Dire Straits: Taiwan and the US-China Conflict

Tensions between China and Taiwan have escalated since current President Tsai Ing-wen's re-election in 2020. Her Democratic Progressive Party has attempted to recenter Taiwan's focus away from cross-strait cooperation towards strengthening economic ties with other East Asian countries. This marks a departure from Taiwan's previous platform, developed by the rival Kuomintang Party, that emphasized friendlier relations with the mainland. Across the strait, China's President Xi Jinping has responded to Tsai's gradual decoupling with increased military demonstrations and more aggressive rhetoric. President Biden, meanwhile, has opted to continue the Trump-era prioritization of great power competition with China by increasing support for the island.

To better understand each actor's motivation, their goals for the relationship, and the short and long-term future of the region, join the Alexander Hamilton Society for a panel discussion featuring Ian Easton from the Project 2049 Institute and Emily Feng from NPR.

The event will take place in a hybrid format with one of the panelists in person and the other joining us via zoom. The panelist joining us via zoom will be projected onto the screen in the event space.