Taiwan unveils its new cabinet ministers for national security related portfolios.

President-elect William Lai explains he chose them based on 3 criteria:

1. Professionalism
2. Teamwork exp
3. Commitment, esp to safeguard Taiwan from Chinese aggression.

focustaiwan.tw/politics/20240…

US Treasury gets better treatment than State Dept?🤔

Blinken arrived in Shanghai airport on 4/24, and Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office director (bureau level) welcomed him there.

When Janet Yellen visited Guangzhou on 4/4, China's Vice Minister of Finance welcomed her at airport

🍌Our analysis on the 2024 Taiwanese Presidential Election on social media is now up on PNAS Nexus.
Key finding: Alternative candidates emerged via focus on 1) domestic policy, 2) skepticism toward foreign allies, 3) divergent frames of national identity.
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/arti…

China announced new military reforms at 7pm on a Friday night (April 19), its biggest change since 2015.

PLA's late Strategic Support Force gets disbanded, and splits into 3 new forces, namely:

- Information Support Force,
- Space Force, and
- Cyberspace Force.

Taiwan's president-elect makes the list of 2024 #TIME100 .

Written by former US ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, the profile describes William Lai as like 'Atlas shouldering the world', tasked with ensuring Taiwan's survival at a time when its 'risk profile couldn’t be higher'.

'Should the United States change its policies toward Taiwan?', a Brookings debate.

What a great read! Thanks for the excellent contributions from Michael O'Hanlon, Ivan Kanapathy, Rorry Daniels, and Thomas Hanson.

brookings.edu/articles/shoul…