2022 Year in Review
The Year in Review is YDS’ biggest and most exciting publication of the year - featuring analysis that covers the most significant and impactful events that have shaped our world.
The 2022 Year in Review explores key events in all regions, from the overturning of Roe v Wade, the war in Ukraine, and the UK leadership crisis, this year’s edition is not one to miss!
Read it now !
The Year in Review is YDS’ biggest and most exciting publication of the year - featuring analysis that covers the most significant and impactful events that have shaped our world.
The 2022 Year in Review explores key events in all regions, from the overturning of Roe v Wade, the war in Ukraine, and the UK leadership crisis, this year’s edition is not one to miss!
Read it now !
P H O T O B Y A N N W A N G / R E U T E R SSTRATEGICAMBIGUITY –A COLD WARFOSSILThe coming years are crucial indetermining Taiwan’s future. Theisland stands at a cross-roads, withthe direction to be determined inWashington D.C. Will Taiwanpersevere as a free democracy, orwill the world witness anothervibrant liberal society atrophy intothe abyss of Chinese totalitarianism?Samuel NgP A G E 9 4
Taiwan’s situation is tricky to say the least, and the American position regarding itsdefence obligations is not any less complicated. Taiwan has been an internationalanomaly since 1949 when the Republic of China (ROC) government fled the mainlandonto the island. The 1952 San Francisco Treaty further complicated the island’s legalstatus when Japan renounced its sovereignty over Formosa without designating inwhose favour the renouncement was directed.ACKNOWLEDGE VS RECOGNISEThe People’s Republic of China (PRC) has adamantly claimed sovereignty over Taiwanand has coerced nations, institutions, and businesses to adhere to its ‘One ChinaPrinciple’. Western nations, including Australia, “acknowledge” but do not “recognise”the PRC’s claim over Taiwan. Here’s the complication: to recognise is to understandsomething as a fact or truth, or to declare a belief in. To acknowledge is to admitknowledge of something. In practice, this translates to countries like the UnitedStates and the United Kingdom saying, “yes we know the PRC claims Taiwan”, and not“the PRC claims Taiwan period”.Although it may seem semantical or a mere twist on words, this disparity between“acknowledge” and “recognise” makes a world of difference, as it provides the UnitedStates and others with room to manoeuvre and formulate policy with ambiguousdefence obligations regarding Taiwan.STRATEGIC AMBIGUITY HAS EXPIREDStrategic ambiguity, at its core, assumes that shrouding the US’ policy vis-a-vis aninvasion would minimise the probability of war and decrease the PRC’s willingness toinvade. But even apologists of the existing policy have admitted that the approach nolonger deters China effectively, as Beijing’s strength and military build-up hasstretched beyond American predictions and expectations.Developed in the 1970s, strategic ambiguity was formed when the US wasattempting to cleave the PRC away from the USSR and required a strong yet vaguepolicy regarding Chinese ambitions towards Taiwan.P A G E 9 5
- Page 52 and 53: With the victory of the Australian
- Page 54 and 55: P A G E 4 6P H O T O : I R E N E S
- Page 56 and 57: Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukra
- Page 58 and 59: "FOR BISHKEK AND TASHKENT,THE CKU E
- Page 60 and 61: The CKU’s touted benefits have be
- Page 62 and 63: Lacking the capacity to self-financ
- Page 64 and 65: T H E R E N E W E DD I P L O M A T
- Page 66 and 67: Azerbaijan, which received substant
- Page 68 and 69: SRI LANKA'SECONOMICCRISISP H O T O
- Page 70 and 71: China’s investment in Sri Lanka d
- Page 72 and 73: P A G E 6 4P H O T O : Z A C H A R
- Page 74 and 75: BALI G20 EASES WORLDTENSIONS AS IND
- Page 76 and 77: But the unanimous condemnation of t
- Page 78 and 79: MYANMAR IN2022P H O T O : G A Y A T
- Page 80 and 81: SANCTIONS AND CHINA IMPLICATIONSThe
