Geography shapes strategy more than headlines do.
Taiwan isn’t just a political issue — it’s shipping lanes, semiconductor supply chains, military positioning, and global economics all concentrated in one place.
That’s why the situation stays so sensitive even decades later.
> This is why Taiwan cannot be understood only as a sovereignty dispute. It is a test of whether the Indo-Pacific remains a plural maritime system, or whether it becomes a China-centered security sphere.
It was never a plural maritime system. The question is whether the oceans in question are US-dominated or Chinese-dominated.
There are quite a lot of other countries that use that bit of ocean. India, Vietnam, Japan, Australia etc. By not plural you mean China/US are more aggressive?
I mean the seas around china are dominated by the US Navy, we effectively have a ring of allied bases around them. Use of those seas is because the US allows it.
I don't know why the authors said "indo-pacific" in a scare piece about China, I think the Indian Ocean would be a lot less relevant to the topic.
That was a surprisingly good read. Brief enough that I can finish while in-between tickets, but long and deep enough that it can beautifully explain the whole crisis without oversimplifying it, and at the same time carefully presenting the two conflicting narratives.
edit: although I probably wouldn't trust the source when reading about Middle East conflicts...
-Gen. Yaakov Amidror -- former major general and National Security Advisor of Israel
-- got tired of the bit around here --
-Ambassador Anne W. Patterson
-Ambassador Eric Edelman
-Ambassador Bilahari Kausikan
-Ambassador Atul Keshap
-Gen. Ruth Yaron
-Dan Meridor
Anyway, the goal here was to point out articles like this don't come from journalistic backgrounds, but thinktank policy makers. The intention of pieces like this is to launder official government opinion as a semi-legitimate news source. Think "Radio Free Asia".
> Taiwan is not simply an island claimed by Beijing
Yes, China claims Taiwan and China are the same country. Not mentioned is that US policy also says that Taiwan and China are the same country. In fact Taiwan policy is that China and Taiwan are the same country. You would think reading this that Taiwan had declared independence from China as a separate country.
Also on the topic of "simply an island" - Taiwan is not just the island of Taiwan, they are on Kinmen island in the harbor of Xiamen on the mainland PRC. This would be like Manhattan receiving imperial proclamations about its "sovereignty" from China.
The fact is Taiwan was Chinese long before the United States even existed, just like the Russian Navy has been in Crimea since before the US existed. The US funded and armed separatist forces - but in 1900 the US was raising its flag in Beijing's imperial city. The historical development is these imperial intrusions have been pushed back by China. Taiwan is important to China and the US is too occupied blockading Cuba, slaughtering Venezuelan and Iranian leadership, aiding the genocide of Gaza and the invasions of Syria and Lebanon etc., while its health secretary fights against vaccines.
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[ 3.4 ms ] story [ 33.5 ms ] threadIt was never a plural maritime system. The question is whether the oceans in question are US-dominated or Chinese-dominated.
I don't know why the authors said "indo-pacific" in a scare piece about China, I think the Indian Ocean would be a lot less relevant to the topic.
edit: although I probably wouldn't trust the source when reading about Middle East conflicts...
jstribune.com about page:
> The Jerusalem Strategic Tribune is a journal representing Israeli and American views about international affairs.
Hm interesting. Lets see who runs it.
Editorial Board
-Ahmed Charai, Chair -- Owner of the site, on multiple thinktank boards such as the atlantic council
-Jacob Heilbrunn, Co-Chair -- Another fellow of the atlantic council
-Dr. Daniel Samet -- Daniel J. Samet is a Jeane Kirkpatrick Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute
-Melinda Haring -- a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center
-Dr. Eran Lerman -- former IDF colonel and a lecturer at Shalem College
Board of Directors
-Gen. James Jones -- 21st national security advisor under Obama.
-Ahmed Charai -- owner of the site again
-Admiral James Foggo III -- former US navy Admiral. Nice retirement spot, James
Board of Advisors
-Hon. Dov Zakheim, Chairman -- Various positions under Reagan
-Hon. John Hamre -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hamre
-Gen. Yaakov Amidror -- former major general and National Security Advisor of Israel
-- got tired of the bit around here --
-Ambassador Anne W. Patterson
-Ambassador Eric Edelman
-Ambassador Bilahari Kausikan
-Ambassador Atul Keshap
-Gen. Ruth Yaron
-Dan Meridor
Anyway, the goal here was to point out articles like this don't come from journalistic backgrounds, but thinktank policy makers. The intention of pieces like this is to launder official government opinion as a semi-legitimate news source. Think "Radio Free Asia".
Yes, China claims Taiwan and China are the same country. Not mentioned is that US policy also says that Taiwan and China are the same country. In fact Taiwan policy is that China and Taiwan are the same country. You would think reading this that Taiwan had declared independence from China as a separate country.
Also on the topic of "simply an island" - Taiwan is not just the island of Taiwan, they are on Kinmen island in the harbor of Xiamen on the mainland PRC. This would be like Manhattan receiving imperial proclamations about its "sovereignty" from China.
The fact is Taiwan was Chinese long before the United States even existed, just like the Russian Navy has been in Crimea since before the US existed. The US funded and armed separatist forces - but in 1900 the US was raising its flag in Beijing's imperial city. The historical development is these imperial intrusions have been pushed back by China. Taiwan is important to China and the US is too occupied blockading Cuba, slaughtering Venezuelan and Iranian leadership, aiding the genocide of Gaza and the invasions of Syria and Lebanon etc., while its health secretary fights against vaccines.
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2023/09/02/...
In fact, both the majority of the Taiwanese people and the current government are against unification.