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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Gestern aufgenommen, heute leider sehr relevant – unsere neue Podcastfolge von »8 Milliarden« bei @spiegel.de. www.spiegel.de/ausland/trum...

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Analyse zum ersten Gipfeltag: Xi und Trump schmeicheln einander – aber Differenzen bleiben. Vor allem die Unterschiede in den offiziellen »readouts« sind aufschlussreich. www.spiegel.de/ausland/dona...

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Trump lädt Xi beim Staatsbankett in der Großen Halle des Volkes nach Washington ein, zum Gegenbesuch im September. Rückblick auf das US-China-Bankett, das die Welt veränderte: www.spiegel.de/ausland/dona...

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Hat es doch nach China geschafft: US-Außenminister Marco »Lu Bi Ao« www.spiegel.de/ausland/dona...

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Wie erwartet/befürchtet: Xi macht beim Thema Taiwan von Anfang an Druck. www.spiegel.de/ausland/dona...

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Xi wird altgriechisch. www.spiegel.de/ausland/dona...

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

It’s pretty remarkable to see a left-wing South Korean president and a right-wing Japanese prime minister like this. Source: Lee Jae Myung on X x.com/Jaemyung_Lee...

South Korean president Lee and Japanese prime minister Takaichi playing drums in matching tracksuits.

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

For example, the State Department said this in April: www.state.gov/response-to-...

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

I’m thinking about why this says the U.S. “does not support” unilateral change to Taiwan‘s status quo. Why not “opposes”, as the U.S. has said before? Purposeful, yet diplomatically veiled, softening of U.S. position as a concession to Beijing? Overthinking?Thoughts?

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

The Trump admin’s new National Security Security prioritises the Western Hemisphere, but does devote significant space to Asia & the Indo-Pacific. The China portions are focused on trade imbalances. But there’s also quite a bit on military deterrence. Here are the parts on Taiwan (emphasis added):

In the long term, maintaining American economic and technological preeminence is the surest way to deter and prevent a large-scale military conflict.

A favorable conventional military balance remains an essential component of strategic competition. There is, rightly, much focus on Taiwan, partly because of Taiwan’s dominance of semiconductor production, but mostly because Taiwan provides direct access to the Second Island Chain and splits Northeast and Southeast Asia into two distinct theaters. Given that one-third of global shipping passes annually through the South China Sea, this has major implications for the U.S. economy. Hence deterring a conflict over Taiwan, ideally by preserving military overmatch, is a priority. We will also maintain our longstanding declaratory policy on Taiwan, meaning that the United States does not support any unilateral change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.

We will build a military capable of denying aggression anywhere in the First Island Chain. But the American military cannot, and should not have to, do this alone. Our allies must step up and spend—and more importantly do—much more for collective defense. America’s diplomatic efforts should focus on pressing our First Island Chain allies and partners to allow the U.S. military greater access to their ports and other facilities, to spend more on their own defense, and most importantly to invest in capabilities aimed at deterring aggression. This will interlink maritime security issues along the First Island Chain while reinforcing U.S. and allies’ capacity to deny any attempt to seize Taiwan or achieve a balance of forces so unfavorable to us as to make defending that island impossible.

A related security challenge is the potential for any competitor to control the South China Sea. This could allow a potentially hostile power to impose a toll system over one of the world’s most vital lanes of commerce or—worse—to close and reopen it at will. Either of those two outcomes would be harmful to the U.S. economy and broader U.S. interests. Strong measures must be developed along with the deterrence necessary to keep those lanes open, free of “tolls,” and not subject to arbitrary closure by one country. This will require not just further investment in our military—especially naval—capabilities, but also strong cooperation with every nation that stands to suffer, from India to Japan and beyond, if this problem is not addressed.

Given President Trump’s insistence on increased burden-sharing from Japan and South Korea, we must urge these countries to increase defense spending, with a focus on the capabilities—including new capabilities—necessary to deter adversaries and protect the First Island Chain. We will also harden and strengthen our military presence in the Western Pacific, while in our dealings with Taiwan and Australia we maintain our determined rhetoric on increased defense spending.

