Ep34. The Battle for Taiwan
b'Taiwan is not only the epicentre of the world\\u2019s semi-conductor industry and a vibrant democracy. It is arguably the most important square on the chessboard of East Asian geopolitics. And the Taiwanese have watched very carefully how China has absorbed Hong Kong.\\xa0 The \\u2018one country, two systems\\u2019 mantra was a total failure.\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\nChina is not planning a peaceful union with Taiwan. China is building its military at a rate not seen since World War II. The Chinese explain their military buildup by claiming a desire to reunify with (i.e. invade) Taiwan by 2027. Is this just posturing by China or is a great power battle over the island \\u2013 i.e. between the US and China \\u2013 actually approaching?\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\nTo examine the state of play in China/Taiwan relations, Alex Hall Hall is joined by former Danish diplomat, Jonas Parello-Plesner. In his recent book \\u2013 \\u201cThe Battle for Taiwan\\u201d \\u2013 Jonas explores what China is doing to shape the regional balance of power. In the discussion, Alex and Jonas discuss: the surrounding countries\\u2019 (Japan/South Korea/Philippines) role in deterring China, how seriously we should take Xi\\u2019s stated ambition of \\u2018assimilating\\u2019 Taiwan into China, and how should Taiwan and its friends in the West protect and prepare for such a likelihood.\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\nTwitter: @DisorderShow\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\nSubscribe to our Substack: https://natoandtheged.substack.com/\\xa0\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\nWebsite: https://natoandtheglobalenduringdisorder.com/\\xa0\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\nProducer: George McDonagh\\xa0\\nExec Producer: Neil Fearn\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\nShow Notes Links\\xa0\\nGet Jonas Parello-Plesner\\u2019s book \\u201cThe Battle for Taiwan\\u201d at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Battle-Taiwan-Jonas-Parello-Plesner/dp/B0CZRYS4RZ/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=\\xa0\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\nFor More on Taiwan\\u2019s recent election: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/13/asia/taiwan-presidential-election-results-intl-hnk/index.html\\xa0\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\nRead Alex\\u2019s most recent Bylines Times article\\xa0\\nhttps://bylinetimes.com/2024/04/09/the-dilemma-facing-civil-servants-over-the-uks-arms-sales-to-israel/\\xa0\\xa0\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices'