Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

During the controversy surrounding Japan’s detention of the captain of a Chinese fishing boat in the waters off the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台), China displayed the strength of a major power, forcing Japan to call on the US-Japan security treaty and Washington’s assistance in reining in Beijing.

The question of how to counterbalance the power of a rising China has become a matter of grave concern to the international community.

A delegation led by Chinese Vice Minister of Public Security Chen Zhimin (陳智敏) visited Taiwan between Sept. 13 and Sept. 18. The delegates met officials from Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior, Coast Guard Administration and the executive and judicial branches. They also visited local police units in Taoyuan and Nantou counties, among others. Chen’s official title made the political significance of the visit all too clear. The trip was first reported by a Chinese state media outlet, the China News Service, on Sept. 27. The government has remained silent on details of the schedule, what was discussed at the meetings, and whether any agreements were reached, excluding even legislators.