human head, scientists say, make it a fairly good antenna for picking up microwave signals. In Albuquerque, N.M., Air Force scientists sought to beam comprehensible speech into the heads of adversaries. Their novel approach won a patent in 2002.

　

New York Post, 2021-12-31: China is developing terrifying brain control weapons capable of ‘paralyzing enemies’, according to the Washington Times...   China is trying to obtain American technology to takeover key sectors including biotech.

　

Renmin University professor of international relations Jin Canrong (中國人民大學教授金燦榮) said, per The Times   of London: those Indian soldiers occupying the hilltops all began to vomit, they couldn't stand up, so they fled. This was how we retook the ground.    Washington Examiner 2020-11-17: India rejects claim of Chinese microwave weapon attack.

　

From reports above, it's within reason to say that Taiwan's mental-control weapons were imported from the US.   However, it's unknown whether or not the US gave their official permission for Taiwan's secret police to use any of high-tech weapons from the US on Taiwanese people.

　

CarnegieEndowment.org (2021-05-12) : a growing number of voters support initiatives to restrict U.S. aid to Israel due to its human rights violations...   the administration should enforce existing laws that prohibit the use of U.S. security assistance for illegitimate purposes. All countries receiving U.S. aid must meet human rights standards, and countries violating these standards are liable to be sanctioned and ineligible for U.S. funding.   The United States does have obligations under both federal and international law to ensure that it is not furthering human rights abuses.

　

If not restricting and stopping Taiwan's human rights abuses by using American high-tech weapons, the US might be an accomplice in the case.

　

　

OPinion ♣♣ ♣ Women rights + human rights < LGBT rights ?

A lot of western media reported or complimented Taiwan on becoming the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. But, is it within reason to be so passionate about LGBT rights, on the other hand, to give cold shoulder to Taiwanese women rights and human rights ?

♣ 1. Women rights in Taiwan

n New York Times, 2023-6-25: A torrent of sexual harassment accusations has prompted questions about the state of women's rights on an island democracy

nSCMP, 2023-6-11: NTU professor Tso Chen-dong says the DPP has greatly disappointed the public as ... referring to the party's pledges to promote gender equality and human rights. DPP had long focused on LGBTQ equality, rather than women's rights.
nAFP, 2023-7-7: the crescendoing wave of #MeToo cases shows gender inequality remains a deep-seated problem, rooted in a culture prone to victim-blaming. "Sexual violence -- from domestic violence to sexual harassment -- is more common than people think.
n L.A. Times, 2023-7-26: as #MeToo spread to Japan, South Korea and even mainland China, it failed to take root in Taiwan.
n Reuters, 2023-7-28: a problem long shrouded in shame and silence.
n BBC, 2023-7-21: The government must extend the statute of limitations for prosecuting sexual harassment cases, which is currently six months.
n United Daily (聯合報社論) , 2023-6-4 : sexual harassment and bully become the ruling DPP's norm, high-ranking officials' burying the case becomes a tacit understanding inside the party

n United Daily (聯合報社評) , 2023-6-1 : Holding high the banner of Modern women, DPPs actually are outdated Chauvinisme, and are accomplices of patriarchy.
n NDTV (India), 2023-11-16: Statistics reveal that a case of abuse occurs, on average, every five minutes in Taiwan, with 322 cases reported per day. The multitude of crimes against women and children in Taiwan highlight its problems with misogyny...
n The Conversation (Australia, 2024-2-26): no presidential candidate in the recent election offered concrete plans for how to achieve gender equality in society ... candidates who chose women as their vice-presidential running mates appeared to do so as a political gesture aimed at attracting support from women, rather than displaying any real intent to advance gender equality in Taiwan. Women issues were largely ignored.

♣ 2. Human rights in Taiwan

Human rights is a long run issue in Taiwan, it became from bad to worse in recent years.
　

nSCMP, 2023-6-30: Taiwan's #MeToo scandals are the tip of an iceberg of human rights problems

n The China Times (中國時報 2007-10-18): Taiwan becomes a "police state", no matter the opposition or the ruling party's lawmakers said they have experience of being monitored... the government owned the state apparatus。
nApple Daily (蘋果日報 2014-8-18) pointed out "the big brother is watching you"! Privacy is basal of freedom, democracy and human rights, the news urged to be alert that the government was deprived of Taiwanese human rights.
nUnited Daily (聯合報 , 2024-2-24): Taiwan police repeatedly treated Taiwanese people by violence or brutality (by stun gun, etc) just like taking Taiwan back to the medieval century (執法手段宛如回到中古世紀)brief

nGlobal Times (2022-12-19) : There are forces on the island of Taiwan who are mentally controlling the Taiwan people.

Taiwanese government always refuse to open classified documents concerning persecution in recent 30 or 40 years, therefore, they are suspected to cover up the evil officials.

*** *** *** *** ***

Why did Taiwan government support same-sex marriage ? Taiwan, unlike some Western countries, seemed have some other motives to do that.

♣ 1. Decoupling from Chinese tradition / Cambridge University Press (1 December 2018) wrote that in earlier days,“homosexuals” were no more than a perverted minority who only wanted sexual gratification. At that time, same-sex intimacy was seen as pathological, deviant, and an outrageous violation of the officially sanctioned Chinese tradition. The eruption of the Sunflower Movement in 2014, and the electoral victory of the Democratic Progressive Party in 2016, stimulated Taiwan's LGBT mobilization. Abandoning the claim of representing orthodox Chinese culture is consistent with Tsai Ing-wen's political path. The Guardian (UK): Taiwan's example breaks a long-held belief that LGBT rights are a western concept. It's been said for a long time that the reason we can't have same-sex marriage is because of traditional Chinese culture.

♣ 2. To contrast China / The Guardian (2019-7-5): The legalisation of same-sex marriage just 100 miles from the mainland has heightened the contrast between China and Taiwan.

♣ 3. For int'l propaganda / Some years ago, an academic book published in UK about communication said Taiwan likes to propaganda its image by promoting LGBT rights.

♣ 4. Personal factor ? / Yahoo (2016-11-17) : KMT's top ranking official (國民黨政策會執行長) and former lawmaker said " Tsai Ing-wen is a homo/gay - 99%" (「蔡英文有接近99％的機率是同性戀」) 。

OPinion ♣♣ ♣US Human Rights Report on Taiwan ♣

♣

Corruption

On April 22, 2024, the United States Department of State published the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, which was criticized by People's Daily online (2024-6-3, China) that saying nothing about the US itself, just another case of double standard.

From a Taiwanese's perspective, US report writes not much about Taiwan's corruption - Taiwan's corruption has been a serious issue for years.

♣ Voice of America News, 2023-11-24: interviewee said ... the issue of corruption that has long plagued Taiwan's politics.

♣ According to the Guardian (UK), 2024-1-7: In Taiwan's presidential election, corruption...trumped concerns about a belliger neighbour (China). Political corruption is often the “most stressed issue in Taiwanese elections and has been the most influential issue in a number of local and national elections”.

♣ VOA News, 2024-1-3: Beijing has noticed that Taiwan's 2024 presidential election campaign has focused on corruption scandals rather than cross-strait relations.

♣ Independent (UK), 2024-7-12: When Lai Ching-te became DPP leader in 2023 and won the presidency in 2024 election, the ruling party pledged to combat corruption. United Daily (2024-7-10): The ruling party's factions except President Lai Ching-te's (信賴聯盟) and the opposition parties should get very jumpy or anxiety about something that is going to happen.

