Deterrence, Diplomacy, and Risk of Conflict: the Taiwan Challenge for the EU
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has underscored the return of great-power competition, elevating the risk of global conflict and bringing the concept of deterrence back to the forefront.
While a war between China and the United States is not inevitable, nor is a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan that could trigger it, the stakes are extraordinarily high. A direct conflict between the world’s two most powerful militaries would bring the world closer to nuclear catastrophe than at any time since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
What role can the EU play in a global deterrence strategy to prevent such a conflict? How might the EU effectively de-risk its relationship with the Taiwanese semiconductor industry?
We will explore this critical geopolitical challenge with Bill Emmott, who recently published a book on deterrence and the risk of conflict over Taiwan. He will be joined by Mariangela Pira, journalist and anchor at SkyTg24. Both are IEP@BU media fellows. Stefano Feltri will moderate the conversation.
Speakers
- Bill Emmott is Chairman of the IISS Trustees and an independent writer and consultant. He spent 26 years at The Economist, which he joined in 1980. His recent Adelphi book, Deterrence, Diplomacy, and the Risk of Conflict over Taiwan, provides a timely analysis of these pressing issues.
- Mariangela Pira is a journalist and anchor at the Italian TV network SkyTg24, and she is also an IEP@BU media fellow.
- Stefano Feltri, IEP@BU communication advisor, will moderate the discussion.
This event is part of a series designed to give IEP@BU media fellows the opportunity to engage with leading European experts and scholars on critical EU-level policy issues.
IEP@BU does not express opinions of its own. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. Any errors or omissions are the responsibility of the authors.
