ABSTRACT
Having decided to punish Taiwan and the Tsai Ing-wen administration, Beijing launched a series of initiatives meant to destabilize the Tsai Ing-wen administration, from the weaponization of tourism, the poaching of Taiwan’s official diplomatic allies, new laws and policies meant to erase Taiwan from the international community, “sharp power” activities, psychological warfare, “fake news,” Internet harassment, and an increased military threat. Besides the sticks, Beijing also unveiled a few incentives that were meant to woo young Taiwanese and turn them against their government. While Taiwan lost a handful of diplomatic allies to China and saw its visibility abroad reduced due to the private sector’s decision to comply with Beijing’s new directives, the cumulative effect of this coercive strategy have on the whole failed to bring Taiwan to its knees.
