oiip

07.03.2023
17:00 - 18:30

oiip
Währinger Strasse 3/12, 1090 Wien

Russia’s war against Ukraine has sent shockwaves far beyond Europe and impacted the security situation around the globe. In East Asia, one of the concerns that arose immediately after the invasion was whether China would use the war as an opportunity to take assertive action with regard to Taiwan. This has thankfully not happened, but regional security dynamics have undergone significant changes in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion. Notably, Chinese and Taiwanese debates about the likelihood of an invasion (and its success), countermeasures, and international consequences have picked up. Similarly, Japan has for the first time explicitly linked its security to the Taiwan Strait, and in South Korea and Japan even talk of nuclear armament is no longer off the table. North Korea, meanwhile, has sided with Russia in the UN and directly supplied the Russian armed forces with weaponry, while some Southeast Asian states and ASEAN members have condemned Russia’s war and seemingly drawn closer to the US on questions of security.

Given these developments it is important to ask: How has the war in Ukraine affected the security situation in East Asia? Is a war over Taiwan now more likely? What lessons is China learning and what are the implications of Japan’s changed security policy? Has the potential for nuclear proliferation in the region increased? Is the balance of power between the US and China in Southeast Asia changing as regional governments react to the war in Ukraine? Are we witnessing a re-emergence of older Cold War dynamics and, if so, with what consequences?

We will discuss these and other questions with:
Dr. Ching-Chang Chen
Professor of International Politics, Ryukoku University, Japan

Dr. Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik
Professor emeritus of Sinology, University of Vienna, Austria

Dr. Alfred Gerstl
Associate Professor of Asian Studies, Palacký University of Olomouc, Czech Republic

The event is moderated by:
Dr. Nina C. Krickel-Choi
Postdoctoral Researcher, Austrian Institute for International Affairs – oiip, Austria

Dr. Thomas Eder
Postdoctoral Researcher, Austrian Institute for International Affairs – oiip, Austria

Due to the limited number of places, registration is requested.

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