- Page 82 and 83: AUSTRALIA'S RESPONSEAs mentioned by
- Page 84 and 85: P H O T O : P A N G X I N G L E I /
- Page 86 and 87: 2Secondly,some of the areas through
- Page 88 and 89: should make an effort to effectivel
- Page 90 and 91: BBM continuously reframed historica
- Page 92 and 93: Neha DaymaCannabis sativa, usually
- Page 94 and 95: The reasons behind legalisation can
- Page 96 and 97: Bella Baker and Shantelle O'Riordan
- Page 98 and 99: INFRASTRUCTURE BILL - THEINFRUSTRUC
- Page 100 and 101: BIDEN'S SHORTCOMINGSSOARING INFLATI
- Page 104 and 105: The possibility of the Americans le
- Page 106 and 107: Britain; a move that is not expecte
- Page 108 and 109: P A G E 1 0 0Shajara KhanP H O T O
- Page 110 and 111: and Quebec were officially proclaim
- Page 112 and 113: THE PATH FORWARDAs it stands, recon
- Page 114 and 115: Samuel NgLeaping from crisis to cri
- Page 116 and 117: Former US President Donald Trumpand
- Page 118 and 119: SUNAK'S HMSBRITANNIA INTOOBLIVIONTh
- Page 120 and 121: T H E N U C L E A RR E N A I S S A
- Page 122 and 123: N U C L E A R A N D G A S E N E R G
- Page 124 and 125: Diane Maria LangelohGERMANY'S INTER
- Page 126 and 127: Stream, which was founded during th
- Page 128 and 129: Evangelia WichmannP A G E 1 2 0P H
- Page 130 and 131: FIRES IN THE AMAZONThis blatant ign
- Page 132 and 133: These indigenous remains, belonging
- Page 134 and 135: The Enduring Influence of Peronism:
- Page 136 and 137: and political sovereignty. Since th
- Page 138 and 139: However, it is clear that for manyA
- Page 140 and 141: IIngrid Escamilla, a 25-year-old, w
- Page 142 and 143: Any legal recognition of femicide i
- Page 144 and 145: OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THENEW: A
- Page 146 and 147: However, an LNG supply deal struck
- Page 148 and 149: spaces, the complete shutdown of li
- Page 150 and 151: PHOTO: PATRICK BAZ / AFPLEBANON IN
Taiwan’s situation is tricky to say the least, and the American position regarding its
defence obligations is not any less complicated. Taiwan has been an international
anomaly since 1949 when the Republic of China (ROC) government fled the mainland
onto the island. The 1952 San Francisco Treaty further complicated the island’s legal
status when Japan renounced its sovereignty over Formosa without designating in
whose favour the renouncement was directed.
ACKNOWLEDGE VS RECOGNISE
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has adamantly claimed sovereignty over Taiwan
and has coerced nations, institutions, and businesses to adhere to its ‘One China
Principle’. Western nations, including Australia, “acknowledge” but do not “recognise”
the PRC’s claim over Taiwan. Here’s the complication: to recognise is to understand
something as a fact or truth, or to declare a belief in. To acknowledge is to admit
knowledge of something. In practice, this translates to countries like the United
States and the United Kingdom saying, “yes we know the PRC claims Taiwan”, and not
“the PRC claims Taiwan period”.
Although it may seem semantical or a mere twist on words, this disparity between
“acknowledge” and “recognise” makes a world of difference, as it provides the United
States and others with room to manoeuvre and formulate policy with ambiguous
defence obligations regarding Taiwan.
STRATEGIC AMBIGUITY HAS EXPIRED
Strategic ambiguity, at its core, assumes that shrouding the US’ policy vis-a-vis an
invasion would minimise the probability of war and decrease the PRC’s willingness to
invade. But even apologists of the existing policy have admitted that the approach no
longer deters China effectively, as Beijing’s strength and military build-up has
stretched beyond American predictions and expectations.
Developed in the 1970s, strategic ambiguity was formed when the US was
attempting to cleave the PRC away from the USSR and required a strong yet vague
policy regarding Chinese ambitions towards Taiwan.
P A G E 9 5
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