WebMemo posted March 14, 2008 by Harvey Feldman
Hong Kong in a Box
Conventional wisdom holds that as long as the economy perks
along, the people of Hong Kong will remain satisfied and non- or
apolitical. This notion has been proved wrong time and again. Tens
of thousands still gather each year to memorialize the massacres
that took place at Tien An Men (ironically, the name means…
WebMemo posted December 11, 2007 by Harvey Feldman
The Election of Anson Chan: A Step Forward for Democracy in Hong Kong
Mrs. Anson Chan, who had been the head of Hong Kong's civil
service both before and after the handover to China, was elected to
the Legislative Council on December 3, defeating her pro-Beijing
opponent by 12 percentage points. Her election likely will give new
energy to the movement for greater democracy and universal suffrage
in…
WebMemo posted October 2, 2007 by Harvey Feldman
President Reagan's Six Assurances to Taiwan and Their Meaning Today
The Reagan Administration spent the first half of 1982 in
increasingly tough negotiations with the People's Republic of China
(PRC) over America's continuing arms sales to Taiwan following the
1979 shift of U.S. diplomatic relations to Beijing. The Carter
Administration had insisted that, given congressional opinion,
continuing limited arms sales to Taiwan was a political…
WebMemo posted May 22, 2007 by Harvey Feldman
The Taiwan Status Quo "As We Define It"
The Bush Administration has often said it opposes attempts by
either side-China or Taiwan-to alter the status quo in the Taiwan
Strait area. This admonition, given by White House or State
Department spokespersons, is almost always directed at statements
from, or actions taken by, the government in Taipei. Apparently,
China's yearly addition of 100 offensive…
Backgrounder posted April 4, 2005 by Harvey Feldman, Balbina Hwang, Ph.D., John Tkacik, Jr., Dana Dillon
Asia's Security Challenges
Regrettably, 2005-the Year
of the Rooster-is likely to be as challenging to Asian security as
2004 proved to be. On the upside for the region, 11 Asian countries
held elections in 2004, consolidating democratic transitions in
places such as Indonesia. Japan continued to redefine and expand
its international security role…
Backgrounder posted April 12, 2001 by Harvey Feldman
A Primer on U.S. Policy Toward the "One-China" Issue: Questions and Answers
The Bush Administration has just faced its first
foreign policy crisis. China announced on April 11 that the crew of
a U.S. Navy surveillance aircraft, held since April 1, would be
released. The U.S. plane and a Chinese jet fighter collided in
mid-air over international waters. The damaged American airplane
made an emergency landing…
Executive Memorandum posted June 22, 2000 by Harvey Feldman
The Master Stroke of Taiwan's New President
On
May 20, 2000, Taiwan inaugurated a new president, Chen Shui-bian,
the Democratic Progressive Party candidate, ending 50 years of rule
by the Chinese Nationalist Party, the Kuomintang (KMT).
In
the weeks between his election and inauguration, Chen was an
impressively canny politician. With wise words and prudent actions,
he displayed…
Executive Memorandum posted August 19, 1999 by Harvey Feldman
How Washington Can Defuse Escalating Tensions in the Taiwan Strait
The
People's Republic of China (PRC) once again is threatening military
action against the Republic of China on Taiwan (ROC). The
Beijing-controlled media in Hong Kong report Chinese troops
gathering in provinces across the Taiwan Strait and hint at a
possible campaign to seize an ROC island. China's Minister of
Defense is promising…
Backgrounder posted October 28, 1998 by Harvey Feldman
America's Response to China-Taiwan Talks: Encourage But Don't Interfere
America's interest in preserving peace on the
Taiwan Strait can be advanced by the recently resumed senior-level
negotiations between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the
Republic of China on Taiwan (ROC). Between October 14 and 19, Koo
Chen-fu, Chairman of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF),
and Wang Daohan of China's Association for…