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Strategic Vision vol. 11, no. 52 (May, 2022)
Give Peace a Chance Russia-Ukraine war should invigorate Taiwan’s efforts at cross-strait peace Charles Yang
photo: Ojian Gosun US Marine Cpl. Drizzt Garcia-Washburn of the 3d Marine Division, provides security on Okinawa, Japan,
T
he ongoing Russian-Ukraine war has been called the largest military conflict in Europe since World War II. Most discussions about the war center on the strategies of the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and speculation about Russia’s endgame. The Republic of China (ROC) has been paying close attention to Ukraine’s defensive actions and looking for lessons that it can apply to its own defenses. Despite the tragedy of war, the lessons of Ukraine do provide some reasons for optimism when it comes to Taiwan’s defense and security. There have been increasing cross-strait tensions in recent years, and what happens in the Taiwan Strait has enormous ramifications for the entire Indo-
Pacific. The three major players—the United States, the ROC, and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) —should pay close attention to the Ukraine conflict and look for opportunities to foster peace and avoid war. First, Ukrainian forces have shown a remarkable willingness to stand up to Russian aggression, surprising most observers with their ability to harass and destroy Russian forces. They have also shown that smaller countries can stand up to larger, more powerful countries. This has given hope to citizens in Taiwan, and has boosted public morale. For example, a March 2022 survey in Taiwan on the Ukraine war and Taiwan security revealed that 70.2 percent of respondents are willing to defend Taiwan if China takes
Dr. Charles Yang is an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Public Administration and Management at Chinese Culture University in Taipei. He graduated from the Graduate Institute of National Development at National Taiwan University. He can be reached at: d88341003@ntu.edu.tw