China’s Energy Ambitions and the Nine-Dash Line in the South China Sea

The geopolitical conflict in the South China Sea (SCS) crops up around China’s territorial claims delineated by the nine-dash line. This contested region, rich in natural resources and critical to global trade, is a focal point of international tension. The SCS discord and the Chinese ambitions are not recent; they stem from historical precedents and contemporary strategic objectives. The origins of the nine-dash line trace back to the Kuomintang government of pre-independent China, which issued an eleven-dash map in 1947, claiming nearly 2 million square kilometres of maritime territories in the SCS.

2024 Taiwanese Election: DPP’s Mandate and China’s Sovereignty Dilemma

In the 2024 Taiwan elections, where the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) secured another victory with Vice President William Lai Ching-Te assuming the presidency, Beijing faces the challenge of navigating its relations with Taipei. It is imperative to analyse how Beijing can portray its dominant presence as a way forward in the Taiwan Strait and turn the scenario in its balance by considering voting patterns, factors influencing the election, and the international perspective involving Beijing, Taipei, and Washington, D.C.