Preventing conflict requires a vigilant posture in the Indo-Pacific, a renewed defense industrial base, greater military investment from ourselves and from allies and partners, and winning the economic and technological competition over the long term.

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

Taiwan’s former president Tsai Ing-wen speaks in Berlin: “Making ourselves resilient in the face of authoritarian challenges is the key to our survival. In Taiwan, we know what resilience looks like. We understand all too well the danger posed by those who exploit democracy’s imperfections.”

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

Taiwan’s ex-president Tsai Ing-wen has landed in Germany. She’s to speak at a Berlin conference Monday. Tsai flew commercial on China Airlines, Taipei to Frankfurt, notably avoiding PRC airspace. Usually CI61 overflies Guangxi. A passenger on the flight told me crew cited the weather when asked.

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

“Taiwan never came up, it was not discussed actually”: Trump on Xi meeting.

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

Wo bleibt in den USA eigentlich der gesellschaftliche Widerstand? Sehr lesenswert dazu Kollege Jörg Schindler: www.spiegel.de/ausland/dona...

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

The recalls failed: All 24 KMT lawmakers on the ballot survived the vote. Taiwan remains in a deadlock. Huge blow to the DPP.

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

Es scheint mir unlogisch, zu der Schlussfolgerung zu kommen, dass die Welt jetzt eine sicherere sei. www.spiegel.de/ausland/iran...

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

Reminder: www.businessinsider.com/trumpn-tiana...

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 31/05/2025

US defense secretary Hegseth at Shangri-La: “President Trump has also said that Communist China will not invade Taiwan on his watch. So our goal is to prevent war. To make the cost too high, and peace the only option. (…) But if deterrence fails (…) we are prepared (…) to fight and win decisively.”

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

Zum 9. Mai ein älteres Interview mit Alexej Heistver, der den Holocaust überlebte und in Moskau und Odessa aufwuchs. Der Historiker sprach über Putins »zynische Orgie des Militarismus«. Er sagte: »Frieden ist in diesem Weltbild unnatürlich.« www.tagesspiegel.de/gesellschaft...

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

A striking image: Taiwanese President Lai along with European representatives in front of Churchill’s “We shall fight on the beaches” speech.

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

The KMT‘s rhetoric has been unhinged, but this, by party chairman Eric Chu, is truly revolting. Chu says that president Lai is “doing what Hitler did”. udn.com/news/story/6... Germany’s de-facto embassy in Taiwan has published a long statement in condemnation.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DJWs8Cvztmc/?igsh=dW5jbXA2dWRmMnZo

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

If TableMedia is right, Merz will appoint a foreign minister highly critical of Beijing. Johann Wadephul has called Xi a dictator & criticised China’s violations of int’l law & human rights. He’s said the HK crackdown damaged Beijing’s credibility. And on Taiwan: “The free world stands together.”

https://www.rnd.de/politik/deutschland-china-beziehung-wie-geht-es-weiter-mit-peking-D2XTX5EBWNHJBBIHW4NAHFO35I.html?outputType=valid_amp

https://www.cducsu.de/presse/texte-und-interviews/wadephul-china-will-eine-andere-weltordnung

https://x.com/jowadephul/status/1554447402567929858?s=46

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

Update: www.tickaroo.com/e/FS9HyKB81d...

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

Eigentlich war das Interview ein Recherchegespräch über den Rock-Impresario Bill Graham, der im Berlin der Nazizeit im selben jüdischen Waisenhaus gelebt hatte wie Frankenstein. Der Artikel erschien, mit Frankensteins Erinnerungen, in der FAZ. (6/8) archive.ph/goUFF

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 21/04/2025

Looking at China’s state news agency Xinhua, you wouldn’t know anyone noteworthy died today. No mention of the Pope. Only when you click on the “Europe” section do you find a two-sentence obituary. (The PRC and the Vatican do not have official diplomatic relations.)

