Last month, US Senator Tammy Duckworth warned that China may be more likely to impose an economic blockade on Taiwan in 2028 than launch a full-scale invasion. The most consequential part of her warning was …
Articles by: "Nathan Attrill"
In 2026, Beijing is making international engagement with Taiwan more costly. China has long sought to narrow Taiwan’s international space and make unification appear inevitable without resorting to force. But this year, that campaign has …
US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that he might speak directly with Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te about weapons sales matters not because a call has been scheduled – it has not – but because of what …
China’s pressure on Taiwan increasingly relies on vessels that aren’t warships. Instead, Beijing is deploying a maritime grey-zone fleet: a network of civilian and paramilitary vessels used to harass, intimidate and probe Taiwan while remaining …
Since the end of World War II, Australia has enjoyed an ideologically simple security environment: all its core allies have been liberal democracies, and all its foes have been illiberal. The United States, the architect …
Meetings between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Taiwan’s Kuomintang (KMT) are now routine, no longer tentative or discreet but frequent and increasingly public. From 7 to 12 April 2026, KMT chair Cheng Li-wun is …
When Australians think about Taiwan, the focus is often narrow: a distant sovereignty dispute in the Taiwan Strait, or a potential flashpoint between China and the United States. This framing understates the scale of what …
In 2024, China’s united front system tried to love-bomb Taiwanese youth through cross-strait exchanges and outreach programs designed to cultivate goodwill and influence. In 2025, Beijing returned to a more traditional playbook: shaping how Taiwan’s …
China’s latest five-year plan enshrines artificial intelligence as a key driver of economic growth and technological innovation. While the United States still leads in frontier AI research and the most advanced models, China has focused …
Beijing’s primary concern in a Taiwan contingency is US intervention—but its planning would not stop there. China has the capacity to pressure key US allies, including Australia, even while focusing on the United States itself. …
Fresh from a decisive electoral landslide, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has emerged more politically secure than ever—despite Beijing’s attempt in 2025 to make her a cautionary example over Taiwan. Rather than isolating her, China’s …
China has built not only a military to coerce Taiwan, but an army of lawyers to intimidate and constrain it. In 2025, Beijing’s lawfare campaign shifted decisively from largely declaratory threats to active enforcement. The …