China & Taiwan: A Third Way?

featuring
Brig. Gen. David R. Stilwell 
Former Assistant Secretary of State
Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs

Speaker’s summary:
While many news reports focus on the likelihood of a direct military conflict between China and Taiwan, Beijing has several other avenues to convince or coerce the Taiwanese to accept a version of “one country, two systems” governance. Taiwan’s economy remains deeply integrated with Mainland China’s and is thus vulnerable to disruption Chinese blockades or embargoes could bring Taiwan’s economy to a standstill. Meanwhile, there is growing weariness among the Taiwanese with the constant threats of violent disruption to their largely comfortable lives, and Beijing’s continued disinformation campaigns to deepen that sense of hopelessness.

Speaker’s Bio:
David R. Stilwell is the former Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Secretary, David R. Stilwell served as the Director of the China Strategic Focus Group at US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawai‘i. He served in the Air Force for 35 years, retiring in 2015 as a Brigadier General then serving as the Asia advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He served multiple tours of duty in Japan and Korea as a linguist, fighter pilot, and Commander, and as the Defense Attaché at the US Embassy in China. He was an East-West Center grantee while studying for his Master’s Degree in Asian studies and Chinese language at the University of Hawai‘i. He was an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center from 2016 to 2019 and recently served on the East-West Center Board of Governors from 2021-2024.

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The views expressed are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect East-West Center policies or positions.

The China Seminar was founded by Dr. Daniel W.Y. Kwok in 1977. Under his guidance, it became a signature program of the Friends of the East-West Center (FEWC) in 2009. The program provides an informal venue for China experts, such as scholars, diplomats, and journalists, to present talks on aspects of China that interest the community and members of the Friends. Topics include politics, economics, social issues, history, culture, food, arts, and many other subjects.