♣ Bloomberg, 2024-7-12 : A court ordered former vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan detained while he is investigated for corruption, the latest development in the highest-profile graft probe in the democratically run archipelago since President Chen Shui-bian in 2008.

How far the 'crackdown' can go is still far from certain, because Taiwan's judiciary has been a major problem. TaiwanPlus, 2023-3-6: A poll has found that 85% of people in Taiwan think public prosecutors can be subject to political influence. A majority said they believed prosecutors engage in corruption behaviour when handling cases. msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/taiwan-poll-finds-widespread-public-mistrust-of-prosecutors-taiwanplus-news/vi-AA18glWE An article in United Daily (聯合報) criticized some presidents for this.

Monitoring the people

Human rights is another major issue.

In April 2024 , Taiwan's government issued a formal statement : welcomes the United States' again recognizing Taiwan's democratic and human rights accomplishments in this annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.

But, monitoring has been another serious human rights issue in Taiwan.

♣ The China Times (2024-6-6): Big Brother's shadow shrouding Taiwan.
♣ The China Times (2024-5-31): Big Brother is monitoring us. Lock onto the government and investigate the cases to the very end, even if the country's foundation is shaken.

♣ United Daily (聯合報), 2024-5-31: Chair of Taiwan People's Party, Ko W. J. (柯文哲), said : Restoration of Secret Police (「警總復辟」).

♣ United Daily (聯合報), 2024-5-30: The Congress (Legislative Yuan) should make some achievement in stopping state machine abuses of power and monitoring the people (國會應在阻止國家機器濫權和政黨監控人民上搶出一點成績)

♣ Global Times (2022-12-19) : There are forces on the island of Taiwan are mentally controlling Taiwan people. A number of Taiwanese people suffered electromagnetic wave attacks and mentally controls, according to NEWS Australia, Dec. 2,2011, French AFP , Dec. 1, 2011 , Thailand's Bangkok Post, Dec. 3, 2011, Yahoo UK & Ireland, etc.

The US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices writes nothing about it.

2024-7-15

OPinion ♣♣ ♣ US skepticism from Taiwan

PBS.org, Associated Press, VOA News, abc News (US, 2024-1-27): China targeted Taiwan island with a stream of disinformation ahead of its election - some narratives targeted U.S. support for Taiwan, arguing that America was an untrustworthy partner only interested in Taiwan's semiconductor exports that wouldn't support the island if it came to war with China.

But New York Times (2024-1-20): Polls show growing distrust of the United States in Taiwan... only 34 percent of respondents saw the United States as a trustworthy country, down from 45 percent in 2021.

What's on Taiwanese mind?

n1. History - main reason

♣ According to New York Times (2024-1-20), the disastrous American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021; Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Washington's decision not to send troops; the 2022 visit to Taiwan by Nancy Pelosi, which led to a strong Chinese military response (moving military ships closer to Taiwan in ways that increase the risk of conflict) - but the US had no response to China's largest ever drills - blockade of Taiwan island. Jasmine Lee, the editor of US-Taiwan Watch, a think tank that recently contributed to a report on doubts about the United States. “It’s reasonable because we’ve been abandoned before.”.
a Taiwanese professor at SHU said those Taiwanese people, especially those who did not experience the US cutting ties with Taiwan to recognise China in 1979, still believe that America would support Taiwan, no matter who was in office.

♣ The Hill (2021-6-4): Over the past dozen years, the West has repeatedly acquiesced to attempted changes in the world's map by unlawful military means, issuing largely empty statements or inadequate sanctions that signaled a tacit acceptance of such tactics...As he considers the likelihood of American intervention in a potential Taiwan conflict, Mr. Xi has ample evidence arguing against a forceful Western response.

♣ National Interest (2024-1-24): Taiwan's unfortunate fate is that it will always be vulnerable to a sellout by the United States. This danger may be increasing.
♣ Tufts Daily (2021-3-10): Tragically, history indicates that if faced with an ultimatum, the United States may cede control of Taiwan to China if it deems doing so politically necessary (an immense improvement in Chinese-U.S. relations)...realists find little reason to expect the Biden administration to prioritize foreign human rights issues over domestic economic recovery.

n2. Donald Trump

♣ Washington Post (2022-3-9), Politico (2021-3-15): Trump told a senator that, "If they invade, there isn’t a f---ing thing we can do about it."。

♣ Washington Examiner (2023-9-6): Trump implies he would not intervene against a Chinese invasion of Taiwan。

♣ Newsweek (2024-1-22) : Donald Trump's comments ( for an interview on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo ) suggested the United States should not help Taiwan in the event of an invasion from China. Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific program for the German Marshall Fund of the U.S says: "Taipei beware".

♣ Economist (UK, 2024-1-4): Donald Trump, who talks tough on China but has no great love for Taiwan.
♣ National Interest (2024-1-24): Donald Trump could betray Taiwan.
♣ New York Times (2024-1-27): One step that might make Chinese aggression more likely to succeed — and thus a greater possibility — is a Trump victory in November. Trump has expressed uncertainty about helping Taiwan, and it’s difficult to imagine him coordinating allies to press China to back off.

♣ Sydney Morning Herald (Australia, 2024-1-22): By 2018, Trump's tone had changed. “What do we get from protecting Taiwan, say?”, Trump asked aides, according to Bob Woodward's book Fear: Trump in the White House

n3. J. Biden

♣ National Review (2023-7-15): the Chinese military is advantaged if a Taiwan invasion is viewed as a local, limited conflict... Janet Yellen: If reelected, president Biden may prefer not to fight for Taiwan.

♣ Economist (UK, 2024-1-4): Biden could yield to Chinese pressure on Taiwan...

♣ New York Times (2024-1-27): Biden let himself be intimidated by Putin’s nuclear saber-rattling. (certainly, he will be intimidated by China’s nuclear weapons too)

♣ New York Post (2023-8-10): "I believe that China has paid him a fortune”, former President Donald Trump said in a Wednesday interview with Newsmax. “I've never seen anybody so weak on China.”; Trump derided his successor as a “Manchurian candidate”.“This is a president who is fully compromised,” he added. “He is so afraid of China and the reason he is afraid is because I believe they paid him a tremendous amount of money and he doesn't want people to find out about it.

n4. American public

♣ NY Times (2024-1-20): polls since 2021 have shown that a plurality of Americans oppose committing troops to Taiwan's defense. In one recent poll, 53 percent of Republicans said the United States should stay out of global affairs.

♣ Asia Times (2024-1-8): The latest of surveys by the Chicago Council on Foreign Affairs tells us: “As in past surveys, a majority of Americans (56%) oppose sending US troops to Taiwan to help the Taiwanese government …

n5. US Military Capacity

♣ The Economist today (A Sunday edition, 2024-1-21): Biden's foreign-policy headaches, alongside Russia's war in Ukraine and the war in Gaza — the overspill from which, as we report today, is raising the risk of direct conflict with Iran。

♣ NYT (2024-1-22): a few are raising the possibility that the country (North Korea) could be planning an assault on the South.
♣ Economist (2023-11-13): the Pentagon long ago abandoned the requirement that its armed forces be able to fight two major regional wars simultaneously... As China’s forces grow stronger and America’s investments in new military equipment don’t fully bear fruit until the 2030s.

n6. House

♣ Fortune (2023-12-15): In a sign of splintering U.S. attention, the Republican-led House approved money only for Israel in November, defying request for spending for all three allies - Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan.

♣ Economist (2023-11-13): ... departure from Afghanistan in 2021 signalled weakness to America’s foes. Similarly, others contend that cutting aid to Ukraine would grant a victory not just to Russia but to China, too

n7. Taiwan as a tool/pawn

Many media already made comment that the US intends to use Taiwan for a proxy war to weaken China. NY Times (2024-1-27): Beijing must also have been unnerved when Ely Ratner, a senior Pentagon official, described Taiwan as a strategic asset for the United States. The implication was that America may try to use Taiwan as a military bulwark against China.

n8. Taiwan's capacity

♣ Oriana Skylar Mastro ( a fellow in international studies at Stanford University and the American Enterprise Institute ) : It's really important that they believe the United States is coming to intervene on their behalf because there are a lot of studies showing that can influence how well they hold out”. “And we'd need them to hold on long enough for us to get there.”

♣ RAND, Jun. 2023 (rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1658-1.html) : Can Taiwan Resist a Large-Scale Military Attack by China?
...Taiwan's capacity to resist an attack by China for 90 days — the amount of time plausibly required for the United States to marshal sufficient forces to carry out an intervention in East Asia.

♣ Bloomberg (2023-12-20): Eric Heginbotham, a principal research scientist at MIT's Center for International Studies and a specialist in Asian security issues, said that he “wouldn't be shocked if Taiwan threw up its hands in the first days of a conflict”; The assessment of the US government, she said, “is that they cannot hold out long.” for a blockade.

♣ Many Taiwanese people, including former president Ma Ying-jeou, said Taiwan can not hold on too long. The American Reservative (2024-1-12): Ma Ying-jeou said that Taiwan would quickly fall to China. “No matter how you defend yourself, you can never fight a war with the mainland. You can never win” , “They’re too large, much stronger than us.” Ma allegedly believes that if China moved on Taiwan, the island wouldn’t be able to fend the Chinese off long enough for potential U.S. forces to assist.

♣ Business Insider (2024-1-29): A CSIS survey of 52 experts found that 90% of the US experts indicated Taiwan could hold China off "2 weeks to 1 month" or longer, without the US military.

*** *** ***

It's within reason to guess the US may intervene (by some way) Chinese invasion of Taiwan, but probably not direct intervention such as sending troops...

2024-1-28, 29

OPinion ♣♣ ♣ liars make Taiwan Strait tenser

Newsweek 2023-11-21: Seven in 10 people in Taiwan don't trust America - Poll.

However, a lot more people in Taiwan don't trust their political leaders.

2008

According to a poll conducted by World Economic Forum, 80% of the people in Taiwan believe that political leaders are dishonest. The proportion is significantly higher than the global average, ranking second from the bottom in Asia and the Pacific. Only 6% Taiwanese trust their political leader. (epochtimes.com/gb/8/1/18/n1981373.htm 2008-1-18)

2016
Oxford Academic (Mar. 2016), the 2024 THE Best World University's press (OUP) academic research platform, compares political trust in democratic Taiwan and autocratic China. When political trust is defined as confidence in the key political institutions, national identity, trusting political leaders, and trusting the political system, Chinese respondents consistently expressed more trust than Taiwanese respondents in all of the four dimensions.

2022-2024
Till recently, Taiwan's political leaders still are dishonest.

★ New York Times (2024-2-26): Taipei's approach to sharing information about Chinese activities with the public has not been fully transparent, ... a lack of transparency also prevents the government from communicating the true situation to Taiwan's people.

★ Financial times (2023-12-27): ...Taiwanese politicians’ reluctance to openly discuss the danger of Chinese military aggression out of fear of losing public support.

★ In Dec., 2022, Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen extended mandatory military service to one year, eventually ── she denied the decision was made under US pressure. But Financial Times (2022-12-27): The conscription reform follows years of increasing US pressure on Taiwan to strengthen its defences.

★ New Yorker (2022-11-21): When the Chinese test-fired the ballistic missiles, Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen didn't tell the public that they flew over the island; that became known only after it was announced by Japanese leaders.

Chinese nationals died after a fatal chase at Feb. 14, 2024 by Taiwan's Coast Guard vessel

★ CNN video, 2024-2-22 edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2024/02/22/exp-marc-stewart-china-coast-guard-live-022204aseg1-cnni-world.cnn

Now we are hearing the account from Taiwan... from Taiwan coast Guard they says fishermen vessel from China took a sharp turn and that caused a capsize... one of the Chinese fishermen survived in the incident was speaking to Chinese TV and said that their boat, the Chinese boat was hit , was rammed by a Taiwanese vessel, and they overturned and capsized...

★ The Diplomat, 2024-3-2: What proved controversial in Taiwan was that the coast guard did not immediately publicize that the two Chinese men died because of a collision with one of its vessels.。 The pan-Blue camp (opposition) ... attacks on the Tsai administration focusing on the perceived lack of transparency.

★ Radio Free Asia, 2024-3-27: Many (Kinmen's Taiwanese fishermen) blame Taiwanese politicians for politicizing the deaths of the two Chinese citizens by making them about cross-Straits tensions, rather than just a private tragedy. They also point to what they call dubious claims by the Taiwanese Coast Guard that it has no video footage about the incident.

★ The Guardian, 2024-3-19: The fury grew when it became clear the two boats had collided – a fact Taiwan’s authorities had initially omitted.

★ United Daily (Taiwan, 2024-2-22): Taiwan Coast Guard kept hiding the truth, lying Chinese fishermen speeded up their boat and took a sharp turn which causing a capsize ... (海巡部門多日來未說實話，一再隱瞞真相，謊稱大陸漁船是在加速逃逸蛇行過程翻覆。導致事態擴大日漸棘手) (udn.com/news/story/7338/7784042?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2)。

★ China Times (中時, 2024-3-4): Taiwan government renames the report to the Legislative from 「fatal boats collision (金門撞船案)」to 「outlaw illegal fishing boat (取締事故)」, on the other hand the gov. told the aborigines/indigenous lawmaker in charge of this case that they will promote native Taiwanese working in the Coast Guard (「海巡有很多原住民同仁，我特別要求注意在升遷上的拔擢」); obviously, as long as the case can be positioned as political event, the truth does not matter。 brief chinatimes.com/opinion/20240304003981-262101?chdtv

★ The New York Times, 2024-3-24: Two Chinese survivors said that the Taiwanese vessel collided with them, while the Taiwanese Coast Guard said the two boats “made contact” at times during the chase.

★ China's Global Times (2024-2-26): Taiwan used the phrase "rescue explanation of the overturned mainland speedboat" at a press conference, making the accident sound like the mainland fishing boat had accidentally capsized and Taiwan's vessel was there to rescue, blatantly spreading false information... exposed the true nature of the Taiwan authorities. If the Taiwan authorities continue to disregard the mainland's sincerity, viewing it as a sign of weakness to be taken advantage of, then they will bear the consequences and pay the cost. Calling off the "off-limit" or "restricted" waters in the Xiamen-Kinmen zones, realizing regular law enforcement patrols in the entire Xiamen-Kinmen waters, including boarding inspections of relevant ships.

★ Daily Express (2024-2-27): China ignores US warnings and sends ships into Taiwan's restricted waters Taiwan Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told parliament he hoped the situation would be "smoothly handled" so it did not escalate. "We don't want to see any combat conditions occur," he added.

2024-2-28, updated 3-4, 3-27

OPinion

Taiwan president's secret life	No.1 on Yandex at '24-3-31
- behind the scenes ?

