Europe’s Approach to Taiwan’s Security

RUSI hosted a one-day conference on Europe’s Approach to Taiwan’s Security on 13 December 2007.

Taiwan Taiwan’s ruling party, the Democratic Progressive Party, is determined to go ahead with a referendum on UN membership for the island under the name Taiwan early in 2008. In a particularly sensitive year which will see the appointment of a new Taiwanese President and the Beijing Olympics, the potential for an escalation in hostilities between the two sides remains of considerable concern. Beijing has warned that it may enact its anti-secession law, which does not rule out the use of force if Taiwan moves towards formal independence.

This conference opened up the debate on Cross-Strait relations to key European and Asian government practitioners, experts and interest groups from the UK’s Defence and Security sector, the London diplomatic and academic community, parliamentarians, industry leaders and the media.

Core Themes

The risk of a cross-strait crisis: current assessment and political dynamics
European strategic interests in Taiwan and in East Asian security
Taiwanese perceptions of the China threat: the economic and military rise of China
The European role in long-term stability for Taiwan

With opening comments by Lord Faulkner of Worcester, the speaker panel included:

Dr. Chen-Wei Lin, Advisor, Taiwan’s National Security Council
Dr. Jiann-fa Yan, Chairman, Research and Planning Committee, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Bonnie S. Glaser, Senior Associate, CSIS
Dr. Alexander Chieh-cheng Huang, Professor of Strategic Studies and Director of the Graduate Institute of American Studies at Tamkang University
Dr Steve Tsang, Oxford University
Dr. Yang-cheng Wang, Director, Graduate School of Strategic Studies, Taiwan’s National Defense Univesity
Jonathan Holslag, Brussels Institute for Contemporary Chinese Studies
Dr Christopher Hughes, London School of Economics

Event photographs

Index