Taiwan’s de facto ambassador in London received a special invitation to sign the book of condolence for the Queen, the island’s foreign ministry said, adding he was given the same treatment as other dignitaries. Britain, like most countries, has no diplomatic ties with Chinese-claimed Taiwan though they have close unofficial ones. Democratically governed Taiwan is largely excluded from most international events and bodies due to Beijing’s objections. In a statement on Sunday, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said its representative in London, Kelly Wu-Chiao Hsieh, was “specially invited” by the British government…
Day: September 17, 2022
What happens if Putin goes nuclear in Ukraine? Biden has a choice to make
There has been much excited talk of a “turning point” following Ukraine’s rapid military advances in north-eastern Kharkiv region and what Kyiv cheerily calls its “de-occupation” by fleeing Russians. Less comforting for the western democracies is an alternative theory: that the war is approaching “a moment of maximum danger”. Worries that a cornered, desperate Vladimir Putin may resort to nuclear, chemical or biological weapons have resurfaced in the US and Europe, along with the argument, articulated by France’s Emmanuel Macron, that Russia’s president, despite his terrible crimes, should not be…
Introducing Drum Tower, our new China newsletter
Our new subscriber-only newsletter, Drum Tower, offers insights and observations from inside China and the places where it seeks to extend its influence. The rise of China has been one of the most important developments of the past half-century. Now it wants to reshape the global order. Xi Jinping is the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong. But the years ahead hold many challenges for the Communist Party, which has grown more authoritarian at home and more assertive abroad. The public is increasingly frustrated by Mr Xi’s strict “zero-covid”…