My Turn: China and Taiwan: Will there be war?
A Taiwan Coast Guard officer stands guard under a Taiwanese flag during Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou s visit to Pengjia Islet in the East China Sea, north of Taiwan, April 9, 2016. AP
Published: 5/26/2021 8:24:09 AM
This column is about Taiwan, home to 23 million people and a democratically elected government. China considers Taiwan “an inalienable part of Chinese territory,” a breakaway province that China is determined to “reunite” with the mainland.
The Economist magazine calls this situation “the most dangerous place on earth.” Will there be a war over Taiwan in the foreseeable future?
Some background is in order. During the 1930s and 1940s there was ongoing civil war between the Nationalists, the official government of China, and the Communists led by Mao Tse-tung. In 1949, Mao won. The Nationalist leader, Chiang Kai Shek, and the remnants of his army retreated from the Chinese mainland to the island of Taiwan.
This column is about Taiwan, home to 23 million people and a democratically elected government. China considers Taiwan “an inalienable part of Chinese territory,” a breakaway province that China is determined to “reunite” with the mainland. The.
Since the return of the Rajapaksa brothers to office as president and prime minister in Sri Lanka, Colombo’s relations with China have improved dramatically. Earlier in the week, the Sri Lankan Parliament decided to postpone a debate on the controversial Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill that was scheduled for the middle of the week. The bill was seen as supporting China’s interests, and tantamount to ceding control over Colombo Port City. It triggered a domestic political storm. Officials reportedly told the media that, “All party leaders in the House agreed that the debate should be rescheduled as the Supreme Court’s determination on the constitutionality of the bill had not yet reached Parliament.”
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Since the return of the Rajapaksa brothers to office as president and prime minister in Sri Lanka, Colombo’s relations with China have improved dramatically. Earlier in the week, the Sri Lankan Parliament decided to postpone a debate on the controversial Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill that was scheduled for the middle of the week. The bill was seen as supporting China’s interests, and tantamount to ceding control over Colombo Port City. It triggered a domestic political storm. Officials reportedly told the media that, “All party leaders in the House agreed that the debate should be rescheduled as the Supreme Court’s determination on the constitutionality of the bill had not yet reached Parliament.”
U.S. bill aimed at countering China aggression set to pass committee stage
04/21/2021 08:14 PM
The U.S. Capitol Building. CNA file photo
Washington, April 20 (CNA) A draft bill that seeks to boost the United States capability to counter China s aggression on the international stage, including its belligerence against Taiwan, is expected to clear the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday (U.S. time).
Titled the Strategic Competition Act of 2021, the draft bill calls for the U.S. to reassert its leadership within international organizations and other multilateral arenas and to bolster its diplomacy strategy to address the challenges posed by the Chinese government.