Executive Summary: President Xi Jinping is unlikely to abandon his goals for Taiwan, focusing on peaceful reunification and anti-independence, while continuing to exert economic and diplomatic pressures. This is despite potential economic downturns in the PRC. The risks of disruption and to economic stability make... MORE

Executive Summary: The success of younger lawmakers was a bright spot within the KMT’s election performance. They have the potential to appeal to middle-class and young Taiwanese voters through innovative approaches and better social media engagement. There is significant overlap between the KMT’s platform and... MORE

Executive Summary: The KMT emphasizes a balanced approach to preserving Taiwan’s democracy and Indo-Pacific peace, highlighting the importance of not solely focusing on military buildup but also on fostering good neighborly relations. Despite not winning the presidency, the KMT achieved significant gains in the Legislative... MORE

Executive Summary: The 2014 Sunflower Movement significantly impacted Taiwan’s political landscape, leading to a shift towards the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and away from policies pursuing deeper official cross-strait engagement. The movement catalyzed policies for economic diversification which have measurably reduced dependence on the PRC.... MORE

Executive Summary: Civic groups are enhancing “social resilience” by forming self-training organizations focused on preparing for potential conflict impacts beyond just military engagement. These groups address a broad range of issues including civil defense, emergency rescue, disaster preparedness, cyberattack responses, and infrastructure maintenance. Civil society... MORE

Kinmen County (金门县) and Lienchiang County (连江县; also referred to as Matsu (马祖)) are a crucial site of activity for cross-Strait relations. Over the last year, Beijing has renewed its calls for using the islands to promote “cross-Strait integrated development (两岸融合发展)” (Taiwan Affairs Office, September... MORE

On New Year’s Eve, a prerecorded address from Chinese President Xi Jinping was broadcast across the Party’s global network of official media outlets (Youtube, December 31, 2023). The speech is an annual tradition, delivered from behind a wooden desk in rhetoric that is at once... MORE

Last week, the Taiwan High Court found retired air force Colonel Liu Sheng-shu (劉聖恕) and five serving military officers guilty of espionage for China. The court sentenced Colonel Liu and two of his co-conspirators to approximately 20 years in prison, marking some of the harshest... MORE

Chinese President Xi Jinping (习近平) faces a dilemma. Around a dozen of his protégés have been found to be so corrupt that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary and Commander-in-Chief is no longer sure of the efficacy of the PLA’s trump-card weapons (BBC Chinese,... MORE

At the beginning of September 2023, Pope Francis embarked on a four-day trip to Mongolia. The visit marked the 43rd foreign journey he has made since beginning his pontificate (Business-gazeta.ru, September 10). The Holy Father used the occasion to outline his views on the proper... MORE