Category: Indo-Pacific strategy

Taiwan Says Chinese Plane Flew Close to Remote Island, Possibly to Test Taipei’s Military Response

TAIPEI, Taiwan—Beijing may be deploying a new strategy to test Taipei’s reactions after a small Chinese civilian plane flew very close to one of Taiwan’s outlying islands, Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Feb. 15. The ministry confirmed a Chinese civilian Y-12, a twin-engine turboprop utility aircraft, flew near Dongyin Island on Feb. 5, part of…


Canada Should Work Creatively with Taiwan Amid China’s Destabilizing Incursions: Global Affairs Official

Canada “remains very concerned” with China’s destabilizing military incursions toward Taiwan, and should be “creative” in working with the self-ruled island in international organizations and other platforms, a senior Foreign Affairs official said. Weldon Epp, director general for Global Affairs Canada’s North Asia and Oceania Bureau, made the remarks on Feb. 14, when testifying before the…


All Countries Need to Rethink Their Relationship With China: Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister

Canada is developing a new China strategy and other countries will likewise need to reassess their relationship with Beijing’s “growing influence,” says Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly. “There’s a growing influence of China in the world and every single country needs to [make] a decision as to what their relationship will be with China, and…


China the ‘Greatest Threat’ to Democracy: New US Ambassador

It’s crucial that Ottawa and Washington present a united front to challenge Beijing’s global push to expand its military, economic, and authoritarian influence, says David Cohen, the newly appointed U.S. ambassador to Canada. “I think for both Canada and the United States, and you could argue for every democracy in the world, China is our…


Taiwan President Meets French Senators and Former Australian PM

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen met with four French senators and a former Australian PM in recent days as Beijing’s air incursions near Taiwan surged for a week since Oct. 1. On Oct. 7, President Tsai Ing-Wen met the French delegation in Taipei, Reuters reported. She thanked them for the visit amid Beijing’s mounting pressure on the…