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

An ideology forged, and frozen, in the 1980s just fully unleashed itself (pic: Trump’s infamous newspaper ad from 1987)

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

For the second time in about a week, Japan publicly corrects something it allegedly said to China, but actually didn’t: x.com/japan_emb_in...

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

The PLA also said that it conducted long-range live-fire drills in the East China Sea involving “precision strikes on simulated targets of key ports and energy facilities”. Or, as Wang Yi likes to tell European diplomats: The People’s Republic of China is a peace-loving nation.

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

China appears to have continued its drills near Taiwan. The exercise is named “Strait Thunder 2025A” (“海峡雷霆-2025A”). The “A” is psychological warfare. Last year there was “Joint Sword 2024A”—and some months later B. (Why is the drama of 🇨🇳 propaganda music always at 150%?)

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

On TSMC’s $100bn investment announcement in the Trump White House, Chris Miller offered a very positive reading: “It puts the [🇺🇸🇹🇼] relationship on a much stronger foot than it might have been.” Yet he also cautioned that chips/trade can no longer be viewed as separate from security policy. (2/2)

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Interesting talk by Chris Miller (”Chip War“) at the Taiwan think tank DSET: “Sometimes when I come to Taipei, people tell me about the ‘hollowing out’ of the Taiwanese chip industry. I ask them: what chip industry are they looking at? (…) Taiwan’s position is stronger than ever.” (1/2)

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

Bewegend: Putin hat Witkoff ein Abbild des Messias geschenkt. 🙏 www.spiegel.de/ausland/russ...

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Below, the context, as @demesdavid.bsky.social kindly pointed out. Reminds one a bit of John Cena, who publicly prostrated himself after calling Taiwan a country, saying he was ”very very sorry“ and that this was ”very very very very very important”. www.youtube.com/watch?v=z88z...

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

There’s something so dystopian about a movie star coming to Taipei (as neutral a city name as any), then proceeding to post about visiting “Taipei China” on a social media app that is blocked in China. The comments capture it well.

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

I was today years old when I learned… Impeccable name considering he “needs ammo not a ride” www.chinatalk.media/p/taiwan-on-...

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

Niemand hätte wissen können, was Trump für einer ist – es ist eine totale Überraschung, und völlig aus dem Nichts entpuppt er sich dieser Tage als Antidemokrat

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

Es ist jedes Mal aufs Neue bemerkenswert, sich vor Augen zu führen, dass China und Russland trotz riesiger Grenze, gemeinsamer kommunistischer Geschichte & historisch gemeinsamer Feinde (einst Mongolen, heute Amerikaner) keineswegs immer natürliche Freunde waren. (Bild: 1950er vs. 1960er)

Stalin und Mao auf einem in der Volksrepublik veröffentlichten chinesisch-sowjetischen Freundschaftsplakat von 1951. Foto: PC-1951-s-002 / Chinese Posters / Private collection

Chinesische Propaganda mit der Aufschrift »Nieder mit den neuen Zaren!«, publiziert während des Grenzkonflikts 1969: Auf dem roten Banner unten rechts steht »Nieder mit dem sowjetisch-revisionistischen sozialistischen Imperialismus!« Foto: Bg E37 / 839 / Chinese Posters / Landsberger collection

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

Urbansky und sein Historikerkollege Martin Wagner haben gerade ein sehr lesenswertes und bündiges Buch über 400 wechselhafte Jahre russisch-chinesischer Geschichte bei @suhrkamp.de veröffentlicht – endend bei Xi und Putin. www.suhrkamp.de/buch/china-u...

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

In case you were wondering if that’s the AfD politician whose assistant was arrested for suspected espionage for China: Yes.

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Cornelius Dieckmann @codieckmann.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

Eine Neuigkeit in eigener Sache, die mich sehr freut: Ich berichte künftig als Korrespondent für @spiegel.de aus Taiwan. Some happy personal news: I’ve moved to Taiwan, from where I’ll be reporting as a correspondent for @spiegel.de.

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