Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has raised the specter of nuclear war, as Russian President Vladimir Putin has placed his nuclear forces at an elevated state of alert and has warned that any effort by outside parties to interfere in the war would result in “consequences you have never seen.” Such saber-rattling has understandably made headlines and drawn notice in Washington. But if China attempted to forcibly invade Taiwan and the United States came to Taipei’s aid, the threat of escalation could outstrip even the current nerve-wracking situation in Europe. Foreign Affairs
Day: May 20, 2022
Why China will not abandon its zero-Covid policy any time soon
A tough decision to lock down Shanghai, China’s largest city, shocked the world. After six weeks, and despite a sharp decline in infections, Shanghai’s lockdown has imposed enormous costs on the city and its residents. South China Morning Post
Japan warns of increasing Chinese naval activity east of Taiwan
China’s dispatching of its aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, in the waters east of Taiwan is not only meant to establish a military presence in the area but also is a test to see how the U.S. and Japan respond to its military activities, Japanese military authorities have said. Taiwan News
NBA ‘quietly’ returns to China state TV after almost three years away
The NBA has made a “quiet” return to state-run TV in China for this year’s playoffs after being off-air there for roughly three years. NYPOST
China Insists Party Elites Shed Overseas Assets…
China’s Communist Party will block promotions for senior cadres whose spouses or children hold significant assets abroad, people familiar with the matter said, as Beijing seeks to insulate its top officials from the types of sanctions now being directed at Russia WallStreetJounal
Developing Covid crisis in Beijing, explained
After successfully curbing the novel coronavirus for most of the past two years, China in recent months has faced its biggest Covid-19 surge since the virus was first discovered in Wuhan in December 2019. The Covid wave caused by the highly contagious omicron variant has spread across many major cities, including Shanghai. Vox
‘Lost world’ found in massive sinkhole in southern China
Taiwanese-Americans 3rd wealthiest ethnic group in US
On Wednesday (May 18), a chart titled “Median Household Income in the United States by Ethnic Group” quickly went viral when it was posted on Reddit’s coolguides subreddit, where it garnered 40,100 upvotes. That same day, it also received nearly 400 upvotes in the Taiwan subreddit. taiwannews.com.tw
Taiwan eager to join Biden’s Indo-Pacific Economic Framework
Taiwan will cooperate with the U.S. and other like-minded countries to maintain regional economic and trade order and promote freedom, prosperity, openness, and stability, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Joanne Ou (歐江安) said on Thursday (May 19). taiwannews.com.tw