The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has intensified concerns about China’s intentions toward Taiwan. With Beijing's growing military presence in the Taiwan Strait and the broader Indo-Pacific region, the United States has sought to forge a broad coalition to deter potential Chinese aggression. However, while the policies of China and the U.S. have been extensively analyzed, less attention has been paid to the stances on the conflict taken by other significant stakeholders in the Indo-Pacific region.
This panel explores how key players across three categories—U.S. allies (Japan and EU members), countries maintaining neutrality and non-alignment on the Ukraine war (South Asian states including India), and U.S. adversaries (Russia)—have developed their relations with Taiwan and responded to the rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait. It examines how these stakeholders navigate the U.S.-China rivalry in security, economic, diplomatic, and non-diplomatic arenas.
Panelists will address the strategies and policies these countries adopt to either deter or support China, their efforts to protect their own economic and strategic interests, and the challenges they face in balancing relations between the U.S. and China. The panel highlights how the Ukraine war has influenced the perspectives of many key stakeholders regarding China, prompting Japan and European states to take new measures addressing Taiwan Strait tensions in the economic security arenas, including non-traditional security issues such as cyberwarfare. Meanwhile, Russia has deepened its ties with China, straining its relationship with Taiwan. Also, the war has prompted Taiwan to prioritize engagement with the Indo-Pacific region, strengthening its New Southbound Policy (NSP) to deepen relationships with South Asian countries. However, Taiwan’s efforts to build stronger economic, trade, and investment relations with many South Asian countries remain limited by China's influence, as these nations are fearful of raising Beijing’s ire by engaging too closely with Taipei.
Together, the papers illustrate the different approaches taken by actors in response to the Taiwan Strait tensions, shaped by their perceptions of their relationships with China. This panel provides deep insights into the regional dynamics involving Taiwan and highlights the roles of key players in their efforts to maintain peace and economic stability in East Asia amid Russia's aggression in Ukraine.