Shannon Brandao
Shannon's excerpt from the article: "Guardian [excerpt]: #Taiwan’s government is considering joining the #internationalcriminalcourt, in part to increase deterrence of a Chinese attack or invasion.
Supporters also say it would help universalise the international legal system, which has a low presence in #Asia, and increase Taiwan’s global participation at a time when Beijing works to keep it as isolated as possible.
The court was established by the Rome statute, which defined four core international crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression. It has operated since 2002, prosecuting dozens of alleged war criminals. In March the #ICC issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president, Vladimir #Putin, over the forced deportation of children from #Ukraine.
Taiwan joining the ICC would allow investigation and warrants against Chinese leader #XiJinping under #internationallaw if he ordered or oversaw acts of #war or #warcrimes against Taiwan on its territory. Supporters have said this could help deter Xi from acting on his intention to annex Taiwan, a self-ruled #democracy whose people overwhelmingly reject the prospect of Chinese subjugation.
'[Taiwan joining the ICC] alone may not deter a decision to attack Taiwan,' said Kevin Chang, an international lawyer and associate professor at Taiwan’s National Chengchi University. 'But with #China trying to assert leadership in the world, this is a significant calculation China has to make.'
In his new year’s address on Sunday, Xi said China’s 'reunification' with Taiwan was inevitable, striking a stronger tone than he did last year, when he said only that people on either side of the Taiwan Strait are 'members of one and the same family'.
Because of the warrant, Putin did not travel to the Brics conference in South Africa earlier this year as he faced the risk of arrest and deportation to The Hague if he landed in the ICC member state.
Prof Jonathan Hafetz, of Seton Hall law school in the US, said he did not think Taiwanese membership of the ICC would have a strong deterrent effect alone, but would probably introduce 'another dimension to the larger geopolitical landscape that China would have to navigate'."
#News #geopolitics