Cornelius Dieckmann
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Cornelius Dieckmann
@codieckmann.bsky.social
1.4K followers 810 following 450 posts
Taipei correspondent @spiegel.de
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codieckmann.bsky.social
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.
January 13, 2026 at 2:11 PM
codieckmann.bsky.social
www.spiegel.de/ausland/vene...
January 3, 2026 at 3:15 PM
codieckmann.bsky.social
For example, the State Department said this in April:

www.state.gov/response-to-...
December 5, 2025 at 2:18 PM
codieckmann.bsky.social
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?
December 5, 2025 at 2:10 PM
codieckmann.bsky.social
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.
December 5, 2025 at 6:08 AM
codieckmann.bsky.social
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.”
November 10, 2025 at 1:34 PM
codieckmann.bsky.social
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.
November 9, 2025 at 7:35 AM
codieckmann.bsky.social
The view from Taipei
October 30, 2025 at 5:24 AM
codieckmann.bsky.social
“Taiwan never came up, it was not discussed actually”: Trump on Xi meeting.
October 30, 2025 at 4:51 AM
codieckmann.bsky.social
This was one year ago:
October 30, 2025 at 3:41 AM
codieckmann.bsky.social
Wo bleibt in den USA eigentlich der gesellschaftliche Widerstand? Sehr lesenswert dazu Kollege Jörg Schindler:

www.spiegel.de/ausland/dona...
September 25, 2025 at 6:19 PM
codieckmann.bsky.social
The recalls failed: All 24 KMT lawmakers on the ballot survived the vote. Taiwan remains in a deadlock. Huge blow to the DPP.
July 26, 2025 at 12:36 PM
codieckmann.bsky.social
SPIEGEL-Titelbild: Gaza. Ein Verbrechen.
July 24, 2025 at 2:15 PM
codieckmann.bsky.social
Wie lange noch?
July 23, 2025 at 7:14 AM
codieckmann.bsky.social
Es scheint mir unlogisch, zu der Schlussfolgerung zu kommen, dass die Welt jetzt eine sicherere sei.

www.spiegel.de/ausland/iran...
June 25, 2025 at 8:02 AM
codieckmann.bsky.social
Reminder:

www.businessinsider.com/trumpn-tiana...
June 9, 2025 at 5:54 AM
codieckmann.bsky.social
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.”
May 31, 2025 at 1:48 AM
codieckmann.bsky.social
To be a fly…
May 9, 2025 at 8:07 AM
codieckmann.bsky.social
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...
May 9, 2025 at 3:46 AM
codieckmann.bsky.social
Meanwhile in Moscow:
May 8, 2025 at 1:44 PM
codieckmann.bsky.social
A striking image: Taiwanese President Lai along with European representatives in front of Churchill’s “We shall fight on the beaches” speech.
May 8, 2025 at 1:44 PM
codieckmann.bsky.social
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
May 7, 2025 at 3:54 PM
codieckmann.bsky.social
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
April 27, 2025 at 1:55 PM
codieckmann.bsky.social
Update:

www.tickaroo.com/e/FS9HyKB81d...
April 23, 2025 at 9:09 AM
codieckmann.bsky.social
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
April 22, 2025 at 1:54 PM