Most dangerous place in the world?
Taiwan is the “most dangerous place on Earth,” according to the Economist in their latest cover story. This has led to a lot of scorn and criticism for being sensationalistic and inaccurate, though the sentiment is understood in the context of a potential China attack and possible US intervention.
Taiwan launched a new 4,000-ton coast guard ship on April 29 that can also serve during a military conflict.
China’s slow military escalation against Taiwan will be a tough challenge for Joe Biden for which stronger statements of support and the Quad will not solve, says the Washington Post’s Editorial Board.
Ramping up fears of a war with China, as several Australian politicians have done recently, is not helpful, according to two Australian academics in the Guardian.
In the event of a conflict between China and Taiwan, it is not clear what the US would do and whether other nations would intervene, according to Business Insider.
Abandoning Taiwan to China would be absurd for the US for strategic and moral reasons, argues this expert in Foreign Policy.
A Chinese man crossed the Taiwan Strait from Fujian to Taichung aboard an inflatable raft, claiming to have done so for freedom and democracy. The man’s audacious feat is strange but also raises questions about Taiwan’s maritime surveillance capabilities.
Taiwan sent a batch of supplies to India to help them battle their massive Covid outbreak. Meanwhile, one Taiwanese manager in India has died of Covid after being hospitalized.
Taiwan’s economy grew by over eight percent in Q1, the most since 2010. The growth was higher than estimates and driven by strong foreign demand as well as domestic investment and consumption.
Property transactions in Taiwan’s six largest cities rose by almost 28 percent in April year-on-year, but also reflected a slight decrease from March.
A court ruling on a controversial indigenous hunting case will be issued this Friday, regarding an indigenous man’s appeal of an 8-year sentence for using illegal weapon to hunt animals.
The annual Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage is one of Taiwan’s major religious festivals and still going strong, as reported by Nikkei Asia.