Inflection EP19: Taiwan & “Independence” - a dangerous delusion…

This week, Angelo and I talk about recent provocations against Beijing regarding Taiwan, including increased war propaganda, the presence of US troops on Taiwan, and what this means for the near to intermediate future.

We also discuss the notion of Taiwan “independence,” its artificial roots based in US political interference, and how this fevered dream contradicts legal, economic, and geopolitical realities.

US Troops on Taiwan

Wall Street Journal - U.S. Troops Have Been Deployed in Taiwan for at Least a Year (2021):
https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-troops-have-been-deployed-in-taiwan-for-at-least-a-year-11633614043
Guardian - Secret group of US military trainers has been in Taiwan for at least a year (2021):
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/07/taiwan-us-military-trainers-china
The Diplomat - US Marine Raiders Arrive in Taiwan to Train Taiwanese Marines (2020):
https://thediplomat.com/2020/11/us-marine-raiders-arrive-in-taiwan-to-train-taiwanese-marines/
Taiwan News - US Marines officially training in Taiwan for 1st time since 1979 (2020):
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4049035
Marine Corps Times - Marine Raiders weren’t training in Taiwan, Department of Defense insists (2020):
https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2020/11/12/marine-raiders-werent-training-in-taiwan-department-of-defense-insists/

AUKUS Nations’ Official Stance on Taiwan

Australian Government - Australia-Taiwan relationship:
https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/taiwan/australia-taiwan-relationship
Australian Office, Taipei:
https://australia.org.tw/tpei/home.html
UK Parliament - UK-Taiwan Relations:
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9254/
British Office Taipei:
https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-office-taipei
US State Department - U.S. Relations With Taiwan:
https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-taiwan/
US State Dept., Office of the Historian - Shanghai Communique (1972):
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76v17/d203
US Embassy, Beijing:
https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/embassy-consulates/beijing/
The American Institute in Taiwan:
https://www.ait.org.tw/
Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States:
https://www.taiwanembassy.org/us_en/index.html

US Political Capture of Taiwan

US National Endowment for Democracy - REMARKS PREPARED BY NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY PRESIDENT CARL GERSHMAN AND READ BY ANDREW NATHAN AT TECRO DINNER WITH TAIWAN PRESIDENT TSAI ING-WEN (2019):
https://www.ned.org/remarks-prepared-by-national-endowment-for-democracy-president-carl-gershman-and-read-by-andrew-nathan-at-tecro-dinner-with-taiwan-president-tsai-ing-wen/
US National Endowment for Democracy - TAIWAN PRESIDENT TSAI ING-WEN HONORS PRESIDENT OF NED CARL GERSHMAN ON HUMAN RIGHTS DAY (2019):
https://www.ned.org/taiwan-president-tsai-ing-wen-honors-ned-human-rights-day/
US National Endowment for Democracy - REMARKS BY CARL GERSHMAN UPON RECEIVING THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL IN TAIWAN:
https://www.ned.org/taiwans-destiny/

Sunflower Movement Leader Lin Fei-fan’s Associations with the US NED

Taipei Times - Beijing using free market to influence Taiwanese media, US symposium told (2013):
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2013/03/02/2003556088
The Diplomat - Sunflowers End Occupation of Taiwan’s Legislature (archived, 2014):
http://web.archive.org/web/20140411235449/https://thediplomat.com/2014/04/sunflowers-end-occupation-of-taiwans-legislature/
Taiwan News - Former Sunflower Movement activists join DPP, Lin Fei-fan pledges to help DPP win election, prevent pro-Beijing forces from taking power (2019):
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3744833
Students for a Free Tibet - 2ND TIBET, HONG KONG, TAIWAN CONFERENCE CALLS FOR STRONG GLOBAL ACTIONS AGAINST XI’S TOTALITARIAN RULE (2018):
https://studentsforafreetibet.org/2nd-tibet-hong-kong-taiwan-conference-calls-for-strong-global-actions-against-xis-totalitarian-rule/
Students for a Free Tibet - About:
https://studentsforafreetibet.org/about/
US NED - Tibet (2020):
https://www.ned.org/region/asia/tibet-china-2020/

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)’s regular Reporting to AIT

Wikileaks - TSAI ING-WEN COMMENTS ON DPP TURMOIL (2005):
https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/05TAIPEI4870_a.html
Wikileaks - DPP CHAIRPERSON TSAI ING-WEN ON CHALLENGES FACING PARTY AND U.S. ARMS SALES (2008):
https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/08TAIPEI892_a.html
Wikileaks - DIRECTOR'S FAREWELL CALL ON DPP CHAIR TSAI ING-WEN (2009):
https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/09TAIPEI754_a.html

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