China wants the world to know they’re still determined to annex Taiwan. The People’s Liberation Army enacted a series of military drills circling the small island nation April 8-10. The exercises were in response to a California meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen and the United States Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy.
The operation, roughly known as “United Sword,” included a record number of military units—ships, planes, individual troops, and even an aircraft carrier—all acting out simulated strikes against key targets on and around the island. Taiwanese authorities reported that fourteen Chinese jets crossed the median dividing the island from the mainland, refusing to respect their borders. Even after Beijing announced that the drills had ceased on April 10, 26 jets and seven ships stayed behind, going around the island until April 13. Many saw it as a message from Beijing, reminding them that the conflict wasn’t over.
The people of Taiwan live under constant threat of invasion. China claims the island as its own, insisting that the conflict is a matter of sovereignty, not conquest. According to them, Taiwan is a province occupied by an illegitimate rebel state, and they are determined to defend that stance, calling it the “one-China Policy.”
The events surrounding the conflict are deeply rooted in the rise of communism on the mainland. During the Chinese Civil War, which resulted in Mao Zedong’s takeover of the mainland, the opposing Nationalist Party fled to Taiwan and built what is still known to this day as the Republic of China (ROC). Until 1971, the Americans saw the Taiwanese government as the true seat of power, not the Communist Party. Beijing views the ROC as a threat to its sovereign right to rule, so they fiercely oppose any country that recognizes Taiwan as an independent state.
Tensions escalated to historic levels when it was announced that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would visit Taipei in August of 2022. It was the first time a House Speaker had chosen to meet with a Taiwanese head of state since Newt Gingrich arranged talks in 1997.
Beijing responded with threats and angry rhetoric. In a conference call with Joe Biden on July 28, Chinese President Xi Jin Ping stated, “Those who play with fire will perish by it.” On the day before the meeting, Zhao Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, told reporters, “We once again sternly warn the US side that China stands at the ready and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army will never sit idly by.”
China immediately announced that there would be a 4-day round of military drills outside Taiwan. They were initially supposed to last between August 4-7, but Beijing extended them until August 10. It was considered an unprecedented display featuring live-fire drills, naval deployments, and ballistic missile launches. They even deployed a submarine equipped with nuclear ballistics. The goal was to show domestic and international entities that the People’s Liberation Army was determined to act and that they were capable of taking the island.
The drills were conducted in the busiest portions of the Taiwanese Strait, one of the world’s most important channels for international trade. It forced Taiwan to deploy its missile defense system, and there were complaints that China’s missiles had even entered Japan’s economic zone, a historic first.
One of China’s goals for this most recent round of military drills was to prove that the United States would not come to Taiwan’s aid. But they’re partially reacting to American policy changes and comments from military officials, including Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, who said the American military must be prepared for the mainland to invade before 2024. President Biden stated twice in 2022 that the US would intervene if China chose to attack the island, breaking decades of precedent. In the past, the US preferred to keep its position vague, neither confirming nor denying that they would intervene.
It’s uncertain whether China can take Taiwan by force. The strait dividing the two countries is 160 kilometers, and it’s known for rough weather conditions, making an invasion impossible for all but a few months out of the year. The Chinese would also have to contend with the towering coastal cliffs surrounding much of the island.
China may not be willing to follow through on their threats.. Aside from their military drills, they have not taken action against Taiwan. They have not been shouting calls for an invasion or promoting the idea to the public. There were no missile launches and no nuclear submarines. President Xi Jin Ping spoke about the matter during a 2022 party meeting stating, “We insist on striving for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and best efforts, but we will never promise to give up the use of force and reserve the option to take all necessary measures.”
Xi’s remarks represent a stark departure from his fire and brimstone threats aimed at Biden that same year. His government will often shift back and forth, sometimes threatening the use of force, sometimes claiming that they remain dedicated to peace. It’s hard to know when to believe them. Either way, Taiwan does seem to have allies, and if China chooses to invade, their victory will not be fully guaranteed.
Cancel anytime
Web Master
Using our website
You may use the The Middle Land website subject to the Terms and Conditions set out on this page. Visit this page regularly to check the latest Terms and Conditions. Access and use of this site constitutes your acceptance of the Terms and Conditions in-force at the time of use.
Intellectual property
Names, images and logos displayed on this site that identify The Middle Land are the intellectual property of New San Cai Inc. Copying any of this material is not permitted without prior written approval from the owner of the relevant intellectual property rights.
Requests for such approval should be directed to the competition committee.
Please provide details of your intended use of the relevant material and include your contact details including name, address, telephone number, fax number and email.
Linking policy
You do not have to ask permission to link directly to pages hosted on this website. However, we do not permit our pages to be loaded directly into frames on your website. Our pages must load into the user’s entire window.
The Middle Land is not responsible for the contents or reliability of any site to which it is hyperlinked and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed within them. Linking to or from this site should not be taken as endorsement of any kind. We cannot guarantee that these links will work all the time and have no control over the availability of the linked pages.
Submissions
All information, data, text, graphics or any other materials whatsoever uploaded or transmitted by you is your sole responsibility. This means that you are entirely responsible for all content you upload, post, email or otherwise transmit to the The Middle Land website.
