In U.S. President Joe Biden’s ‘dramatic warning’ to China in his State of the Union address, he vowed to protect America against Chinese threats to its sovereignty and directly called out Chinese leader Xi Jinping. As a U.S. Air Force F-22 shot down the alleged Chinese spy balloon, China responded by threatening the U.S. and seeking compensation. Taiwan Talks takes a deep dive at how China’s spy program has exacerbated simmering tensions between the two countries. As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed his trip to Beijing, we also look at the intensifying tech war, how the U.S. and its allies counter China’s aggression, and whether economic retaliation is on the table and what that could mean for Taiwan and the global economy.
In this episode, Tso Chen-dong, National Taiwan University Political Science Professor and former Kuomintang Mainland Affairs Department Director, and Lev Nachman, National Chengchi University Assistant Professor and Taiwan-U.S.-China expert, discuss how the alleged spy balloon is a tipping point in the contentious relationship between the two superpowers. We also hear from senior military expert Patrick Cronin, Hudson Institute Asia-Pacific Security Chair, on why China’s alledged spy balloon is a wake up call for the U.S. and its allies and how Taiwan has become a key component of collective security in the region. Lastly, China expert Bonnie Glaser, German Marshall Fund of the U.S. Asia Program Director, tells us about China’s unprecedented attempt to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait by force.
Topics discussed:
- U.S. public opinion: How do most Americans feel about the danger that China poses to the U.S. and the world after such a visible act of violation of their sovereignty?
- U.S.-China tit-for-tat reaction: How will the two countries continue to retaliate or is there hope for an improvement of ties?
- ‘Waking the sleeping giant’: Is this a ‘Pearl Harbor moment’ for the U.S.?
- Concerning discoveries: Has this revealed a glitch in the U.S. military’s ability to detect growing Chinese espionage activities?
- One-man authoritarian rule: Was the alleged Chinese spy balloon let out by Xi Jinping’s challengers to derail U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to China?
- Economic turmoil: How severe is China’s economic downturn and is it posing a threat to Xi’s authority?
- U.S. sanctions and bans on China: How much leverage does the U.S. have over China and why is Xi Jinping planning a visit to Moscow despite global condemnation over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?
- Status quo: How China is unilaterally trying to change it in its favor through unprecedented military means
- Taiwan 2027: How likely and imminent is a Chinese invasion and has Ukraine helped to derail Xi Jinping’s ambitions on taking control of the island nation?
- U.S. security priorities: Increasing military cooperation between countries in the Pacific on countering Chinese expansionism and strengthening Taiwan’s defense
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