The Hill (2024-1-16) : The centerpiece of the disinformation campaign (China against Taiwan) is a 300-page e-book about the exiting Taiwanese president, titled “The Secret History of Tsai Ing-wen”(《蔡英文秘史》) initially published last month on Zenodo, an online open repository. The document is a stunning attack on President Tsai and, by extension, Vice President Lai (will be next president from May 2024) . The book depicts President Tsai as a vile, morally corrupt dictator, sexually promiscuous and hungry for power.

Are these false news ? It's unclear that using the name "disinformation" was because of Presidential Office's statement ?

♣ 1. An article (2022-6-15) by the Middle East Media Research Institute (officially the Middle East Media and Research Institute, is an American non-profit press monitoring and analysis organization that was co-founded by Israeli ex-intelligence officer Yigal Carmon and Israeli-American political scientist Meyrav Wurmser in 1997) quoted Global Times (2022-5-23) and wrote that Tsai Ing-wen's regime, including their personal lives, is already in the hands of the Mainland China.

♣ 2. "The Secret History of Tsai Ing-wen" mentions the careers and fortunes of her parents, and claims that a spokesman for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party defended that Tsai's father served and repaired Japanese civil aircraft, not Japanese fighter planes at Taiwan's Gangshan Airport (岡山機場), the largest Japanese air-force base overseas, from where the Japanese fighters and bombers took off to execute missions including killing numerous Chinese people... DPP refuted the accusations that Tsai's father was a traitor (漢奸) and had assisted Japan in invading China.

But the Liberty Times (自由時報, 2015-6-21, talk.ltn.com.tw/article/paper/891178 ), a DPP-friendly newspaper, also printed an article saying the Treaty of Shimonoseki (馬關條約) ceded Taiwan to Japan. From then on, Taiwan became Japan's local government, therefore all Chinese on Taiwan changed their nation-of-citizenship from China to Japan. "How can a 'Japanese' who repairs military planes in 'Japan' to bomb Japan's enemy be called a traitor?"

From above, we know that "The Secret History of Tsai Ing-wen", at least, is not entirely false news.

♣ 3. Besides, The New York Times (2024-1-12) reported some videos about Tsai's personal life, but has not confirmed whether or not the book is disinformation, instead, NYT was merely reporting what Taiwan Presidential Office said (ps) - those videos are false rumours.

♣ 4. Baidu encyclopedia (百度百科) comments "The Secret History of Tsai Ing-wen”《蔡英文秘史》written by Taiwanese writer '林樂書' (pen name. They say the author is close to Tsai) as a comprehensive, objective, and vivid & profound interpretation of Tsai Ing-wen's changeable family background, academic career, romance or sexual history, and her political-career. After the book was written, it was circulated secretly, and till recently, it was open to the public on the Internet. (全面、客觀、生動的深刻解讀蔡英文多變的家庭背景、學習生涯、情史、政史。)

♣ 5. PBS.org, VOA News, Associated press (2024-1-27): Taiwan's de facto ambassador to the U.S. said said the government has learned it must identify and debunk false information as quickly as possible in order to counter false narratives. “Find it early, like a tumor or cancer. Cut it before it spreads”. However, it seemed they did not block the "The Secret History of Tsai Ing-wen”or took legal action against the author. Till end of Jan. I still can read that E-book from Internet or Twitter (X)... In contrast, my websites and me encountered many attacks by unknown power in the past years.

♣ 6. Since summer of 2023, a lot of articles in western media criticized or made comments on China's disinformation campaign against Taiwan, however, very few (probably only one) of them said "The Secret History of Tsai Ing-wen”is a false story.

2024-1-19, updated 2024-1-27 Chinese version

ps: According to BBC, 2020-4-10, Taiwan also denied what WHO chief claimed - Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he had been subjected to racist comments and death threats for months. "Giving me names, black or negro,... the abuse had originated from Taiwan, and the foreign ministry didn't disassociate" itself from it". Taiwan said the comments from WHO chief were "irresponsible" and the accusations were "imaginary".

OPinion ♣♣ ♣peace through power can deter China ?

In 2023, Lai Ching-te (president-elect of Taiwan) said that Terry Gou's (郭台銘) proposal of signing a peace agreement with Beijing won't do any good to Taiwan; Only peace through power can deter China (和平靠實力), Lai and vice-president-elect Bi-khim Louise Hsiao asserted.

How is Taiwan's "power" ?

According to the Lowy Institute's Asia Power Index (2023 Edition), Taiwan's "Comprehensive Power" scored 15.2 points, ranked No. 14 among Asian countries, even behind Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam ... ; China scored 72.5, and ranked only next to the US which scored 80.7 points.

But, Washington Examiner (2024-2-2) says China has become emboldened by the incompetency that the Biden administration has displayed on the world stage. America may be spread too thin and preoccupied by wars elsewhere. In Asia Power Index, the "Military Capability" score of China is 68.1, Taiwan 21.7.

the Lowy Institute Asia Power Index, 2023 Edition
Military Capability	No.1 US, No.2 China, No.3 Russia, No.4 India, No.5 S Korea, No.6 Japan, No.7 Australia, No.8 N. Korea, No.9 Singapore, No.10 Pakistan, No.11 Taiwan (ROC), No.12 Vietnam, No.13 Indonesia, No.14 Thailand
Resilience	No.1 US, No.2 Russia, No.3 China, No.4 India, No.5 Australia, No.6 New Zealand , No.7 Indonesia, No.8 Malaysia, No.9 N. Korea, No.10 S. Korea, No.11 Japan, No.12 Brunei , No.13 Thailand, No.14 Singapore, No.15 Pakistan, No.16 Sri Lanka, No. 17 Bangladesh, No.18 Taiwan (ROC) No.19 Vietnam
Comprehensive Power	No. 1.US, 2.Chn, 3.Japan, 4.India, 5. Rus, 6. Aus, 7. S. Korea, 8. Singapore, 9.Indonesia, 10.Thailand, 11.Malaysia, 12. Vietnam, 13. NZ, 14. Taiwan (ROC)

This is Tsai Ing-wen's grade report for her 8-year presidency.

Taiwan's Military Capability ranks No.11 after spending so much money buying US weapons, by contrast, Singapore's military was trained by Taiwan, and now ranks No.9 in Asia.

Taiwan's president boasted in National Day (https://www.president.gov.tw/News/27032) not long ago that Taiwan is a country of resilience, now Taiwan's "Resilience" ranks No. 18, even behind Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

2024-2-9

Comparison - The number of best universities of Asian countries in world best indexes
index	world ranks	China	Singapore	Japan	H K	Australia	S. Korea	Taiwan
Nature	1-100	37	2	3	1		2
US News	1-100	4	2	1	4	8
QS	1-25	2	2	1	1	3	1
	25-60	3		1	2	3	1
	60-100			2	2	3	3	1
CWUR	1-100	6	1	3		2	1
Times	1-70	6	2	2	3	5	1
Times	70-100	1			2	1	2
Mar. 17, 2024 total		59	9	13	15	25	11	1
Ranks 100 ~ 200: ⊙ Nature / after No.100 - Taiwan (NTU 台灣大學) ranks 208, behind Hong Kong , Australia , Israel , Saudi Arabia , India, etc ⊙ QS / Taiwan (NTU ranks no. 69) is behind Malaysia (no. 65 U. Malaya) ⊙ CWUR / Taiwan (NTU no. 102) is behind Israel (no. 70, 87) full text: https://intlhumanrights.com/education.htm

OPinion ♣♣ ♣ China's major invasion of Taiwan ♣ ♣

New York Times (2023-11-29) reported that the president of Taiwan at DealBook Summit said : "I think the Chinese leadership at this juncture is overwhelmed by its internal challenges" , "My thought is that perhaps this is not a time for them to consider a major invasion of Taiwan".

