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

Executive Summary: Dong Jun's appointment as Defense Minister and changes in the PLA Rocket Force leadership mark a strategic shift towards bolstering military diplomacy, particularly with Russia, and enhancing combat and technological readiness, reflecting Dong's significant role in shaping future military strategy. The leadership overhaul... 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

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

Introduction The concept that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to “one family” (兩岸一家人 or 兩岸一家親), an idea promoted by China’s top leadership, has failed to gain popularity in Taiwan. Even members of the Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨)—Taiwan’s main opposition party that supports greater engagement... MORE

Introduction Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic over three years ago, both cross-Strait and U.S.-China relations have greatly worsened, reaching a post-1979 nadir. This deterioration has coincided with a broad push by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to “struggle” (奋斗) with the U.S. and... MORE

The last year has been a difficult one for Taiwan. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) intensification of diplomatic, economic, military and political pressure on Taiwan, along with disinformation, espionage and influence operations conducted through United Front work and... MORE

Amidst the drama surrounding Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s early April stopover in Southern California, where she met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the subsequent People’s Liberation Army (PLA) maneuvers around Taiwan that followed, it can be easy to forget why the Taiwanese President was... MORE