Previous Articles
Free Speech: Beijing Prepares to Censor Bush
By John J. Tkacik
It has become a tradition before every visit by a U.S. president for Beijing to promise not to censor his remarks. This latest trip by George W. Bush is no exception. Speaking on Feb. 6, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman pledged that Mr. Bush's press conference today, and his speech at Beijing's prestigious Tsinghua University tomorrow, will be broadcast live and -- most importantly -- uncut.
The United States Should Encourage India and Pakistan to Disengage
by Dana Dillon and John J Tkacik, Jr.
Recent events have again pushed South Asia to the brink of war. On December 13, 2001, Pakistan-based terrorists attacked India's parliament, killing 14 people. India's reaction, however justified, has turned a gross criminal act into a military standoff. Both countries sent heavy troops to their common border and brandished the nuclear option.
Needed: A Strong Response to Beijing's Boycott of Foreign Businesses Dealing with Taiwan
On August 31, the Asian Wall Street Journal reported that China had barred a top Swiss-American investment bank, Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB), from making future business deals in China because it had hosted a Taiwan government-backed investment promotion in Europe and a conference in Hong Kong. Following this news, two U.S. securities houses, Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch, reportedly cancelled their plans to provide similar services to Taiwan.
China-Taiwan Dialogue Could Begin at the APEC Summit
by John Tkacik, Jr.
Human Rights and Security Issues: Hurdles on China's Olympic Track to Respectability
by John Tkacik, Jr.
TAIWAN DEPENDENCE: The Trade and Investment Dimension of Cross-Strait Politics
By John Tkacik
When Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Chen Shui-bian announced he was running for the country's presidency in June 1999, Washington policy-makers were alarmed. The prospect of a DPP politician actually winning Taiwan's presidency and moving toward "Taiwan Independence" – a long-held dream of the DPP – was a nightmare that Pentagon planners and State Department diplomats have often war-gamed in scenarios that inevitably provoke China into armed conflict.
The 1954 Hainan Incident: How Chinese fighter pilots caused another international incident, and how Chinese diplomats resolved it
April 12, 2001
By John J. Tkacik
Washington, April 12, 2001: Now that the Washington and Beijing have successfully passed the crisis point of this latest "Hainan Incident", I am reminded of another, eerily similar incident in July 1954. There are lessons from history about "keeping an even strain" that might have helped both Beijing and Washington deal more effectively with the crisis. In the end, decision-makers in Washington seem to have learned these lessons better than their counterparts in Beijing.
The 1949 Mukden Incident: Lessons of history from a previous U.S.-China hostage affair
Washington, D.C. April 9, 2001: A half century ago, Chinese communist troops held the staff and families of the U.S. Consulate General in Mukden (now Shenyang) hostage for over a year. Times were different then, but a look back into history gives insights into the mindset of China's present leaders. Internal politics paralyzed early decision-making in the Chinese leadership, while the State Department sought to downplay the issue in an effort to keep it from escalating.
Sort Previous Articles
For more information
For more information or to schedule a speaking engagement, please use our Contact form.
Mailing Address:
1307 Westgrove Blvd.
Alexandria, Virginia 22307
Phone Number:
703-768-5105