Taiwanese president's hypothesis ── a major invasion might lead to a bigger internal challenges or difficulty. But, more possibilities should be taken into account:

n1. quick fait accompli

♣ Foreign Policy in Focus (March 2, 2023): Should China launch an all-out invasion, however, Taiwan would likely succumb within a few days once its air force of just 470 combat aircraft was overwhelmed by the PLA's 2,900 jet fighters, 2,100 supersonic missiles, and its massive navy,... the island's occupation might well be a fait accompli.
♣ The Atlantic, 2022-10-3 expensive platforms such as fighter aircraft and surface ships—neither of which is likely to survive the first days of a war with China. NBC, 2021-3-27: Taiwan's air force is wiped out within minutes.
♣ Economist (UK), 2022-4-23: many of the high-end weapons will be quickly destroyed or rendered ineffective.

n2. military operations other than invasion

♣ Newsweek (2023-10-15): Taiwan has storage capacity for 11 days of natural gas consumption. A Chinese blockade would force Taiwan's surrender in short order.
♣ Washington Examiner (2023-4-12): China has formidable technology. It is at the forefront of hypersonic missiles, lasers, drones, and artificial intelligence. It can rain mass destruction on Taiwan just by launching missiles down upon densely populated Taipei or Kaohsiung.
♣ Foreign Policy in Focus (March 2, 2023): In its least violent scenario, Reuters speculated that Beijing could use its navy to impose a “customs quarantine” around Taiwan, while announcing an Air Defense Identification Zone over the island and warning the world not to violate its sovereignty. Then, to tighten the noose, it could move to a full blockade, laying mines at major ports and cutting underwater cables. Rather than attempting a difficult amphibious invasion, Beijing might complete this staged escalation with saturation missile attacks on Taiwan's cities until its leaders capitulated.

n3. major elections - major invasion

Perhaps this is exactly a time for China to consider a major invasion of Taiwan.
♣ The Telegraph (UK, 2023-10-27): Taiwanese and American elections next year and the current world disorder – why an earlier attack might succeed. Carnegie Endowment for International peace (2023-10-3) also mentioned China may launch an attack around Taiwan's key election (2024) at the earliest.
♣ Washington Post ( 2023-11-13 ): War could essentially happen any time.
♣ Economist ( 2023-11-13 ): with both America and Taiwan holding elections in 2024, the danger period may start soon.

n4. war to distract its population

♣ A diversionary foreign policy, or a diversionary war, is an international relations term that identifies a war instigated by a country's leader in order to distract its population from their own domestic strife. The concept stems from the Diversionary War Theory, which states that leaders who are threatened by domestic turmoil may initiate an international conflict in order to improve their standing. There are two primary mechanisms behind diversionary war: a manipulation of the rally 'round the flag effect, causing an increase of national fervor from the general public, and "gambling on resurrection", whereby a leader in a perilous domestic situation takes high-risk foreign policy decisions . e.g., To distract its population, China started the Sino-Indian War (1962)、Event on Zhenbao Island (1969「珍寶島事件」 )、PLA's major combat operation in Vietnam (1979).

♣ Reuters (2023-9-12): China's economic slowdown could increase the risk of Beijing taking military action toward Taiwan, the Republican chair of a U.S. congressional committee on China said.

♣ The Nation (2023-4-3): Raising the subject of the war, your political advisers tell you, will distract from the domestic issues that favor the party's chances in the forthcoming congressional election.

♣ US Naval Institute (Mar. 2023), by Elbridge Colby: ... Still others suggest China's economy may decline, increasing Beijing's incentive to act before it weakens. In any case, Beijing can now clearly see that a coalition is coalescing against it and may judge that its future economic growth and security are in question if it does not act. This fear is not mere speculation. Rather, an increasing chorus of senior Biden administration officials and military officers have stated that Beijing has moved up its timeline to address the Taiwan issue, that overwhelming force is Beijing's best strategy, and that an invasion is a distinct threat.

n5. China has different logic

Mordern War Institute at West Point (2023-9-14): Many experts incorrectly predicted that an invasion would be too costly for China's already shrinking economy given the inevitable global backlash. But autocrats have their own logic and reasons ... This is a scenario the world may see on the news tomorrow, or in a year.

Of course, Beijing could wait longer, time is on its side. Once Trump take office, his "America first" policy may damage Biden's "int'l union" - U.S. alliances.
2023-12-1

PS: Bloomberg 2023-12-20: Oriana Skylar Mastro, a Center Fellow at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, said that if it came to war with China, “Taiwan 200% will fall.”; Eric Heginbotham, a principal research scientist at MIT's Center for International Studies and a specialist in Asian security issues, said that he “wouldn't be shocked if Taiwan threw up its hands in the first days of a conflict,” especially if the US was not “visibly committed.”; A China's blockade is risky because - The assessment of the US government -“is that they cannot hold out long.”

PS: NYT, 2024-1-27: the former Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou says: “I don't think China is in any mood to start a war to conquer Taiwan.”

OPinion ♣♣♣ Taiwan faces flood of disinformation ♣♣ cognitive warfare & interference.♣ ♣

