As tensions remain high in the Taiwan Strait, Swiss-based observers weigh in on the significance of the international show of support for the island – and the limited options Switzerland has if China were to launch an attack. The unrelenting military exercises around Taiwan that began after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi travelled to Taipei in early August were meant to serve – in the words of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) – as “a serious warning” to those who might support independence for what China considers a renegade province. Foreign elected officials, however, are refusing to stay away: in the last couple of weeks, more delegations from the United States and Japan have travelled to the island to shake hands with President Tsai Ing-wen, with Lithuania, Canada and others set to follow. Some parliamentarians in Bern have been similarly defiant and stepped up calls for stronger bilateral ties with Taiwan. Meanwhile, a Swiss-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group says it’s...
