Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

National Security Bureau Director-General Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) has made two public appearances over the past week to answer questions from lawmakers, mostly about the Russia-Ukraine war and its implications for Taiwan.

During a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Monday, Chen said he believed the US would be “more deeply involved” in a war across the Taiwan Strait than in Ukraine, due to its commitments to Taipei under the US’ Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).

“The current situation [in Ukraine] has given China much to think about, as the US has given much support to Ukraine, even without a law similar to the TRA,” he said.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will be discussed in Taiwan long after it ends because success or failure in war is not only about lives, but also about how Taiwanese interpret history, educate the next generation and shape their cultural identities.

The shadow of empire is everywhere, and it looms over Taiwan like small dark clouds in a sunny sky.

Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to make his mark in history by restoring the glory of the Russian Empire as it stood for three centuries. Media such as the Liberty Times [the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper] have discussed how dictators inevitably gravitate toward imperial aggression, and how capitulationism might still exist today.