critiques of disinformation from China over Taiwan	further studies
♣ CNN, 2023-12-16: a Beijing-friendly Taiwanese newspaper falsely claimed that Washington had ordered Taipei to develop biological weapons that could be used against China’s People’s Liberation Army...Both Washington and Taipei have refuted the claim that Taiwan was developing biological weapons, and there is no evidence the discussions took place. ♣ Economist, 2023-9-26 : (a fake news ) America had asked Taiwan to manufacture biological weapons at a lab run by the island’s defence ministry.	♣ The Diplomat (2021-5-26): Both (China and Taiwan) would have the fearful option of using weapons of mass destruction to disperse biological, chemical, and radioactive agents against the other. And both might apply more exotic weapons, such as directed energy weapons and hypersonic missiles.
Economist, 2023-9-26 : ...a spurious claim that America “wants to blow up” TSMC , a Taiwanese chipmaker. It originated with a misleading video posted on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, which featured an American lawmaker appearing to discuss the possibility.	America did have the idea of “blowing up” Taiwan's chip makers. ♣ Washington Post, 2023-5-12: China might be less likely to spill blood and treasure, Rep. Seth Moulton suggested, to capture a broken economy and shattered technological base. Speaking at a Milken Institute panel in Los Angeles, Rep. Seth Moulton said: “One of the interesting ideas that’s been floated out there for deterrence is just making it very clear to the Chinese that if you invade Taiwan, we’re going to blow up TSMC.” Of course, the Taiwanese really don’t like this idea. The Biden administration has been excoriated for leaving $7 billion in U.S. military equipment in Afghanistan as that country fell to the Taliban in 2021. It’s hard to imagine that a White House on the cusp of losing Taiwan wouldn’t think about how to ensure that dual-use technology worth far more doesn’t fall into the hands of a great-power rival. Moulton’s suggestion might not just make China think twice — it could pressure Taiwan’s political leaders to beef up the island’s defenses. We will need more boundary-pushing thinking like Moulton’s. Washington’s ties to Taipei have steadily tightened. But that doesn’t mean Taiwan’s interests and America’s will always be identical. 　 ♣ National Interest, 2022-6-5: McKinney and Harris have especially argued for the United States and Taiwan to deter China’s invasion “by threatening to destroy facilities belonging to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company [TSMC]—the critically important global chipmaker and China’s most important supplier. When TSMC is destroyed, “China’s high-tech industries would be immobilized. 　 ♣ Bloomberg, 2022-10-7 : At the extreme end of the spectrum, some advocate the US make clear to China that it would destroy TSMC facilities if the island was occupied, in an attempt to deter military action or, ultimately, deprive Beijing of the production plants. Such a “scorched-earth strategy” scenario was raised in a paper by two academics that appeared in the November 2021 issue of the US Army War College Quarterly. ♣ Council on Foreign Relations, 2023-5-9: Some analysts believe this is still not enough: Taiwan’s fabs are simply too important, they argue, to risk them falling into China’s hands. Instead, the United States or Taiwan should make clear that they would destroy Taiwanese fabs during a conflict. A 2021 paper published in The U.S. Army War College Quarterly argued that the best way to deter Chinese aggression was for the United States and Taiwan to “lay plans for a targeted scorched-earth strategy that would render Taiwan not just unattractive if ever seized by force, but positively costly to maintain. This could be done most effectively by threatening to destroy facilities belonging to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.” Former U.S. national security advisor Robert O’Brien recently resurrected this line of thinking, advocating for destroying Taiwan’s fabs and comparing such a move to Britain’s decision to sink France’s naval fleet after the country surrendered to Nazi Germany. ♣ Asia Times (2023-5-25) mentioned this too. 　 ♣ Besides, journal-neo.org NEO (2023-4-12, Russia) said : The CSIS paper admits that the cost of preserving Taiwan’s political autonomy would likely be vast levels of death and destruction including infrastructure and industry on the island of Taiwan. The paper at times infers this is inevitable and owed to Chinese military actions, however, in other parts of the paper it’s admitted that the US itself would deliberately destroy Taiwan’s infrastructure in a bid to deny its use by the PRC and China’s armed forces. A recent Bloomberg report showed that the U.S. was drafting up contingency plans that could include evacuating Taiwan’s chip engineers and even considered hypotheticals of putting troops on the ground. But one aspect of all the war games is the few war wonks who have advocated that the U.S. threaten to destroy TSMC facilities if China were to move in. A paper published in the Army War College Quarterly last year mentioned a “scorched-earth strategy that would render Taiwan not just unattractive… but positively costly to maintain.” Bloomberg cites one former Pentagon official who also advocated for Biden to come up with a plan to bomb TSMC. Of course, those are just a few voices in a very crowded and loud room, but the old children’s sandbox rules of “if I can’t have it, then nobody can” have attracted enough attention that Taiwan’s military officials apparently made a response.
Daily Express (UK), 2022-10-12, SCMP (Hong Kong), 2022-10-12: Taiwan has rejected a proposal to destroy its flagship semiconductor industry in the event of a Chinese invasion, Taiwan’s security chief said it would be effectively useless for China to take over the factories, which was why they did not need to be destroyed. TSMC needs to integrate global elements before producing high-end chips. Without components or equipment […] without any key components, there is no way TSMC can continue its production.” He added: "Even if China got a hold of the golden hen, it won’t be able to lay golden eggs.”	♣ If what Taiwan’s security chief said was true, why did Washington Examiner (2023-9-27) warned that If China were to invade Taiwan and seize its semiconductor production, it could rapidly catch up to the U.S. in areas such as AI technology. 　 ♣ The Atlantic (2022-10-3): Were China to seize Taiwan, one of two things could happen to the chip supply: The microchip factories could end up being controlled by China, or they could be destroyed in a conflict. 　 ♣ journal-neo.org NEO (2023-4-12, Russia) said : An article (see above) cites Taiwan’s National Security Bureau Director-General Chen Ming-tong who claimed that even if China secured TSMC’s facilities, supply chain issues would make it impossible for the facilities to continue functioning. Whether this is true or not, the US would likely take a “better safe than sorry” approach and destroy the facilities anyway.
The Telegraph, 2023-12-16: the US is sacrificing Taiwan because it wants to compete with China	♣ War On The Rocks, 2023-11-9: Consider disinformation. In June, Chinese spokesperson Zhu Fenglian claimed that the United States was preparing to “abandon” Taiwan after turning it into a “minefield” and “ammunition depot.” Still another narrative held that the United States is seeking to provoke a war in the Taiwan Strait in order to protect its regional influence from growing Chinese power, and that Taiwan should be wary of becoming America’s cannon fodder. Of course, such opinions are not in themselves “disinformation,” and there are many in Taiwan who organically hold these opinions. But the scale and coordination of these narratives strongly points to direct Chinese orchestration. And more worrying, this messaging campaign is facilitating the spread of “American skepticism” (疑美论) and an accompanying decline in belief that the United States would come to Taiwan’s defense, as measured in a number of recent Taiwan polls. 　 ♣ Washington Examiner , 2023-6-23: Foreign Policy Research Institute expert (Lonnie Henley) said that too many U.S. military planners want to jump straight from defeating the invasion to the regional conflict with China and forget about Taiwan. ♣ WSWS.org (US), 2023-11-29 the Biden administration, following on from Trump, has deliberately transformed the island into a dangerous flashpoint for conflict with China, even as it wages war against Russia in Ukraine and backs Israel’s genocidal onslaught on Gaza. 　 ♣ The Hill, 2023-9-14 (everything to lose if relations deteriorate to the point of direct armed conflict ... ) : By refusing to be drawn into a war with China in an otherwise horrible situation, the United States would have an enormous power advantage over China. The American military would still be unharmed and at full strength, while the People’s Liberation Army would be severely degraded by any attempt to penetrate Taiwan’s defenses. It could take China more than a decade to recover from its losses. We would have the unchallenged upper hand, both regionally as well as globally. Our national security would remain fully within our ability to guarantee. Choosing to allow righteous anger to drive our response — which many Americans would understandably feel if China attacked Taiwan — could plunge us into a war that would, in the best case, severely diminish our ability to defend our country. In the worst case, it could lead to a nuclear exchange in which entire American cities could be wiped out. As much as we would hate to see China capture Taiwan, nothing on that island is worth risking America’s entire national security. ♣ SCMP, 2023-11-21: CSIS expert Blanchette pointed out that some of the worst military crises in the Taiwan Strait, such as the 1996 missile crisis after then president Lee Teng-hui's visit to the US and Pelosi's visit in August 2022, were triggered by political actions by US government officials resulting in angry responses by Beijing. US political moves, war planning risk destabilising Taiwan Strait. ♣ New York Times, 2023-4-14: China’s Communist Party is now convinced that America wants to bring it down, which some U.S. politicians are actually no longer shy about suggesting. ♣ Newsweek, 2023-10-30: Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) : a "certain country" was trying to "provoke proxy wars." ..."They pass knives behind their backs and don't hesitate to provoke proxy wars," Zhang said, referring to the U.S. "Wherever its hands extend to, that is where peace and quiet is not possible." ♣ The LOWY Institute (Australia) , 6-16-2020 : treating Taiwan as a conduit to frustrate Beijing imperils Taiwan’s security. Already many in China’s party-state suspect that the US intends to promote Taiwan independence, ... The risk here is that U.S. policy encourages an overreaction from China, upsetting the cross-straits status quo or whatever remains of it, and then the United States abandons Taiwan to deal with the consequences.　https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/taiwan-s-wildcard 　 ♣ WSWS.org, 2022-7-27: the United States is transforming the island into an offensive launch platform for war with China, seeking to provoke China into military action against Taiwan. ♣ WSWS.org, 2022-11-5: The Biden administration is seeking to provoke Beijing into military actions, possibly over Taiwan 　 ♣ Nation, 2023-3-17: Strangely enough, however, nowhere in official circles is there a single prominent figure asking the most basic question of all: Does China actually have any serious intention of invading Taiwan or are we manufacturing a crisis over nothing? China’s leaders seem to have concluded that time is on their side—that the Taiwanese people will, eventually, voluntarily decide to unite with the mainland. This approach is spelled out in Beijing’s recent white paper, “The Taiwan Question and China’s Reunification in the New Era,” released last August by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the PRC’s State Council. As China grows increasingly prosperous, the paper argues, the Taiwanese—especially young Taiwanese—will see ever greater benefits from unification, diminishing the appeal of independence, or “separatism.” it appears that Chinese leaders are prepared to invest massive resources in persuading the Taiwanese that reunification is in their best interests. 　 ♣ journal-neo.org NEO, 2023-4-12: Taiwan Pushed Closer to Conflict by Washington.
The Telegraph (UK), 2023-12-16: Taiwan’s leaders of sending their children to the US to avoid being drafted in a future war.	Taiwan's president has not married. But the grandson of Taiwan's vice president (Lai Ching-te, running for next president) is an American citizen, Lai's sons have permanent residency (PR-USA).
CNN, 2023-12-17: Methods include spreading disinformation... fabricated allegations of mass surveillance by Taiwan security agencies over Taiwanese individuals	(1) Taiwan's Minister of Interior said this case is under investigation, psychological warfare usually spreads news that are 30% true and 70% false. (2) United Daily (Taiwan, 2023-12-13): It's already a state of normality that Taiwan's government evade or refuse oversight/supervision by the name "classified". We do need rotation of ruling parties to eliminate such "Green Terror". udn.com/news/story/7338/7636736?from=udn-catebreaknews_ch2 (3) Global Times (2022-12-19) : There are forces on the island of Taiwan who are mentally controlling the Taiwan people.
The Telegraph (UK), 2023-12-16: the potential for war between Taiwan and China frequently surfaced as topics intended to instil fear in the public and a sense that the government could not guarantee security, ...They create distrust in the government – ‘don’t trust your government, your government is lying’	n(1) FEAR in the public ♣ Wall Street Journal (2023-1-26) : If he (Lai Ching-te) does win, Beijing could move quickly to invade. The U.S. is unprepared for such a crisis. ♣ The China Project, 2023-10-27: Taiwan island elegy: Coming to terms with Taiwan’s potential demise. ♣ FoxNews, 2023-12-18: Joint Chiefs chairman says 'We all should be ' worried about China possibly invading Taiwan. ♣ NPR.org, 2023-12-18: Taiwan has about 169,000 active duty forces and 2 million in reserves, though critics say they are poorly trained 　 n(2) War or Peace ♣ Newsweek (2023-10-26): Taiwan voters must choose between war and peace ♣ China Daily (2023-11-24) : the Chinese mainland on Friday called on people in Taiwan to make the right choice between peace and war ♣ Washington Post (2023-11-28): Beijing calls the race a “choice between war and peace” and it has escalated an intimidation campaign around the island democracy, taking Chinese military aggression in the Taiwan Strait to heights unseen in decades. ♣ NBC(2023-11-27): China’s Taiwan Affairs Office has framed this elections as a choice between “peace and war, prosperity and decline".... The outcome of Taiwan’s elections will likely go some way in influencing...impact security in the Asia-Pacific region more broadly. ♣ Telegraph (UK), 2023-12-2: Taiwan is about to vote against China. War is coming. 　 n(3) Taiwanese government could not guarantee security ♣ Wall Street Journal (2023-7-5):the island ... is far from ready, many U.S. officials and analysts say. The professionalism and motivation of Taiwan’s military are a particular concern, Western officials say. 。 the Russian thrust into Ukraine drove home to many Taiwanese that war can erupt with little notice. ♣ The Guardian (UK), 2023-7-9: politicians and military analysts are increasingly concerned that the island’s defences are not strong enough to repel an invasion from a more powerful aggressor...only a fraction of the reservists are thought to be combat-ready. ♣ Economist, 2022-3-5: Taiwanese seem too uninterested to fight to defend their land. Taiwan's sloth in reforming its defence capabilities ... n(4) Taiwan's government is lying ♣ Lie 1 / Chinese government attacks Lai Ching-te and Hsiao Bi-khim lying (Xi promised Biden in SF meeting that China won't attack Taiwan in the next a few years) for votes, which is "quoted me out of context and quite distorted original meaning" (賴清德與蕭美琴，為了騙取選票，對美中元首會晤「.斷章取義、歪曲事實」，說北京未來幾年都沒有攻台計畫) ...msn.com/zh-tw/news/other/國台辦批賴蕭配騙票-警告台獨就等於戰爭/ar-AA1kzCYo?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=ASTS&cvid=fad387d21d5143d6ad13c7d7005388ec&ei=26 　 ♣ Lie 2 / Reuters (2023-11-23): Hsiao Bi-khim makes clear to our counterparts across the Taiwan Strait that dialogue is the only way to resolve differences. War is not an option" . In Washington Post (2023-11-24) Hsiao said so too. Reuters (2023-11-24): Lai, along with Tsai, has repeatedly offered talks with China but have been rebuffed, as Beijing views them both as separatists. 　 ♣ Lie 3 / Lai Ching-te repeatedly said peace needs power (「實力」). This phrase is misleading voters, because Taiwan has no power. for instance, n Economist (2022-3-5): American security types have long grumbled that Taiwanese, especially the young, seem too uninterested to fight to defend their land. They will take comfort from the mood change. A more substantive concern has been Taiwan’s sloth in reforming its defence capabilities and strengthening its deterrence. n National Review (2023-7-15): According to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, “President Biden does not see the relationship between the U.S. and China through the frame of great-power conflict.” If reelected, he may prefer not to fight for Taiwan n Washington Examiner (2023-9-6): Trump implies he would not intervene against a Chinese invasion of Taiwan n Washington Post (2022-3-9), Politico (2021-3-15): Trump told a law-maker that "If they invade, there isn’t a f---ing thing we can do about it."
CNN, 2023-12-16: One piece of disinformation highlighted by officials was a recent rumor that Hsiao Bi-khim – the DPP’s vice-presidential candidate and until recently Taiwan’s top representative in Washington — is a US citizen.	♣ United Daily (Taiwan, 2023-12-18): Hsiao Bi-khim's phrase about her nationality has been changeable or capricious (說辭反覆)， she has not made it clear till present. ♣ According to The China Times (Taiwan, 2023-12-8 chinatimes.com/opinion/20231208004464-262101?chdtv) (1) 中選會雖然在5日公布總統及副總統資格審議結果，認為3組參選人符合規定，均具有中華民國國籍，但外界猜疑之聲並未至此終結。這不僅是因為淪為政治打手的中選會早已失去公信力，更因為民進黨政府一再為了討好美國而犧牲台灣民眾利益，對蕭美琴質疑的背後，是對民進黨政府總在美國人面前俯首貼耳的憤怒。　 (2) 蕭美琴父從未有喪失或回復國籍紀錄，依據《國籍法》，蕭美琴一出生就具有中華民國國籍。問題是，蕭美琴自己曾經在2009年說過，從小只有美國籍，2002年就任立委前申辦放棄美國籍，拿到立委就任證書後，馬上宣誓成為中華民國國民。依《總統副總統選舉罷免法》規定，曾喪失、回復國籍者不得登記為總統、副總統候選人，那麼蕭美琴其實是沒有參選資格的。內政部說她及其父親從未放棄中華民國國籍，這和蕭美琴當年的敘述有很大矛盾，到底誰說的是真話？原本應該超然中立的中選會，在蔡英文執政以來早已成為政治打手，為了護航民進黨把公投改過來又改過去，現在為蕭美琴掛的保證，已缺乏足夠的可信度。 (3) 蕭美琴和吳欣盈都遲遲沒有拿出放棄美國國籍的證明文件。曾任民進黨不分區立委的邱彰表示不相信蕭美琴放棄了美國籍，因為她個人的經驗是不能在台灣的美國在台協會（AIT）辦理，必須到第三國辦理，而蕭美琴在受訪時卻自稱是到AIT辦理放棄國籍。邱彰透露，她當年到上海美國領事館辦理放棄國籍時，領事問她是否因為受台灣法律的脅迫，她點頭後對方就在申請書上蓋「拒絕」，並表示她有申請放棄的責任，但領事不同意她放棄美國國籍。所有成功放棄美國籍的人，都會收到美國國務院寄來的「放棄國籍證明」，蕭美琴是否有這紙證明？的確，只要拿出白紙黑字的一張證明，有關雙重國籍的議題就可以完全釋疑，但蕭美琴沒拿出來