Virus protection
We make every effort to check and test material at all stages of production. It is always recommended to run an anti-virus program on all material downloaded from the Internet. We cannot accept any responsibility for any loss, disruption or damage to your data or computer system, which may occur while using material derived from this website.
Disclaimer
The website is provided ‘as is’, without any representation or endorsement made, and without warranty of any kind whether express or implied.
Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It is your responsibility to ensure any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.
We do not warrant the operation of this site will be uninterrupted or error free, that defects will be corrected, or that this site or the server that makes it available are free of viruses or represent the full functionality, accuracy and reliability of the materials. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including, without limitation, loss of profits, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damages whatsoever arising from the use, or loss of data, arising out of – or in connection with – the use of this website.
Last Updated: October 1, 2023
New San Cai Inc. (hereinafter “The Middle Land,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) owns and operates www.themiddleland.com, its affiliated websites and applications (our “Sites”), and provides related products, services, newsletters, and other offerings (together with the Sites, our “Services”) to art lovers and visitors around the world.
This Privacy Policy (the “Policy”) is intended to provide you with information on how we collect, use, and share your personal data. We process personal data from visitors of our Sites, users of our Services, readers or bloggers (collectively, “you” or “your”). Personal data is any information about you. This Policy also describes your choices regarding use, access, and correction of your personal information.
If after reading this Policy you have additional questions or would like further information, please contact us.
PERSONAL DATA WE COLLECT AND HOW WE USE IT
We collect and process personal data only for lawful reasons, such as our legitimate business interests, your consent, or to fulfill our legal or contractual obligations.
Information You Provide to Us
Most of the information Join Talents collects is provided by you voluntarily while using our Services. We do not request highly sensitive data, such as health or medical information, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, etc. and we ask that you refrain from sending us any such information.
Here are the types of personal data that you voluntarily provide to us:
As a registered users or customers, you may ask us to review or retrieve emails sent to your business. We will access these emails to provide these services for you.
We use the personal data you provide to us for the following business purposes:
Information Obtained from Third-Party Sources
We collect and publish biographical and other information about users, which we use to promote the articles and our bloggers who use our sites. If you provide personal information about others, or if others give us your information, we will only use that information for the specific reason for which it was provided.
Information We Collect by Automated Means
Log Files
The site uses your IP address to help diagnose server problems, and to administer our website. We use your IP addresses to analyze trends and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use.
Every time you access our Site, some data is temporarily stored and processed in a log file, such as your IP addresses, the browser types, the operating systems, the recalled page, or the date and time of the recall. This data is only evaluated for statistical purposes, such as to help us diagnose problems with our servers, to administer our sites, or to improve our Services.
Do Not Track
Your browser or device may include “Do Not Track” functionality. Our information collection and disclosure practices, and the choices that we provide to customers, will continue to operate as described in this Privacy Policy, whether or not a “Do Not Track” signal is received.
HOW WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION
We may share your personal data with third parties only in the ways that are described in this Privacy Policy. We do not sell, rent, or lease your personal data to third parties, and We does not transfer your personal data to third parties for their direct marketing purposes.
We may share your personal data with third parties as follows:
There may be other instances where we share your personal data with third parties based on your consent.
HOW WE STORE AND SECURE YOUR INFORMATION
We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you Services. If you wish to cancel your account or request that we no longer use your personal data, contact us. We will retain and use your personal data as necessary to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.
All you and our data are stored in the server in the United States, we do not sales or transfer your personal data to the third party. All information you provide is stored on a secure server, and we generally accepted industry standards to protect the personal data we process both during transmission and once received.
YOUR RIGHTS/OPT OUT
You may correct, update, amend, delete/remove, or deactivate your account and personal data by making the change on your Blog on www.themiddleland.com or by emailing our customer service. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe.
You may choose to stop receiving Join Talents newsletters or marketing emails at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions included in those communications, or you can contact us.
LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES
The Middle Land include links to other websites whose privacy practices may differ from that of ours. If you submit personal data to any of those sites, your information is governed by their privacy statements. We encourage you to carefully read the Privacy Policy of any website you visit.
NOTE TO PARENTS OR GUARDIANS
Our Services are not intended for use by children, and we do not knowingly or intentionally solicit data from or market to children under the age of 18. We reserve the right to delete the child’s information and the child’s registration on the Sites.
PRIVACY POLICY CHANGES
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to our personal data processing practices. If any material changes are made, we will notify you on the Sites prior to the change becoming effective. You are encouraged to periodically review this Policy.
HOW TO CONTACT US
If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy, please contact customer service or send us mail at:
The Middle Land/New San Cai
100 Wilshire Blvd., 7th Floor
Santa Monica, CA 90401
USA
Are you sure? Do you want to logout of the account?
The Michelin brothers created the guide, which included information like maps, car mechanics listings, hotels and petrol stations across France to spur demand.
The guide began to award stars to fine dining restaurants in 1926.
At first, they offered just one star, the concept was expanded in 1931 to include one, two and three stars. One star establishments represent a “very good restaurant in its category”. Two honour “excellent cooking, worth a detour” and three reward “exceptional cuisine, worth a
Thank you for your participation,
please Log in or Sign up to Vote
123Sign in to your account
