China’s Foreign Policy Towards the Pacific
Islands Region From the Perspective of the
‘Wedge Strategy’
 

Kai-ming Chang
(Associate Professor, Center for General Education,
National Taichung University of Science and Technology)
Tung-chieh Tsai
(Distinguished Professor, Graduate Institute of International Politics,
National Chung Hsing University)
 

Abstract
 

　Located in the central and western Pacific, the Pacific Islands Region has traditionally fallen within the sphere of influence of Western democracies. In recent years, however, China has expanded its regional footprint through substantial aid, the Belt and Road Initiative, and security partnerships with several Pacific Island countries, becoming an influential actor in regional affairs. While Beijing’s engagement creates new development opportunities across the region, it also disrupts the traditional regional power structure and has prompted pushback from the United States, Australia, and other Western democracies. Drawing on a review of the evolution of China’s policy toward the Pacific Islands Region, this article applies the concept of “Wedge Strategy” in international relations to examine China’s regional diplomacy. It finds that China’s approach exhibits features of both the “Selective Accommodation Wedge Strategy” and the “Confrontation Wedge Strategy,” employing both inducements and pressure to weaken ties between Pacific Island countries and Western democracies. Although multiple constraints have limited the effectiveness of these efforts thus far, Indo-Pacific democracies must closely monitor future developments and strengthen their strategic responses.

Keywords: Pacific Islands Region, Wedge Strategy, China’s Foreign Policy, Indo-Pacific Strategy, U.S.-China Relations

Ideotainment 2.0: Changes and Impact of
China’s Film Propaganda Strategies
 

Ya-yin Lin
(Assistant Professor, Graduate Institute of Strategic Studies,
National Defense University)
 

Abstract

　How authoritarian regimes transform popular entertainment into effective propaganda tools has long been a crucial issue for authoritarian consolidation. This study examines this question by analyzing the evolution of production strategies in Chinese “patriotic” movies. By collecting 665 Chinese movies from 2008 to 2022 and combining box office performance with coded data, this research systematically compares the differences in movie governance policies, product characteristics, and content features between the Xi Jinping and Hu Jintao eras. The findings reveal that, within the context of marketization, the Xi administration has simultaneously reinforced strategies of “co-optation” and “repression,” driving film enterprises to produce pro-authoritarian products that better cater to public preferences. Through this analysis, the study proposes the concept of “Ideotainment 2.0” to explain how the Party-State refines its propaganda narratives and integrates entertainment elements via non-state actors, significantly increasing the public’s willingness to voluntarily consume mainstream propaganda movies. 

Keywords: Propaganda, Patriotic Movies, Ideotainment 2.0, Co-optation, Repression

Exploring Public Preferences Over Taiwan’s
Defense Policy Through Conjoint Analysis
 

Wei-hao Huang
(Associate Professor, Institute of Political Science,
National Sun Yat-sen University)
 

Abstract
 

　China’s recent military expansion has fueled an intensifying arms race in East Asia, accompanied by the U.S. strategic pivot to the region, making Taiwan’s defense policies and public opinion a focal point of regional security concerns. Taking Taiwan as a case, this study employs a conjoint survey experiment to explore how democracies balance public opinion with defense needs, addressing a gap in the defense policy literature, which has largely examined single policy elements without systematically incorporating public opinion. The results show that respondents tend to support moderate extensions of mandatory military service but remain hesitant about frequent reserve training, and prefer a balance between defense and social welfare spending. Subgroup analyses further reveal that preferences vary by gender, partisan alignment, and perceived threat from China. Taken together, these findings provide an empirical foundation for Taiwan’s defense policymaking and offer useful insights for other East Asian democracies facing similar security pressures, thereby enriching the application of related theories in highly tense regional contexts. 

Keywords: Defense Policy, Public Opinion, Conjoint Analysis, Conscription, Gun-And-Butter