economist.com/asia/2023/09/26/china-is-flooding-taiwan-with-disinformation

ending ~

Some media reported interference from China using methods include spreading disinformation, malicious rumors, deliberately planted magnifying narratives favorable to Beijing, trashing politicians seen as tough on China ... fabricated allegations of mass surveillance by Taiwan security agencies over Taiwanese individuals.

But there's no many articles reporting interference from countries other than China.
♣ Bloomberg  (2023-6-15) : US Presses Taiwan Opposition Candidate Over China Policies.
♣ Washington Post (2023-11-28): During a recent television appearance, Ko (Taiwan presidential candidate, chair of 民眾黨 party) declared that various countries want to “dip their fingers in” Taiwan’s elections and claimed that the American Institute in Taiwan, the United States’ de facto embassy, called him to ask about Chinese influence.

♣ According to Denmark's Democracy Perception Index ( DPI 2021) after Taiwan's presidential election last time, democracy in Taiwan was threatened by US: 58%, Russia: 20%,China : 65%. allianceofdemocracies.org/initiatives/the-copenhagen-democracy-summit/dpi-2021/

♣ Denmark's Democracy Perception Index (DPI 2023): "% of people living in democracies perceive the threat of foreign election interference", Taiwan ranks the 7th from last.

2023-12-19

OPinion ♣♣ ♣ ♣ Taiwan media shift the focus

Taiwan's CTS shifted the focus to Biden rejecting Xi's request not to support Taiwan Independence

New York Post (2023-12-20):Xi told Biden he plans to take Taiwan — by any means necessary; NBC (2023-12-20):Xi's private warning to Biden was delivered at a time when China's behavior toward Taiwan is seen as increasingly aggressive and ahead of a potentially pivotal presidential election in the self-governing democratic island next month. Business Insider (2023-12-20): Xi straight-up told Biden that China is going to take over Taiwan, report says. It could end in war; Daily Mail (2023-12-20): Top Republicans alarmed by 'beyond unnerving' report Xi warned Biden that China WILL reunify with Taiwan in blunt message ; SUN UK (2023-12-20): Xi ‘warned Biden to his face that China WILL take Taiwan – and didn't rule out full-force invasion at any minute’
　

In Nov., Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden held a summit meeting in San Francisco. Taiwan's media used western media's report, but shifted the focus, and played down the serious issue.

media (US, UK)

media (Taiwan)

♣ SUN (UK, 2023-12-20): NO STOPPING XI

Brazen Xi ‘warned Biden to his face that China WILL take Taiwan – and didn't rule out full-force invasion at any minute’

♣ abc news (2023-12-20 video): President Xi says China plans to try to reunify with Taiwan: Sources

♣ New York Post (2023-12-20) : Xi told Biden he plans to take Taiwan — by any means necessary;
♣ Business Insider (2023-12-20): Xi straight-up told Biden that China is going to take over Taiwan, report says. It could end in war.
♣ Dail Mail (2023-12-20) :Top Republicans alarmed by 'beyond unnerving' report Xi warned Biden that China WILL reunify with Taiwan in blunt message during crunch talks in San Francisco;
♣ NBC (2023-12-21): Xi warned Biden during summit that Beijing will reunify Taiwan with China;
♣ NBC Universal (2023-12-21): Xi’s comments on reunification could influence Taiwan’s upcoming election

♣ TTV News (台視 2023-12-21): China asked Biden to make a public statement not to support Taiwanese independence, The White House rejected.
　

♣ SETN (2023-12-21): Foreign media reported Xi told Biden he will reunify Taiwan; White House: not something new
　

♣ CTS News (2023-12-21): China asked Biden to support peaceful reunification and not to support Taiwanese independence. rejected? The White House avoided answering https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAavn7h9AMs
　

♣ Kimo (2023-12-21): US media: China asked Biden to make a statement that the US does not support Taiwanese independence, The White House rejected the request.

♣ CTS 華視 (2023-12-21): Foreign media reported Xi told Biden he will reunify Taiwan; White House: nothing new

Media (UK, US) straightforwardly reported that China will reunify Taiwan ── full-force invasion at any minute... by any means necessary... it could end in war...

But many media in Taiwan shifted the focus to that the US rejected China's request ── not to support Taiwan's Independence; and played down China will reunify Taiwan by adding a question mark, or "it's nothing new" ...

Some US media like Business Insider even have not reported China's request.
New York Post: The White House spokesperson went on to say that the US will continue to adhere to its “One China” policy of not recognizing Taiwan as independent.
Daily Mail: National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby said that Biden was 'clear' with Xi that the U.S. still adheres to the One China policy and does not support independence for Taiwan. NBC (2023-12-26): After the summit, Biden reiterated long-standing U.S. policy. “We maintain an agreement that there is a 'One China' policy,” he said, adding, “I'm not going to change that. That’s not going to change.”

Why did Taiwan's media report in that way ?
(1) Taiwan's ruling party supports Taiwan Independence, and most of media controlled by the gov. want to impress or mislead the public that the US 'supports' Taiwan Independence, one way or another.
(2) Taiwan's presidential election is coming soon, war news is very disadvantaged to the ruling party.

2023-12-22, updated 12-26

2023-12-21

pic.: No.2 comment Taiwan (Chinese version "評論國是) on US Google , 2024-2-11, 2024-2-1, 2024-1-9, 2024-1-1, 2023-12-23, 2023-12-12, 2023-12-4, 2023-11-25
　

Corruption

On April 22, 2024, the United States Department of State published the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, which was criticized by People's Daily online (2024-6-3, China) that saying nothing about the US itself, just another case of double standard.

From a Taiwanese's perspective, US report writes not much about Taiwan's corruption - Taiwan's corruption has been a serious issue for years.

♣ United Daily (Taiwan, 2023-12-18):

Hsiao Bi-khim's phrase about her nationality has been changeable or capricious (說辭反覆)， she has not made it clear till present.

♣ According to The China Times (Taiwan, 2023-12-8 chinatimes.com/opinion/20231208004464-262101?chdtv)

Brazen Xi ‘warned Biden to his face that China WILL take Taiwan – and didn't rule out full-force invasion at any minute’