Hotspot East Asia
Korea, Taiwan, South China Sea
Jan 27, 2026 / Vienna / Indo-Pacific / Global Affairs
On January 27, 2026, the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES), in cooperation with the Vienna School of International Studies, hosted a public lecture on the geopolitical tensions in East Asia. Speakers included Hans Dietmar Schweisgut, Former Austrian & EU Ambassador to China and Japan; Michael Reiterer, Former EU Ambassador to the Republic of Korea; Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik, Professor Emeritus of Sinology at the University of Vienna; and Nikolaus Rottenberger, Brigadier General and Head of the Military Diplomacy Division at the Austrian Ministry of Defence. AIES President Dr. Werner Fasslabend moderated the discussions.
Even though, global attention is focused on conflicts like the war in Ukraine and ongoing tensions in the Middle East, East Asia continues to represent a critical international security hotspot and should therefore not be overlooked. Indeed, current hostilities involving the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, Japan and the South China Sea are met with growing competition between global actors such as the US and China.
A very recent leadership change within China's military, with Chinese Central Military Commission Vice-Chairman Zhang Youxia being brought into custody, highlights growing disalignment between political and military elites under President Xi Jinping. At the same time, Taiwan remains Beijing's main strategic concern, with blockades continuing as a preferred tool of coercion. While Taiwan's domestic political discourse increasingly emphasises independence, China's "Anti-Secession Law" complicates the situation. In response, China signals its intention to continue the blockades of Taiwan, a strategy that may increase the risk of direct confrontation with the US and its regional allies.
Japan is accelerating its security posture, actively seeking to strengthen its ties with the US, ASEAN, the Korean peninsula and the EU. Additionally, relations between South and North Korea remain highly unstable with, one the one hand, North Korea abandoning plans for reunification and, on the other hand, South Korea reassessing its debates on nuclearisation.
Lastly, the US retains its technological superiority, but China’s rapid military modernisation, particularly its naval and air capabilities, poses growing challenges. Furthermore, logistics and distance remain a key vulnerability for US forces affecting the security landscape in the South China Sea.
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